Apprentice Lifecycle Co-ordinator | Circa £33,500 + excellent benefits | Permanent | Hybrid

Are you highly organised, detail-focused and passionate about supporting apprentices on their learning journey? At Thatcham Research, we’re passionate about developing the next generation of automotive professionals - and this role sits right at the heart of that mission. As an Apprentice Lifecycle Co-ordinator, you’ll play a key role in ensuring our apprentices have a seamless, supported and successful journey from onboarding through to completion.

You’ll take ownership of the end-to-end coordination of the apprentice lifecycle, ensuring every learner is set up for success from day one and supported throughout their programme. Working closely with internal teams, employers and learners, you’ll ensure onboarding is compliant, data is accurate, and support needs are identified early and managed effectively. This is a varied and rewarding role where no two days are the same - combining administration, stakeholder engagement and learner support.

If you enjoy working in a people-focused environment, are highly organised, and take pride in getting the details right - this could be the perfect opportunity for you.

As an Apprentice Lifecyle Co-ordinator, you’ll:

• Coordinate all activities across the apprentice lifecycle, from onboarding through to completion
• Manage apprentice onboarding, including eligibility checks and compliance with ESFA requirements
• Maintain accurate learner data across systems to support funding and reporting requirements
• Monitor learner progress, identifying risks and coordinating timely interventions
• Act as a key point of contact for apprentices, employers and internal teams
• Coordinate learner welfare and support plans, including SEN requirements
• Support end-point assessment and offboarding activities
• Prepare and validate data for monthly funding claims
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of onboarding and learner processes

Skills & experience that will set you up for success in this role:

We’re looking for someone who is detail-focused, supportive and confident working with a broad range of stakeholders. You’ll bring:

• Experience in apprenticeship onboarding, education, or learner administration
• Excellent attention to detail and accuracy when handling data
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills
• The ability to manage sensitive information with discretion
• A proactive approach to identifying and resolving issues
• Knowledge of learner support processes and SEN identification would be an advantage (or something you’re keen to develop in role).

Why join Thatcham Research?

You’ll be part of a collaborative Academy team dedicated to developing people and improving the learner experience. You’ll have the opportunity to make a real impact - ensuring every apprentice receives the right support at the right time.

If you’re passionate about supporting learners and delivering high-quality, compliant processes - we’d love to hear from you.

Did you know...💡

Research tells us that men are more likely to apply to jobs if they meet only 60% of the criteria, whereas women often hesitate or don't apply unless they meet all of the criteria. This difference in application behaviour can contribute to the gender gap in career advancement and opportunities.

We know the perfect candidate doesn't exist! If you think you have what it takes but don't tick every box, we'd still encourage you to apply - it could be a perfect fit!

Perks & Benefits👀

Salary - Circa £32,300 negotiable dependent on skills & experience.

• 10% non-contributory pension
• 29 days holiday (inclusive of Christmas shutdown) + public holidays
• Group Life Assurance (equal to 4 x basic salary)
• Group Income Protection (after 6 months’ service)
• Salary Sacrifice schemes (cycle to work, home & tech scheme)
• Enhanced and competitive parental leave for all parents, regardless of gender or family structure
• Moneyhealth’s Financial Coaching & Wellbeing Platform
• Health Cash Plan (cash back on eligible medical treatments)
• Benenden Health Care (opt-in benefit)
• Reward & Recognition Programme
• Discounted gym membership
• Sports & Social club
• Payroll charitable giving
• Subsidised on-site restaurant
• Free on-site parking

When we work 🕒

Our standard working hours are 8:30 - 16:30 Monday - Thursday, early finish on Friday - 8:30 - 15:45 (Talk to us about flexible working if this doesn’t quite suit you – we take work-life balance seriously!)

How we work 🏠 / 🏢

We understand the benefits of remote and in-person collaboration and therefore have a hybrid working model – you’ll be expected to work from our office in Thatcham at least two days per week.

What we do ⚙️

At the cutting edge of automotive research in the UK, Thatcham Research has a unique role in shaping the design of new vehicles and influencing ever higher standards of safety, security and repair. With an on-site Crash Laboratory, Repair Technology Centre and Training Academy, our research expertise is driving some of the very latest automotive developments in technology, materials and standards in this fast moving and highly technical industry.

Our Gamston facility is one of the UK’s leading sites for active safety, trialling and assessing the latest crash avoidance and driver assistance technologies.

Our Values 🧡

As an organisation that believes a strong set of Values are key to our organisational success and a sense of belonging for all colleagues, we ask that you understand, represent and apply our Values of Fearless, Inquisitive, Resourceful, Supportive and Trusted and demonstrate these Values throughout the recruitment process.

Our Commitment to Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging 🫶

We are dedicated to fostering an inclusive workplace which values diversity and embraces each individual's authentic self. We are proud to champion a culture where colleagues freely share their diverse perspectives, recognising that these contribute to our innovative spirit. Our journey of growth and understanding is continuous as we actively invest in diversity training, workshops, and partnerships to ensure positive change.

Beyond our partnerships with the Automotive 30% Club and Women in Data (WiD), we collaborate with various organisations to advance equity not only in gender but also across ethnicity, age, disability, social mobility, LGBTQ+ identities, experiences, and thinking. Our aspiration is to create an environment where everyone thrives, achieves, and experiences a genuine sense of belonging.

Recruitment process 💻

We’re proud to manage our recruitment in-house and believe this direct approach enables us to give you the best possible Employee Experience we can – which starts right here, your application! We’re continuously striving to improve the candidate journey, and transparency (or communication) is a key area of focus – yes, even with salary & benefits.

What can you expect from our recruitment process? 🫱🏻 🫲🏽

• Regular updates on the progress / outcome of your application
• An initial telephone screening call with a Talent Acquisition Partner
• First interview with the hiring manager, usually via Teams
• Second/Final interview, in-person at our office (we may give you a role specific task to present on!)
• Personalised feedback following your interview – because everyone deserves that!
• An opportunity to give us your honest feedback in a short survey on all of the above

Check out our post on using AI during your application and interview!

We’re committed to removing barriers. If there are any adjustments we can make to better support you, please let us know when you apply.

All applicants must have Right to Work in the UK.

If you're experiencing any issues with our career site or application from, please let us know here: careers@thatcham.org