Commercial Assistant Apprenticeship

Job summary

The Home Office works to build a safe, fair and prosperous UK. We achieve this through our work on counter-terrorism, policing, crime, drugs policy, immigration and passports.

The Chief Operating Officer Group works closely with the Home Office’s policy and operational commands to enable us together to deliver the department’s priorities.

The group is comprised of different teams and professional functions, including Commercial, Finance, People, Portfolio and Project Delivery, Security, Estates and Information and Digital, Data and Technology.

Are you interested in joining a profession that plays a vital role in keeping our citizens safe and our country secure? Would you like to build your knowledge and develop expertise in procurement and contract management, supporting efforts to reduce crime, enforce the law, protect our borders, and safeguard the most vulnerable in society? If so, the Level 4 Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS) apprenticeship could be the perfect opportunity for you.

Job description

As an apprentice, you’ll help us secure the best value from the goods and services we procure for the Home Office. You’ll be a proactive team player, an effective communicator, and someone who can think on their feet to support our busy Commercial teams.

The CIPS apprenticeship allows you to study while you work, gaining a globally recognised commercial qualification alongside invaluable hands-on experience. This role offers a strong foundation of transferable skills in a dynamic environment, an excellent stepping stone for a career in the Civil Service.

You could be placed in one of our Commercial Business Partner teams, such as:

• Borders and Migration

• Public Safety

• Homeland security

• Emergency Services Mobile Communications Programme

• Home Office Digital

We are looking for dedicated, ambitious, and motivated individuals who can help deliver the objectives of the Commercial Directorate and contribute to strengthening our reputation as a trusted team that secures value for money from our contracts.

Rotational Experience and Skill Development

As part of our flexible apprenticeship model, you’ll rotate across different teams within the Commercial Directorate. These rotations are designed to give you hands-on experience in a variety of commercial areas, such as procurement, contract management, grants and supplier engagement while building both technical and transferable skills. By working with diverse teams and tackling real-world challenges, you’ll quickly develop the confidence, adaptability, and expertise needed for a successful career in the Civil Service.

Key Responsibilities:

This role offers a range of opportunities to get involved in key areas of commercial delivery, including:

• Complete accredited training modules, including coursework and assessments.
• Support compliance by understanding commercial policies, contracts, and legal requirements.
• Assist Commercial Leads in managing contracts, tracking KPIs, and analysing spend.
• Help with contract changes and learn the full change control process.
• Build and maintain supplier relationships to ensure quality and timely delivery.
• Contribute to pricing strategies, financial models, and supplier bid evaluations.
• Identify and manage risks to support successful contract delivery.
• Provide data management, reporting, and project support to aid decision-making.

Working Pattern

Due to the business requirements of this role, it is only available on a full-time basis.

Training

There is mandatory learning associated with Commercial Roles.

You’ll receive monthly coaching sessions with your line manager to support your development, alongside opportunities for on-the-job training and access to online learning resources.

You will receive full training and support to do the job. Training takes place on the job with a mentor who supports you until you are fully confident in the role. Even then you are never alone; you work as part of a team where there is always someone around for advice and support. Further information on what the training involves can be found on our website.

Apprenticeship

This position includes completing a Procurement and Supply Chain Practitioner qualification, which takes around 18 months. To be eligible, you must:

• Be 16 or older (no upper age limit)
• Have lived in the UK for at least 3 years before starting
• Not be in another apprenticeship or paid education
• Work at least 30 hours per week.
• Not already hold a similar qualification at Level 3 or higher

For more details, see Procurement and supply chain practitioner / Skills England.

Travel

Some travel to attend team meetings; supplier events may be required.

Person specification

Essential criteria

We are seeking engaged, enthusiastic, and ambitious individuals with the potential to grow and succeed.

Applicants must be willing to undertake a Level 4 Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS) apprenticeship, and should demonstrate:

• Strong numeracy skills for basic commercial calculations (e.g., comparing quotes, percentage savings, interpreting cost data).
• Excellent written and verbal communication, with the ability to produce clear emails, summaries, and reports.
• Ability to interpret and apply guidance accurately in practical scenarios.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, Outlook) and comfortable with emerging technologies.
• Highly organised, able to prioritise tasks and maintain attention to detail.
• Proactive and solutions-focused, with strong teamwork and collaboration skills.
• Self-motivated, committed to learning, and eager to build a long-term Civil Service career.

Desirable criteria

• Strong analytical thinking skills, with the ability to interpret information.
• Experience of working collaboratively within a team to successfully deliver shared objectives.

Qualifications

Evidence of English and Maths at Level 2 or equivalent (e.g., GCSE Grade C/4 or Functional Skills).
Note: Equivalent qualifications and overseas certificates will be accepted. Evidence will be requested at interview stage.

And

2 A-levels or NVQ Level 3 as a minimum.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Making Effective Decisions
• Delivering at Pace
• Changing and Improving

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Making Effective Decisions

Benefits

In addition to your salary, a career with the Home Office offers a range of benefits, including:

• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%.
• In-year reward scheme for one-off or sustained exceptional personal or team achievements.
• 25 days annual leave on appointment, rising with service to 30 days.
• Eight days of public holidays, plus one additional privilege day.
• Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and home-based working. This is a non-contractual arrangement where all employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office.
• See more of our benefits on our careers website.

Sign-up on our website to receive emails with information about careers at the Home Office.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.

This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job, drives up performance and improves diversity and inclusivity.

We will endeavour to conduct the selection process in line with the dates indicated below, but cannot guarantee that these will not, where necessary, be revised.

1. Application – by Friday 30th January 2026.

As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete:

• CV
• Personal Statement (maximum 1250 words).
• Evidence of the Lead Behaviour 'Making Effective Decisions' (maximum of 250 words).

Your CV should consist of your career history, qualifications and skills/experience, including any key achievements in each role. Your CV will be scored against the experience required for the role as noted within the essential criteria.

The Personal Statement should be aligned to and demonstrate how you meet the skills and experience set out in the essential criteria, detailed in the job description.

For guidance and information on how to construct your application (CV, Personal Statement and Behaviours), you are encouraged to visit Civil Service Careers website.

2. Sift – week commencingMonday 2nd February 2026.

The sift will be held on the Personal Statement, CV and Lead Behaviour 'Making Effective Decisions'.

Should a high volume of applications be received, an initial sift will be conducted on the Personal Statement and CV. Candidates who pass the initial sift will then be progressed to a full sift that will consist of the Lead Behaviour.

3. Interview – week commencing Monday 16th March 2026.

If you are successful at sift stage, you will be invited to an interview that will be Behaviour (as listed in the job advert) and Strength based questions.

Interviews will be carried out via Teams. Candidates will be required to have access to:

• A laptop (personal or work) with a working webcam
• Good internet connection
• Microsoft Teams

For guidance and information on what to expect and how to prepare for an interview, you are encouraged to visit Civil Service Careers.

Problems during the application process

If you experience problems accessing this advert, or you think you’ve made a mistake on an initial application, please contact hocandidates.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk, including the vacancy reference, at least two working days before the vacancy closes. Further information can be found on our website.

Do not create or attempt to submit another application, online test or use a different Civil Service Jobs account to proceed as this would be in violation of the candidate declaration.

Location Preference

You can select up to threelocations in order of preference. Please ensure that these are locations you are prepared to travel to. If you are offered a role at one of your preferred location(s) and you decline, your application will be withdrawn.

Reserve List

A reserve list may be held for a period of up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made. There is no guarantee that being held on a reserve list will lead to a job offer. Further information can be found on our website.

Reserve lists will be held for each location. Candidates will be appointed in merit order by location.

Standards

All Civil Servants are expected to comply with the Civil Service Code, and its core values of integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartiality.

Additional Security Checks

As well as successfully obtaining UK Security Vetting clearance, candidates will be subject to a range of additional checks. The range of checks carried out will depend on whether you are a current Home Office employee, existing civil servant or an external new entrant as well as the role requirements. The level of Criminal Record Check required for this role is Basic. Further details are included in the Notes to Candidates.

Further Information

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf. However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct.

If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

Reasonable Adjustments

If a person with disabilities is at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

• Contact Government Recruitment Service via HOrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs

• Complete the “Assistance Required” section in the “Additional Requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you're deaf, a language service professional

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the ‘Contact point for applicants’ section.

Feedback

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Home Office Resourcing Centre
• Email : horccampaignteamcorporateenablers@homeoffice.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : HOrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Further information

If you feel that your application has not been treated in accordance with the Civil Service recruitment principles and you wish to make a complaint, then contact the Government Recruitment Service via HOrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response that you receive, then you can contact the Civil Service Commission.

Attachments

Home Office Candidate_information_v15_DECEMBER_2025 Opens in new window (pdf, 429kB)2025-11-01 Pre-employment Checking - Document Requirements (V17) Opens in new window (pdf, 231kB)