Business Administration Apprentice

Summary

An exciting opportunity has become available for a business administrator apprenticeship based at The University Of Sheffield.

Wage

£14,560 to £23,132.20, depending on your age

National Minimum Wage

Training course

Business administrator (level 3)

Hours

Fixed-term, full-time (Monday to Friday).

35 hours a week

Start date

Saturday 31 October 2026

Duration

1 year 6 months

Positions available

1

Work

Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.

What you'll do at work

• Act as a point of contact for School enquiries and provide guidance to students, staff, and visitors, directing them as needed. Handle non-standard queries by collecting and assessing information to provide effective solutions.
• Provide general admin support by maintaining and updating  records, databases,  filing systems, phone/email lists and committee terms of reference and membership lists and assisting with the organisation of the school’s annual calendar of meetings and events.
• Carry out travel and accommodation bookings for the School, ensuring that the University financial regulations are adhered to.
• Perform a variety of financial administrative tasks, including creating requisitions where appropriate, goods receipting, and coding purchasing cards.
• Provide administrative support for recruitment activities, including job postings, application processing, interview coordination, pre-employment checks, onboarding, and maintaining recruitment records.
• In collaboration with colleagues, plan and coordinate School events, workshops, exams and meetings to a high standard. Manage logistical preparations, including booking rooms, catering, taking minutes or notes, organising parking and booking accommodations.
• Maintain the Schoolʼs Staff Handbook and externally facing web pages, creating pages and layouts, monitoring information, and liaising with staff to ensure information is accurate and up to date.
• Act as the contact for building maintenance, liaising with Estates and Facilities Management, reporting faults using the EFM Self Service. Provide support to office moves as required, including arranging any maintenance required, updating door plates, and ordering keys.
• Support senior staff in ensuring the School's compliance with Health and Safety, Information Management, and Security requirements. Responsibilities include monitoring training records, sending reminders, generating reports, and distributing relevant information.
• Provide support as required across the Professional Services team in key operational areas in the event of absence/peaks in workload, including providing administrative support for events, conferences and seminars.
• Proactively identify areas requiring further action to maintain excellent service delivery, ensuring adherence to quality standards, guidelines, and procedures. Raise issues with senior colleagues when necessary and contribute solutions to prevent recurrence.

Where you'll work

Medical School
Beechill Road
Sheffield
S10 2RX

Training

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

Training provider

SHEFFIELD COLLEGE, THE

Training course

Business administrator (level 3)

What you'll learn

• Skilled in the use of multiple IT packages and systems relevant to the organisation in order to: write letters or emails, create proposals, perform financial processes, record and analyse data. Examples include MS Office or equivalent packages. Able to choose the most appropriate IT solution to suit the business problem. Able to update and review databases, record information and produce data analysis where required.
• Produces accurate records and documents including: emails, letters, files, payments, reports and proposals. Makes recommendations for improvements and present solutions to management. Drafts correspondence, writes reports and able to review others' work. Maintains records and files, handles confidential information in compliance with the organisation's procedures. Coaches others in the processes required to complete these tasks.
• Exercises proactivity and good judgement. Makes effective decisions based on sound reasoning and is able to deal with challenges in a mature way. Seeks advice of more experienced team members when appropriate.
• Builds and maintains positive relationships within their own team and across the organisation. Demonstrates ability to influence and challenge appropriately. Becomes a role model to peers and team members, developing coaching skills as they gain area knowledge.
• Demonstrates good communication skills, whether face-to-face, on the telephone, in writing or on digital platforms. Uses the most appropriate channels to communicate effectively. Demonstrates agility and confidence in communications, carrying authority appropriately. Understands and applies social media solutions appropriately. Answers questions from inside and outside of the organisation, representing the organisation or department.
• Completes tasks to a high standard. Demonstrates the necessary level of expertise required to complete tasks and applies themself to continuously improve their work. Is able to review processes autonomously and make suggestions for improvements. Shares administrative best-practice across the organisation e.g. coaches others to perform tasks correctly. Applies problem-solving skills to resolve challenging or complex complaints and is a key point of contact for addressing issues.
• Takes responsibility for initiating and completing tasks, manages priorities and time in order to successfully meet deadlines. Positively manages the expectations of colleagues at all levels and sets a positive example for others in the workplace. Makes suggestions for improvements to working practice, showing understanding of implications beyond the immediate environment (e.g. impact on clients, suppliers, other parts of the organisation). Manages resources e.g. equipment or facilities. Organises meetings and events, takes minutes during meetings and creates action logs as appropriate. Takes responsibility for logistics e.g. travel and accommodation.
• Uses relevant project management principles and tools to scope, plan, monitor and report. Plans required resources to successfully deliver projects. Undertakes and leads projects as and when required.

Training schedule

As part of the apprenticeship you will be required to attend Sheffield College, Pennine Five campus once per month. 

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

• English (grade 9-4 (A*-C))
• Maths (grade 9-4 (A*-C))

Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.

Skills

• Communication skills
• IT skills
• Attention to detail
• Organisation skills
• Customer care skills
• Problem solving skills
• Administrative skills
• Number skills
• Analytical skills
• Logical
• Team working
• Creative
• Initiative
• Non judgemental
• Patience

Other requirements

This role requires good IT skills including the use of Microsoft Office, Google Apps, email and internet including social media.

Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal when dealing with patients and their families, sometimes during difficult and sensitive times and being able to communicate confidently with a diverse range of people.

Having an awareness of how to handle confidential and sensitive information appropriately and in line with Data Protection legislation.

Having a confident telephone manner with the ability to handle matters in a professional manner and to act with discretion and diplomacy. The ability to work effectively independently and as part of a team.