Procurement Apprentice
Citizen Housing · Midlands · B37 7YN
About the role
Procurement Apprentice 🚀 | £23,080 pa | Birmingham Business Park 📍 | Hybrid 🏠
Ready to kickstart your career, snag an industry qualification, and make a real impact? Join us as a Procurement Apprentice! ✨ You'll learn how awesome contracts help improve homes, services, and keep our customers safe. 🏡
We're brave, ambitious, and honest – and we're Citizen! 🙌 Procurement is the secret sauce connecting all our teams with the suppliers they need to deliver top-notch, safe homes and reliable services. As our Apprentice, you'll be right in the mix, working with colleagues, customers, and suppliers to plan and manage essential contracts. 🤝
Get ready to learn from the best! Our experienced procurement pros will share their knowledge and get you involved in meaningful work from day one. You'll build practical skills, get a solid grasp of procurement, and work towards a CIPS Level 3 or 4 apprenticeship. 🧠
No two days are the same! You'll be the glue connecting teams like Asset Management, Building Safety, Development, and HR, turning their needs into super-smooth procurement projects. Plus, you'll build awesome relationships with suppliers and customers, helping coordinate high-value contracts from start to finish. 📈
Your work matters! By asking the right questions, vetting suppliers like a pro, and helping manage contract risks, you'll directly contribute to safer homes and happier customers. You'll also help us track and secure social value, ensuring our contracts benefit communities across the West Midlands. 🌟
Our usual hours are Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, with flexibility available. We embrace hybrid working, meaning you'll be in the office at least two days a week, more when projects or team meetings call for it. 🗓️
What you'll be doing:
- Understanding team needs and turning them into clear procurement plans. 📝
- Helping coordinate high-value projects for works, goods, and services. 📦
- Building strong relationships and keeping everyone in the loop. 💬
- Using data on costs, spending, and markets to inform decisions. 📊
- Influencing decisions for quality, value, and customer safety. ✅
- Vetting new suppliers and spotting potential risks. 👀
- Running fair and effective tenders. ⚖️
- Tracking social value and contributing to our ESG reporting. 🌱
- Keeping our e-Procurement Portal and other systems up-to-date. 💻
- Sharing your knowledge and bringing fresh ideas to the team.💡
What you'll bring:
- Confident communication and a team player attitude. 🗣️
- A genuine passion for building a procurement career and learning about social housing. ❤️
- A customer-first mindset focused on safe and reliable homes. 🏠
- Energy, curiosity, and the drive to follow through on tasks.⚡
- Integrity and a commitment to equality and respect. ✨
- Flexibility for occasional out-of-hours work. ⏰
- Ability to travel to Citizen’s offices. 🚗
Bonus points (but not essential!):
- Good GCSEs in English and Maths. 💯
- Some business-related study experience. 📚
Perks:
- Generous annual leave (starting at 26 days + bank holidays!) 🏖️
- Option to buy extra leave. 🤑
- Enhanced family leave. 👨👩👧👦
- Sick pay. 🤒
- Fantastic pension scheme with matching contributions. 💰
- Health insurance and wellness programs. 💪
- Great work-life balance and flexible hours. ☯️
- Loads of training and career development opportunities. 🎓
Closing date: Monday 26th October 2026
Interview date: Thursday 5th November 2026
We review applications as they arrive and may close the vacancy early if we find the perfect fit! 😉
Key responsibilities
- Help turn needs into clear procurement plans.
- Help lead and coordinate procurement projects for high-value contracts.
- Build productive relationships with departments, customers and suppliers.
- Use research and information about costs, spending, markets and supply chains to help colleagues make sound decisions.
- Check new suppliers carefully, complete supplier set-up and help identify and raise risks.