Defence Commercial Apprenticeship Programme

This apprenticeship is a role within the Civil Service. Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.

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

Procurement and supply chain practitioner (level 4)

• Understanding apprenticeship levels
• Course contents

Requirements

• GCSE in: English and Maths (grade C)
• Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.

Responsibilities

• Manage relationships with stakeholders.
• Interpret business requirements by assessing the demand for the product or service.
• Undertake market analysis to establish potential routes to market.
• Conduct benchmarking to evaluate costs against industry standards.
• Prepare or contribute to the drafting of a sourcing plan which meets business needs, including corporate social responsibility factors.
• Use the organisation's documentation designed for commercial procurement processes for the supply of goods and services.
• Notify potential suppliers of proposal requirements.
• Use selection and award criteria to source requirements from external suppliers evidencing how supplier bids are evaluated against them.
• Analyse the financial implications of decisions and identify cost-saving opportunities.
• Liaise and negotiate with suppliers and stakeholders to ensure the timely delivery of purchased goods and services.
• Support contract award and briefing of suppliers in line with the organisations processes and governance.
• Monitor and manage contract performance to meet time, costs, service, and quality objectives.
• Manage contract performance and advise suppliers on any areas for improvement.
• Maintain contract documentation such as change control, version control.
• Use IT and software to produce spreadsheets and presentation packages to communicate information.
• Identify, raise, and facilitate discussions with stakeholders to resolve any issues or risks.
• Analyses sustainability challenges and risks at each stage of the product or contract life cycle.
• Manage information in accordance with policy and processes.
• Continuously review work processes to identify and eliminate inefficiencies and simplify workflow.
• Use available systems and tools to identify relevant data.
• Interpret, analyse, and evaluate data through questioning to drive actionable intelligence and support decision making.
• Use horizon scanning to identify future changes in procurement and contracting.