Based atAbbey Wood, Bristol, BS34 8JH, office attendance is required. Four-year degree apprenticeship scheme. Specialising in Cyber Security or Software Engineering. Working towards a BSc in Digital Technology Solutions. Start date: September 2025. Application requirements Entry Requirements:Five full GCSEs at grades 4-9 (or equivalent) to include English Language, Maths, and a Science. Plus, relevant Level 3 qualifications. Please follow our Apprentice CV format guidance here. This role requires you to have lived in the UK for the last five years and obtain Security Check (SC) security clearance without any caveats that prevent you from carrying out the role. Please read all information in this advert thoroughly before applying and save it for future reference. What sets DE&S apart is the focus we put on you. We help you find your flair and then plan a flourishing career around what you love. And along the way, youll enjoy real rewards for the work you do, with competitive benefits and career progression. Starting September 2025, youll undertake a comprehensive framework of practical and academic training. All apprentices will attend their academic provider on a day release basis.Our current academic provider is University Centre Weston. You'll be on a core programme for the first part of the apprenticeship before following a more specialised course either in Software Engineering or Cyber Security. Software Engineering The primary role of the Software Engineer is to ensure that whats been designed, coded, and delivered by our manufacturing partners performs as intended. To do that our Software Engineers need to be able to design, build and test high-quality software solutions. This software may be for a complex weapon, a communications system, a ship, armoured vehicle, a helicopter, or anything else in the huge range of equipment we supply to the UK armed forces. As a Software Engineer youll need to apply engineering principles to all stages of the software development process, from requirements, analysis and design, development and data requirements while ensuring our systems are secure. Cyber Security As a Cyber Security Specialist youll be involved in the implementation, maintenance and support of the security controls that protect our systems and data assets. The cyber teams responsibilities ensure the equipment we purchase, and support, for the UK Forces, weapons, vehicles, ships, aircraft and communications systems is secure and properly protected. Cyber specialists ensure that security technologies and practices are operating in accordance with the organisations policies and standards to provide continued protection. They require a broad understanding of network infrastructure, software, and data to identify where threats and vulnerabilities can occur. Responsibilities Youll participate in structured training, including studying part time to achieve a BSc in Digital Technology Solutions. Youll gather experience and knowledge through several work-based placements at Defence Equipment & Support in Bristol, as well as at our customers and suppliers sites around the UK. This will help you learn and gain the relevant experience in preparation for roles within the MoDs current and future programmes. Youll be involved with the following: Participating in assigned educational training to develop your own capabilities in a defence context. Delivering products and services against agreed objectives, developing your knowledge and experience while adding value to your team and wider organisation. Building awareness and understanding of how the engineering and technology areas operate to assist in your development and career progression. Identifying opportunities to develop your knowledge and experience to progress from an apprenticeship to qualified Engineering Technician. Providing support to your colleagues in their specialist areas and actively contribute to team meetings to help with the work of the team. Building and maintaining a network of internal business contacts and peers to gain knowledge and identifying opportunities to learn and develop. On successful completion of your four-year programme, you may be offered a permanent position with DE&S, that reflects the interests and skills youve developed throughout the programme. Please note: Because of the classification of some of the information related to certain projects, some work-based placements may be open to Sole UK Nationals?only. Your place of work will be MOD Abbey Wood, Bristol, BS34 8JH. Youll be required to attend the office regularly, at the request of your Scheme Manager or Placement Supervisor. This attendance will be at your own expense and costs for travel or accommodation will not be reimbursed. Person specification It takes lots of different people and lots of different skill sets to keep the UK Armed Forces fully equipped and well supported. To be successful with your application, were looking for you to demonstrate your potential to succeed in a dynamic working environment.Were here to help you find your speciality, sowe hire for potential and train for skills. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and are dedicated to creating a great place to work that reflects the diversity of the society we serve.By bringing together different ideas, experiences, and perspectives, we can achieve our ambitions, together. Were proud to be a Level 3Disability Confident Leader, committed to attracting, recruiting, and retaining people with disabilities. Were dedicated to ensuring our recruitment process is inclusive and accessible and well make reasonable adjustments to support applicants with disabilities. If you need an adjustment during the recruitment and selection process, even if you feel you dont qualify for the Disability Confident Scheme, please tell us what you need when completing your application. Please let us know as soon as possible so our recruitment team have adequate time to consider your request. You must hold the right to work full time in the UK and qualify for service under the Civil Service Nationality Rules without any additional immigration approvals. DE&S do not sponsor Visas. You must be able to evidence your right to work full timeat interviewand it must not expire before the start of the scheme. If your right to work will expire while you are in employment, you must be able to reconfirm your right to work before it expires, without sponsorship, to maintain your employment. This role requires you to have lived in the UK for the last 5 years and obtain Security Check (SC) security clearance.Clearance must be obtained without any caveats that prevent you from carrying out the role you have been recruited for. If it isnt obtained, or is obtained with caveats that prevent you from carrying out the role, any conditional offer made to you will be withdrawn. Obtaining SC security clearance can be a lengthy process, and we reserve the right to withdraw any conditional offer made if the necessary security clearance isnt obtained. The Ministry of Defence is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for its staff which includes educating staff on the benefits of not smoking, protecting them from the harms associated with second-hand smoke and supporting those who want to give up smoking. Under the Tobacco-Free Working Environment (TFWE) programme, smoking and the use of all tobacco products (including combustible and chewing tobacco products) will not be permitted anywhere, unless stated otherwise, in the Defence working environment by 31st December 2022. Those seeking, considering, or accepting employment should be aware of this requirement. Qualifications You must have or be currently studying to achieve the following qualifications by September 2025: Essential requirements: Five full GCSEs at grades 4-9 (or equivalent) to include English Language, Maths and a Science. and Three full A Levels at a minimum of grade C to include Maths, Science, plus one other (excluding general studies). or, a BTEC Extended Diploma in Computer Science or Computing at triple merit level.Minimum of 96 UCAS Points, or, a T-Level in Digital Production Design and Development, Digital Business Services or Digital Support Services all at Merit level or, a minimum of 96 UCAS points in relevant Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) subjects. CV Requirements Please follow the CVguidance here to enable us to better understand you as a person and assess your suitability for our scheme. Well be looking for your aspiration, engagement and ability. If you are successful at CV sift, then youll be considered for the next stage of our selection process. Personal statement Ensuring within one document upload, please write a personal statement at the top of your CV, within the range of 200 to 500 words, answering the following questions: 1. Why do you want to join this apprenticeship scheme? 2. How have your qualifications and studies helped you to prepare for this scheme? 3. What else have you done to prepare outside of education, and why are these experiences helpful? Please clearly list your qualifications including your results or predicted grades, distinguishing between an English Language or English Literature qualification awarded. If grades are missing, we will be unable to qualify you against our entry requirements. If you hold or have studied towards a qualification at the same level or above in the same or a similar subject, please declare this within your CV so we can assess your eligibility. To be eligible for this programme, you will need to: Be at least 16-years old at the start of the scheme Have left full-time education when the apprenticeship starts. Youre permitted to utilise AI (artificial intelligence) tools during your application to DE&S to support you in writing your CV and personal statements however, all information that is submitted must be factually accurate. For example, not using ideas and experiences of others (or AI) as your own. All presented information will be assessed at both the assessment centre and interview stage. Behaviours This vacancy is assessed using Success Profiles , and will assess your behaviours during the assessment centre and interview selection process: Working Together Delivering at Pace Communicating and Influencing Making Effective Decisions Technical skills We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process: Technical requirements, evaluation, and acceptance. Benefits Alongside training and development, youll receive the following great benefits: £25,760 starting salary with annual increments. 25 days holiday a year, plus one day a year up to 30 days, eight bank holidays and a day off for the Kings birthday. A market-leading employer pension contribution of circa 28.97 percent, and recognition awards. Flexible and hybrid working wherever possible, to support your work-life balance (though some attendance to the stated site is required) Use of our on-site gym, restaurant, and cafes. A huge range of discounts including retail, sports, leisure, restaurants, gifts, days out, holidays, cinema, motoring, insurance, health care, gym memberships, and more. How to apply Application 4th November 2024 to 2nd December 2024 Please complete an online application form and attach your CV which includes a personal statement within one document. Please follow the guidance on how to create a CV for this vacancy and ensure all information is captured within your CV and not on the application form. The experience fields on the application form are not assessed, so please ensure your CV is complete. Pre-Sift /Sift December 2024 to January 2025 Well check that you meet any essential or eligibility criteria listed in this advert. Your CV will be assessed using a simple numerical scoring system against your aspiration, engagement and ability.For guidance on writing a CV for DE&S Entry Talent, please click here. Online Testing January 2025 Candidates will be called for online numeracy, literacy, and engineering competency tests via our Training Provider. Assessment Centre February 2025 The highest scoring candidates will be invited to a face-to-face assessment centre Well assess you through team exercises, aligned to our behaviours above. There will be no reimbursement of any travel expenses for the assessment centre. Interview March 2025 If successful, youll sit an online Microsoft Teams interview. Youll be assessed against a technical competence and our DE&S Behaviours listed above. Provisional Offer April 2025 Once all interviews have taken place, well make provisional offers to the successful candidates and begin your pre-employment checks. Please be aware these checks can take several months to complete, however, we will remain in contact throughout the process. Formal Offer Following successful completion of all pre-employment checks you can expect to receive a formal offer and contract one month before the scheme expected start date. Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment. ADZN1_UKTJ