Graduate Apprentice - UK Student Recruitment in Edinburgh

Are you interested in becoming a UK Student Recruitment Graduate Apprentice whilst working towards a university degree, learning on the job and earning a salary? The Student Recruitment Service is tasked with developing and implementing the University’s student recruitment strategy. Focusing on ambitious targets for growth in the University’s student numbers, the Service promotes Heriot-Watt University to prospective students, teachers, parents and other key stakeholders.

Working in a competitive environment, we deliver a highly-targeted range of recruitment activities which focus on the awareness end of the prospect journey – generating high quality, convertible leads and working in partnership with the Marketing team, Academic Schools and the Admissions and Prospect Experience team to nurture and take prospects to point of enrolment. Data and evidence constantly informs our targeting and resource allocation decisions to ensure that we provide an efficient and effective service to prospects at all times.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

• You will support the team providing a high quality front line service to all prospective students, parents and carers.
• Work as part of the UK Recruitment Team to deliver on-campus school visits and open days.
• Represent HW at local school events by staffing a stand to provide information, advice and guidance on our programmes of study and student life.
• Support university teaching staff in the delivery of school group visits.
• Manage the events database in an orderly fashion, keeping it up to date and easily accessible for the rest of the team.
• Manage prospect data and upload into the CRM database.
• Support portfolio interviews for applicants to the School of Textiles and Design programmes.
• Collate portfolio submissions, share with academic staff and liaise with admissions colleagues to progress applications.
• Conduct campus tours for prospective students and school groups at the Edinburgh and Scottish Borders campuses.
• Assist with duties related to the student ambassador scheme.

What Will You Learn?

The Heriot-Watt University Business Management Graduate Apprenticeship programme delivers a way for you to gain a MA (Hons) Degree in Business Management whilst working and gaining valuable industry experience that will set you apart from your peers. You will complete 1 day per week classroom learning at university, and 4 days per week workplace learning. The balance of office versus lecture time alters as you progress through your degree. You will learn to work in a fast paced environment, implementing a clearly defined strategy to achieve student recruitment targets. As part of the team you will engage with prospective students, their influencers, teachers and both internal and external stakeholders. You will be required to work collaboratively with many other divisions of the university to organise impactful visit days for visitors. You will build your confidence in event management and presenting. You will learn to be adaptable to change and how to overcome unforeseen challenges that you may face. You will learn to plan activity to mitigate risk and provide a positive experience for visitors. You will also generate reports on events which will include feedback from visitors and based on their findings plan ways to improve future activities.

What Qualifications are Required?

Year 1: SQA Highers at BBBB (over two sittings); A-Levels at BBC; International Baccalaureate 29 points; SQA HNC in a relevant subject (or a suitable Modern Apprenticeship) with B in the graded unit; Foundation Apprenticeship in Business Skills in conjunction with other suitable qualifications, such as SQA Highers at BBB; A combination of qualifications totalling 96 SCQF credits at level 6, or Minimum 108 UCAS points.

Year 2: SQA Advanced Highers at BB in relevant subjects plus SQA Highers at BBBB; A-Levels at ABB in relevant subjects; International Baccalaureate 34 points; SQA HNC in Business with an A in the graded unit; SQA HND in Business (or a suitable Modern Apprenticeship) with A or BB in a graded unit. A combination of qualifications totalling 96 SCQF credits at level 7, or 64 SCQF credits at level 7 alongside 96 SCQF credits at level 6.

Year 3: SQA HND in Business (or a suitable Modern Apprenticeship) with AA. Intermediate 2 / National 5 / GCSE English and Mathematics are required for all Business Management courses. Each candidate will be assessed for entry individually and other forms of prior learning or experience will be taken into account if a candidate doesn’t hold the exact qualifications listed here.

How to Apply

Please submit via the Heriot-Watt on-line recruitment system (1) Cover letter describing your interest and suitability for the post; (2) Full CV. Applications can be submitted until 23:55 on Monday 17th August 2026. Interviews will be held on Monday 24th August.

About Heriot-Watt University

At Heriot Watt we are passionate about our values and look to them to connect our people globally and to help us collaborate and celebrate our success through working together. Our research programmes can deliver real world impact which is achieved through the diversity of our international community and the recognition of creative talent that connects our global team. Our flourishing community will give you the freedom to challenge and to bring your enterprising mind and to help our partners with solutions that can be applied now and in the future. Join us and Heriot Watt will provide you with a platform to thrive and work in a way that also helps you live your life in balance with well-being and inclusiveness at the heart of our global community.

Heriot-Watt University is committed to securing equality of opportunity in employment and to the creation of an environment in which individuals are selected, trained, promoted, appraised and otherwise treated on the sole basis of their relevant merits and abilities. Equality and diversity are all about maximising potential and creating a culture of inclusion for all. Heriot-Watt University values diversity across our University community and welcomes applications from all sectors of society, particularly from underrepresented groups.

We welcome and will consider flexible working patterns e.g. part-time working and job share options.