Skills Centre Business Administrator Apprentice in Didcot

Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)

Salary: £19,514 per annum (rising annually throughout the apprenticeship)

Contract Type: Fixed-Term, 24 months

Hours: Full-time, 37 hours

Location: Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell Campus, Didcot, OX11 0QX

Closing Date: Sunday, 2nd February 2026

Interview Date: Feb 2026 / Mar 2026

Start Date: September 2026

Are you interested in joining a team that recruits and shapes the early careers talent across STFC? The STFC Skills Centre Team are looking for an enthusiastic and well-organised person to support the team and the Head of STFC Skills Centre based at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire. The Skills Centre Team deliver STFC's successful Apprenticeship, Graduate, Industrial Placement and Summer Placement Programmes which has up to 350 early careers staff on programme at any time across five STFC sites in the UK.

Our early careers staff are helping to shape and inform some of the most exciting and cutting-edge innovation and research being delivered globally. We need someone with great attention to detail who can help coordinate programme activities and provide key admin support to the Head of Skills Centre. If you're keen to make a real impact and support the next generation of talent, we'd love to hear from you.

About an Apprenticeship at STFC

We're looking for enthusiastic and motivated individuals ready to develop their skills through formal training and hands-on experience. As an apprentice, you'll gain real-world experience, build technical and professional skills, and contribute to cutting-edge research and innovation in a dynamic, supportive environment. You'll be fully supported throughout the programme with regular check-ins from a dedicated Apprenticeship Coordinator, structured training, practical experience, and mentorship from industry professionals. Plus, you'll have access to workshops, a peer network, and career development support, helping you feel confident and prepared for new challenges.

Why join the Skills Centre Team at STFC

Our core purpose is to attract, develop and retain early careers talent to meet strategic priorities, provide employee upskilling opportunities through apprenticeships, and support STFC co-supervised PhD students. The team, based at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Oxford and Daresbury Laboratory, Warrington provide pastoral, line management and development support to STFC's apprentices, students and graduates across all sites. The Skills Centre Team are central to ensuring STFC's early careers talent pipeline is successful and of the highest quality.

Working closely with key stakeholders across the organisation, we deliver programmes key to STFC's strategic workforce planning and critical delivery for some of the world's most exciting research & innovation projects. We support our early career cohorts with skill development through carefully designed core training programmes, working in an open, supportive, and collaborative style in which ideas and creativity are encouraged.

The business administrator apprentice is a key role in which discretion and reliability are essential to managing sensitive information, supporting colleagues, and ensuring the smooth operation of the Skills Centre.

Qualifications gained

• Business Administrator - Business administrator / Skills England Level 3 Business Administrator Apprenticeship
• Business Administration - Abingdon & Witney College

What you'll learn

• Understands organisational purpose, activities, aims, values, vision for the future, resources and the way that the political/economic environment affects the organisation.
• Knows organisational structure and demonstrates understanding of how their work benefits the organisation.
• Knows how they fit within their team and recognises how their skills can help them to progress their career.
• Has a practical knowledge of managing stakeholders and their differing relationships to an organisation.
• Liaises with internal/external customers, suppliers or stakeholders from inside or outside the UK.
• Engages and fosters relationships with suppliers and partner organisations.
• Understands laws and regulations that apply to their role including data protection, health & safety, compliance etc.
• Supports the company in applying the regulations.
• Understands the organisation's internal policies and key business policies relating to sector.
• Understands the applicability of business principles such as managing change, business finances and project management.

Training provider

As part of your Level 3 Business Administration apprenticeship, you will engage in structured professional development and training through a combination of online learning and 10 days of in-person teaching at Abingdon & Witney College, scheduled between September and December. You will complete 12 formal assessments and receive dedicated support to develop the required skills and behaviours for your apprenticeship. This will include building a comprehensive portfolio of evidence and completing a work-based project, both of which are essential for your Independent End Point Assessment (EPA). The EPA will consist of knowledge test, portfolio-based interview & project/improvement presentation.

What You'll Be Doing – Day-to-day responsibilities

• Shared responsibility for shared inboxes – including replying in a timely manner, answering queries, and maintaining accurate and easily accessible records.
• Coordinating and organising training for early career staff.
• Support with the organisation of meetings in a timely manner, including booking venues, travel, equipment and taking a lead on minute-taking where necessary.
• Maintaining accurate training records.
• Work with the Talent & Attraction Team to support annual recruitment and marketing campaigns.
• Lead on creating an alumni network for the STFC Graduate Programme.
• Support the Head of Skills Centre with a range of tasks and project work.

Entry Requirements

The below criteria will be scored during Shortlisting (S), Interview (I) or both (S&I). We are looking for the following:

• GCSEs in Maths and English (Grade 4/C or above) (S)
• An awareness of basic health and safety (I)
• Enthusiastic and motivated to learn, both in the workplace and through formal training (I)
• Able to communicate clearly and confidently with colleagues and key contacts (I)
• Excellent communication skills when liaising with colleagues and key stakeholders (S&I)
• Good at keeping multiple tasks on track and getting things done on time (S&I)
• Confident using a computer, especially tools like Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook (S)

Important Information

To complete the apprenticeship, you will need to evidence passes at 9-4 or A*-C in GCSE (or equivalent) Maths and English. For those sitting their GCSEs in Summer 2026, we would need evidence of your predicted grades. When applying for an apprenticeship, there is a set residency eligibility criteria that must be met by the applicant. The training provider will also ask you to complete an initial assessment during the application process. If you already have a qualification in this subject area or similar please include, as an attachment, your transcript outlining the grade/s achieved and modules covered. By applying for this apprenticeship, you are giving permission for your details to be shared with the relevant training provider. We will be in touch after the closing date, however, please reach out if you have any questions. Please note that we hold the right to close this vacancy early if a sufficient number of applications have been received.

Employee Benefits

Your salary will increase annually as you progress through your apprenticeship, in line with policy. 30 days holiday (in addition to 10.5...