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

Objectives covered:   

• 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. This includes internal and external customers, clients and/or suppliers. 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 

More information is available via:  

Business administrator / Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education   

Business Administration - Abingdon & Witney College 

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

Main duties/responsibilities will include:   

• 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 GSCEs 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. To check your eligibility please click here.
• 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 on [email protected] 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 bank holidays and privilege days).
• Flexible working hours.
• An excellent defined average salary pension scheme.
• Easily accessible public transport links/ free parking.
• Excellent learning and development opportunities.
• Cycle to work scheme.

For a list of our full benefits, please visit here.

As this job does not fulfil the UK Government minimum criterion for obtaining sponsored migrant worker status we will be unable to apply for sponsorship for anyone not eligible to work in the UK. At interview, all shortlisted candidates are required to bring with them identification documents and original documents that prove they hold or can obtain the right to work in the UK. You can check your eligibility here: https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa/y 

How to apply 

Part of our application process involves submitting your CV and a cover letter. Your cover letter should address your suitability for the opportunity based how you meet each essential criteria stated in this advert. 

Please note that we hold the right to close this vacancy early if a sufficient number of applications have been received.  

We ask some of the biggest questions in the universe, to answer some of the biggest challenges in the world. Together, our scientists, technologists, engineers and business support team explore the unknown across every field you could think of. And they turn what they find into work that changes the world around us. 

What could you achieve with the world-leading facilities and experts of one of Europe's largest research organisations by your side? Join us and discover what's possible! 

UKRI is an organisation that brings together the seven disciplinary research councils, Research England and Innovate UK. Together, we build an independent organisation with a strong voice and vision ensuring the UK maintains its world-leading position in research and innovation.

Supporting some of the world’s most exciting and challenging research projects, we develop and operate some of the most remarkable scientific facilities in the world. We are pushing the frontiers of human knowledge through fundamental research and delivering benefits for UK society and the economy through world-class research, skills and business-led innovation.

More information can be found at www.ukri.org.

Choosing to come to work at UKRI means that you will have access to a whole host of benefits from a defined benefit pension scheme, excellent holiday entitlement, access to employee shopping/travel discounts and salary sacrifice cycle to work scheme.  For more details, visit benefits of working for UKRI.

How we support EDI in the workforce

At UKRI, we believe that everyone has a right to be treated with dignity and respect, and to be provided with equal opportunities to thrive and succeed in an environment that enables them to do so. We also value diversity of thought and experience within inclusive groups, organisations and the wider community. For further information, please visit ‘How we support EDI in the workforce’.

Disability Confident Employer

As users of the disability confident scheme, any candidate who opts into the scheme and best meets the essential criteria, will be shortlisted for interview. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

How to apply

Online applications only preferred for this role. Please submit a CV and covering letter which clearly outlines how you fulfil the criteria specified along with your motivation for UKRI and the role. Ensure that the job reference number is included in the filename description of each document uploaded. Note that failure to address the above criteria or submit an application without a covering letter may result in the application not being considered. Assessment will only be based upon the content of your submitted covering letter and CV and not the ‘experience’ section of the application.

UKRI seeks to ensure it creates and maintains a system of openness, fairness and inclusion – a collaborative, trusted environment, which is attractive to and accessible to everyone who is interested in developing their career with us.

The role holder will be required to have the appropriate level of security screening/vetting required for the role.  UKRI reserves the right to run or re-run security clearance as required during the course of employment.