Location: Templecombe, United Kingdom

Thales people provide armed forces customers with operational advantage at every decisive moment throughout the mission. Defence and armed forces customers rely on us to deliver the full range of defence mission systems solutions at land, sea, and air. Our platforms extend across the battlespace including Above and Sonar, Electronic Combat, and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance systems.

Together we offer fantastic opportunities for committed employees to learn and develop their career with us. At Thales UK, we research, develop, and supply technology and services that impact the lives of millions of people each day to make life better, and keep us safer. We innovate across the major industries of Aerospace, Defence, Security and Space. Your health and well-being matters to us and that’s why we offer you the flexibility to do what’s important to you; whether that’s part time hours, job sharing, home working, or the ability to flex your start and finish times. Where possible, we support a working pattern that suits your lifestyle and helps you reach your ambitions.

2025 Business Administration Apprentice – Level 3 Business Administration

Start Date: 01 September 2025

Salary: £16,000 (age 16-18) / £21,000 (age 19+) per annum

Employee type: Permanent

Location: Templecombe

Working Schedule: 37 hours per week (8 hours Monday - Thursday, 5 hours on a Friday)

Are you looking for an employer who will sponsor you through your qualifications? Are you looking for a role which will provide valuable and exciting on-the-job experience within a global, innovative and industry leading organisation? If so, read on to see what Thales has on offer…

What the role has to offer:

Earn while you learnJob specific training experienceRecognised qualificationsPermanent role from day one

Thales Underwater Systems (UWS) is at the forefront of innovation in sonar systems, maritime safety, and defence technology. We are looking for a highly motivated and enthusiastic individual to join our team as a Level 3 Business Apprentice. This is an excellent opportunity for someone looking to gain practical experience in a global company while earning a recognised qualification. The apprentice will work across various business functions, providing support to key departments and gaining a well-rounded understanding of the business.

As a Level 3 Business Apprentice, you will be exposed to various aspects of Thales UWS operations, including but not limited to:

Administrative Support: Assist in day-to-day administrative tasks such as scheduling meetings, organising documentation, and maintaining recordsBusiness Operations: Support the business operations team in ensuring the smooth running of projects, managing logistics, and coordinating between departmentsData Management: Handle data entry, analysis, and reporting to help inform decision-making processesProject Support: Contribute to various projects by supporting project management teams with coordination, scheduling, and communications. Exposure to real-world projects and the chance to make a meaningful contribution to business outcomesCompliance and Documentation: Ensure all documentation and processes adhere to internal and external standards, including regulatory and compliance requirementsFinancial Support: Assist with budgeting, invoicing, and financial reporting, working closely with the finance department to ensure financial records are up to dateTeam Collaboration: Work closely with cross-functional teams, to support business operations and foster teamwork

Upon successful completion of the apprenticeship, there may be opportunities for continued employment and further career progression within Thales UWS, including roles in business operations, project management, or administration.

Apprentice Programme

As a Business Apprentice you will enrol onto a Level 3 Business Administration Apprenticeship at Yeovil College, which will be delivered via a day release model over 18 months. On completion of the programme and upon passing the End Point Assessment, you will roll off the programme into a business role within the Thales UK Underwater Systems Business.

Requirements:

2 GCSEs Grade 4 and above including English and Maths

Benefits

201 hours annual leave (plus a company day and bank holidays)Company PensionHealth Care Cash PlanLife InsuranceDiscount PortalPerformance-related pay uplifts80 Hours Volunteering (first two years)

Please note, assessment centres for shortlisted candidates will be held between February and May 2025. Induction week for all Graduate and Apprentices will take place from Monday 01 September until Friday 05 September 2025.

Closing date: Our applications will close at 11.59pm on Sunday 16 February 2025, this is the only time we will be accepting applications this year. Please note, we will be in contact by the end of February 2025 with details of next steps.

Recruitment Process:

For further information on our Early Careers recruitment process or to speak to a member of the Early Careers Team or a Graduate or Apprentice, please visit Thales Future Talent - Connectr.

Due to the nature of the work that we do at Thales, many of our roles are subject to security restrictions.  This role requires you to be a sole British National from birth and achieve Security Clearance (SC) without any caveats. It would be advantageous if currently held, however, if not currently held, it is a requirement that the successful applicant undergo, achieve, and maintain SC Clearance prior to commencing employment.  Please visit the UKSV website for further guidance.

To be eligible for full SC, you generally need to have resided in the UK for the last 5 years.  In some circumstances, a minimum of 3 years’ residence in the UK over the last 5 years may be accepted, with additional overseas checks.  As part of the vetting process you will be asked to provide evidence of your identity, eligibility to work in the UK, time spent abroad over the last 5 years, as well as employment and/or educational history.

For further details of the evidence required to apply for security clearance please follow this link - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/united-kingdom-security-vetting-clearance-levels/national-security-vetting-clearance-levels.

Thales is an equal opportunities employer and diversity and inclusion are integral to the success of Thales.

In line with Thales' Baseline Security requirements, candidates will be asked to provide evidence of identity, eligibility to work in the UK and employment and/or education history for up to three years. Some vacancies may require full Security Clearance which can require further evidence to be provided. For further details of the evidence required to apply for Baseline and Security Clearance please refer to the Defence Business Services National Security Vetting (DBS NSV) Agency.

At Thales we provide CAREERS and not only jobs. With Thales employing 80,000 employees in 68 countries our mobility policy enables thousands of employees each year to develop their careers at home and abroad, in their existing areas of expertise or by branching out into new fields. Together we believe that embracing flexibility is a smarter way of working.

Thales UK is committed to providing an inclusive and barrier-free recruitment process. We will provide reasonable adjustments and support to ensure neuro-diverse applicants or those with a disability or long-term condition can be their best during the recruitment process. To request an adjustment, if you need this job advert in an alternative format or if you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact Resourcing Ops for mid to senior roles, or the Early Careers Team for graduate and apprentice roles.

Great journeys start here, apply now!