Sales Executive Apprenticeship

University of Portsmouth

Portsmouth (PO1 2QF)

Closes in 6 days (Monday 9 November 2026)

Posted on 2 November 2026

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Summary

This role exists to support innovation and collaboration between the University and external businesses by creating a connected environment. By driving sales activity and sustaining occupancy levels, it enables businesses to collaborate and grow, delivering mutual benefit and long term impact for the University and local economy.

• Wage:

  £25,949 a year

  Minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

  Competitive salary, including incremental progression within your scale.; Generous pension scheme.; Generous leave entitlement of 32–35 days a year, plus bank holidays, and an additional Christmas closure.; ; ;

• Training course: Sales executive (level 4)
• Hours: Monday to Thursday 8:30 - 17:00 Friday 8:30 - 16:00

  37 hours a week

• Start date:

  Tuesday 5 January 2027

• Duration:

  2 years

• Positions available:

  1

Work

Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.

What you'll do at work

The Role:
Innovation Connect, comprising three city venues, is one of the University’s key investments to generate value through engagement with businesses. It provides co working and office space, alongside business support and engagement events, and currently houses a range of early stage companies that benefit from active connection with the University.

This role exists to support innovation and collaboration between the University and external businesses by creating a well run, supportive and connected environment. By driving sales activity and sustaining strong occupancy levels, it enables early stage businesses from the University and the wider business community to collaborate effectively and grow, delivering mutual benefit and long term impact for the University and the local economy.

This role is offered as a developmental appointment aligned to a Level 4 Sales Executive apprenticeship, with responsibilities structured to support progression in capability and confidence over the duration of the contract.

The University is proud of its commitment to offer apprenticeships across a wide range of vocational areas. Apprenticeships combine practical on the job training with a course of study in your chosen vocation; enabling you to reach your full potential via work based experience and recognised qualifications.  These opportunities are offered by the University to those with limited previous education/training or work experience, helping you to develop the required skills in your chosen field of work.

All apprentices will be fully supported by departmental managers and mentors who will help you to become work-ready within a welcoming and high performing team environment.

As a University of Portsmouth apprentice, you will:

Complete a level 4 in Sales Executive with University of Portsmouth
Be supported by a specialist training provider
Gain job specific skills and work alongside experienced staff
Be supported to complete training and course work within agreed deadlines

Where you'll work

Halpern House 1-2
Hampshire Terrace
Portsmouth
PO1 2QF

Training

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

Training provider

UNIVERSITY OF PORTSMOUTH

Training course

Sales executive (level 4)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

What you'll learn

Course contents

• Sales planning and preparation: Set effective targets using sales forecasts. Prioritise customers and activities to grow account value and maximise return-on-investment in line with your organisation’s strategy. Formulate or refine customer plans and objectives. Create efficient territory plans where appropriate.
• Customer engagement: Effectively communicate and interpret customer information exchanged through written, verbal and non-verbal communication. Develop a customer engagement style that effectively opens sales conversations, builds rapport, enhances customer relationships, and adapts to different customer’s social preferences.
• Customer needs analysis: Be highly skilled at effective questioning and active listening techniques to understand the customer’s needs, guide the sales conversation appropriately, create mutual understanding, and build trust and affinity with customers.
• Propose and present solutions: Develop sales proposals and deliver them using a presentation style and technique appropriate for your customer. Present relevant products and/or services, explain features and their advantages, and clearly articulate the value and benefit of the solution for the specific customer. Use and adapt a range of techniques to draw-out and overcome common sales objections.
• Negotiate: Research the customer’s likely desired outcomes and negotiating stance. Develop responses to likely objections. Identify your own organisation’s needs, such as minimum price and acceptable terms. Negotiate or trade variables effectively.
• Closing Sales: Be attuned to verbal and non-verbal buying-signals andmove to close at an appropriate point in sales conversations. Develop ethical techniques to close sales and confirm customers’ purchase agreement.
• Gathering Intelligence: Collect, analyse and interpret market intelligence and share it appropriately and effectively within your organisation.
• Time Management: Use and adapt appropriate tools and techniques to prioritise and manage your time effectively.
• Collaboration and team work: Contribute effectively within a team environment. Work collaboratively with both internal and external stakeholders. Manage communications with the cross-functional team in relation to the effective delivery of your sales, such as finance and service delivery. Support continual business improvement by sharing best practice with sales team colleagues and assist the marketing team to develop new marketing collateral.
• Customer experience management: Deliver a positive customer experience. Manage customer enquiries and issues effectively. Take proactive action to prevent and minimise customer concerns and complaints. Handle all customer interactions professionally to the customer’s satisfaction.
• Digital skills: Effectively use digital tools to conduct research and target customers in line with the overall sales strategy. Able to deliver presentations and meetings using digital communication. Complete accurate records and process sales in accordance with your organisation’s policies, procedures and digital CRM systems.

Training schedule

Training will be with the University of Portsmouth with a mixture of online and some on campus learning.

Apprentice will complete 6 off the job hours a week.

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

• English language (grade 4)
• Maths (grade 4)

Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.

Skills

• Communication skills
• Problem solving skills
• Team working
• Ambitious

Other requirements

Right to work in the UK

About this employer

The University of Portsmouth is a global employer of choice where exceptional people create, share and apply knowledge that makes a difference.

Experience the pride of being part of a select group – one of only four universities in the south-east of England to achieve a prestigious Gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework. Additionally, we proudly rank among the top 140 universities globally in the Times Higher Young University World Rankings.

https://www.port.ac.uk/ (opens in new tab)

Company benefits

Staff discounts and loyalty schemes.
Staff car parking and discounted public travel.
Excellent training and development opportunities.
Staff wellbeing programmes.
Recreation facilities, including discounted gym membership, food on campus schemes, use of the Library and staff social activities.
Discounted learning.
Start-up business mentoring from expert entrepreneurs via our Entrepreneurs in Residence programme.

Disability Confident

A fair proportion of interviews for this apprenticeship will be offered to applicants with a disability or long-term health condition. This includes non-visible disabilities and conditions.

You can choose to be considered for an interview under the Disability Confident scheme. You’ll need to meet the essential requirements to be considered for an interview.

After this apprenticeship

Your earnings can increase over time with an apprenticeship. Find out about potential future pay (opens in new tab).

Become a full time member of the team.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

UNIVERSITY OF PORTSMOUTH

Andrew

andrew.meredith@port.ac.uk

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000061365.

Apply now

Closes in 6 days (Monday 9 November 2026)

After signing in, you’ll apply for this apprenticeship on the company's website.