Clock Maker (Apprentice)

We are excited to offer the Clock Maker (Apprentice) role within the Parliamentary Maintenance Services Team (PMST) as part of our Speaker's Apprenticeship Academy. Now in its third year, the Academy supports early career talent and helps widen opportunities within the House Service. You'll gain valuable experience working in UK Parliament, at the heart of British democracy all while developing skills in a unique and fast-paced environment. You don't need to be a politics expert. We welcome applicants who are early in their careers and not in full-time education. You must be aged 18 or over by the end of the summer holidays.

As a Clock Maker Apprentice, you will support the Parliamentary Clock Mechanics team in maintaining and servicing clocks across the Parliamentary Estate, including the iconic Great Clock (Big Ben). This is a hands-on, entry-level role where you will work towards a Level 3 Apprenticeship in Clockmaking while gaining practical experience in a unique and historic environment. You'll assist with routine servicing, learn specialist repair techniques, and support the team during key operational activities.

This role requires a high level of flexibility. You will be expected to work shifts and adjust your hours to support operational needs, including time changes, major national events such as Remembrance Sunday and New Year's Eve, and some Bank Holidays. The standard working pattern is on-site Monday to Friday, 7:00am to 3:00pm (2:00pm on Fridays). However, due to the nature of the role, you must be willing and able to vary your hours when required.

You'll be part of the PMST Team, receiving full training, mentoring, and structured development to build your skills and confidence throughout the apprenticeship. This is a fixed-term role for 2 years, providing the time needed to complete your training and gain experience, with the potential opportunity to progress into a permanent role upon successful completion.

In addition to your salary, we offer an attractive range of benefits including but not limited to:

• Generous annual leave starting at 30 days and increasing to 35 after one full working year.
• Enrolment in the excellent Civil Service pension scheme with an average employer contribution of 27%.
• Flexible working options that help you find a balance including enhanced maternity, paternity, shared parental and adoption leave, caring leave and alternative working patterns.

Qualifications: Applicants must be at least 18 years of age to be eligible for this role. Also, you must not already hold the same or similar qualifications at the same level. Please note, as this role is an apprenticeship, there is no requirement to have a degree qualification. If you have a degree in an unrelated subject to apprenticeship qualification, then you are eligible to apply. If you have a degree or a qualification in a similar subject to the apprenticeship, please contact the Apprenticeships Team as you may be ineligible to apply. Learners aged 18 must pass Level 2 Functional Skills exams in English and Maths to complete their apprenticeship if they do not already have a grade C/4 or above in these subjects.

Experience, Skills and Knowledge:

• Demonstrate a curiosity and interest in progressing in the field of mechanical clocks, especially those with unique heritage.
• Demonstrate an interest in practical making, repairing, or problem‑solving activities.
• Have a basic understanding of health and safety requirements.
• Ability to show strong communication (written and verbal) and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build positive working relationships, support others, and work inclusively by showing openness, respect, and sensitivity to people from diverse backgrounds and with differing views.
• Capable of organising workload effectively, completing tasks on time while handling routine duties independently and using initiative when appropriate.

If you would like to apply for this role, please submit your CV and provide evidence against criteria 1-5 in the Job Description. Please make sure you have downloaded the Job Description prior to you starting your application. Please ensure that you anonymise your application by removing any identifiable factors from your CV. Please note that most job offers will be made at the minimum of the salary range, other than in exceptional circumstances.