Production Office Apprentice - BARTON FIRTOP ENGINEERING CO LTD

To learn to coordinate and report on all Production activities relating to Standard orders. To support the Production Office with any other daily administrative functions, when required.

Wage: £15,392 to £24,454.04, depending on your age.

Hours: Monday to Friday 07:00-15:30 - We operate a flexi‑time policy to enable employees to choose their preferred working pattern, i.e. start/end times of their working day, within timeframes set by the company and agreed by line managers. 37 hours a week.

Duration: 1 year 6 months.

Schedule: Tuesday 1 September 2026.

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

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Shall be fully committed to the achievement of the company policies and objectives with attention to quality and safety.
• Produce all spares, paint and other Dymo labels as required.
• Scan, save and distribute signed MMRs.
• Create and distribute new MMRs.
• Check nameplate/tag templates produced by others, prior to engraving.
• Produce nameplate/tag templates for checking.
• Manufacture nameplates/tags using the laser engraver.
• Produce packing/shipping and marking templates using the stencilling machine.
• Liaise with internal departments (e.g. Purchasing/Expediting) to resolve material shortage issues.
• Co‑ordinate and replenish Production consumables & PPE.
• Co‑ordinate and replenish stock timber and packing cases.
• Update the A1 live list and Ready for Despatch Movement List (RDML), to communicate current order status/progress and completion.
• Prepare Standard Route Cards for new orders processed by Sales.
• Issue Route Cards to QC/Stores, to trigger materials being issued to shop floor in a timely manner.
• Communicate with the Production Assembly Lead to support delivery against agreed schedules.
• Act as a point of contact for Sales regarding Standard order progress, under guidance.
• Provide team support during holidays or absence, under guidance.
• Assist with general production troubleshooting activities.
• Make recommendations for renewal/replacement of plant and equipment.
• Obtain authority from senior management prior to commitment of expenditure.
• Ensure safe working practices are always adhered to; this applies to internal and visiting personnel.
• Undertake reasonable instructions and tasks from senior personnel, commensurate with the nature of the job and in the best interests of the company.

Staff Relationships:

• Directly responsible to the Production Planning Manager.
• Works closely and communicates with all Production team members.
• Communicates with all other internal departments.
• Liaises with clients and client inspectors, when required, under supervision.
• Has proactive involvement with internal and external quality audits.

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

Skilled in the use of multiple IT packages and systems relevant to the organisation in order to: write letters or emails, create proposals, perform financial processes, record and analyse data. Examples include MS Office or equivalent packages.

Able to choose the most appropriate IT solution to suit the business problem. Able to update and review databases, record information and produce data analysis where required. Produces accurate records and documents including: emails, letters, files, payments, reports and proposals.

Makes recommendations for improvements and present solutions to management. Drafts correspondence, writes reports and able to review others' work. Maintains records and files, handles confidential information in compliance with the organisation's procedures.

Coaches others in the processes required to complete these tasks. Exercises proactivity and good judgement. Makes effective decisions based on sound reasoning and is able to deal with challenges in a mature way. Seeks advice of more experienced team members when appropriate.

Builds and maintains positive relationships within their own team and across the organisation. Demonstrates ability to influence and challenge appropriately. Becomes a role model to peers and team members, developing coaching skills as they gain area knowledge.

Demonstrates good communication skills, whether face‑to‑face, on the telephone, in writing or on digital platforms. Uses the most appropriate channels to communicate effectively.

Demonstrates agility and confidence in communications, carrying authority appropriately. Understands and applies social media solutions appropriately. Answers questions from inside and outside of the organisation, representing the organisation or department.

Completes tasks to a high standard. Demonstrates the necessary level of expertise required to complete tasks and applies themselves to continuously improve their work. Is able to review processes autonomously and make suggestions for improvements.

Shares administrative best‑practice across the organisation e.g. coaches others to perform tasks correctly. Applies problem‑solving skills to resolve challenging or complex complaints and is a key point of contact for addressing issues.

Takes responsibility for initiating and completing tasks, manages priorities and time in order to successfully meet deadlines. Positively manages the expectations of colleagues at all levels and sets a positive example for others in the workplace.

Makes suggestions for improvements to working practice, showing understanding of implications beyond the immediate environment (e.g. impact on clients, suppliers, other parts of the organisation).

Manages resources e.g. equipment or facilities. Organises meetings and events, takes minutes during meetings and creates action logs as appropriate. Takes responsibility for logistics e.g. travel and accommodation.

Uses relevant project management principles and tools to scope, plan, monitor and report. Plans required resources to successfully deliver projects. Undertakes and leads projects as and when required.

All training will take place at the workplace, there is no day release to college for this apprenticeship.

Upon successful completion of this apprenticeship you will receive a Level 3 Business Administration qualification. You will be assigned an assessor who will visit you in the workplace every 6–8 weeks to support you on your apprenticeship. Functional Skills may be required as part of this apprenticeship.

Requirements:

• GCSE in English (grade 4/C/Level 2 Functional Skills).
• GCSE in Maths (grade 4/C/Level 2 Functional Skills).

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

Skills:

• Initiative.
• Knowledge of Microsoft.
• Professional Presentation.
• Flexible.
• Reliability.

Other requirements: The candidate must have a desire to work within an engineering company with specific interest in a production office setting.

About this employer: Barton Firtop Engineering is a competitive designer, manufacturer, and supplier of Strainers, Filters, Separators, Coalescers, and Flame Arresters, predominantly serving the Oil & Gas Industry. We specialise in product design and project management, ensuring on‑time delivery of strainer and filtration equipment that meets complex specifications for materials, manufacturing, NDE, documentation, and Quality Control.

Our in‑house expertise includes advanced 3D Modelling, Finite Element Analysis (FEA), and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), enabling us to design and certify to ASME VIII, Division 1 and PD5500 pressure vessel codes. We offer both fabricated and highly competitive cast designs.

Barton Firtop operates a custom‑built manufacturing plant in Worcestershire (UK), which includes a pipework/vessel fabrication division. Additionally, we wholly own a competitive manufacturing facility in Goa, India, which supplies fully machined and tested cast products sourced from high‑quality ISO‑approved foundries. Barton Firtop India has been a trusted supplier to worldwide projects via our UK head office for over 20 years.

Career progression shall be within the office‑based Production team from an initial mainly administrative role, to that of Production Co‑ordinator (Standard orders first, eventually leading onto Mod‑Standards and Projects) and potentially eventually through to Production Engineer.