Pre-Construction Management Higher Apprenticeship 2027

About the opportunity:

As a Pre-Construction Management Trainee, you will gain valuable experience in the early stages of the project lifecycle, supporting the teams responsible for securing new business opportunities and preparing projects for successful delivery. Working alongside experienced pre-construction professionals, you will develop an understanding of how projects are planned, costed, and bid for, while building knowledge of the wider construction industry.

Throughout the programme, you will work with a range of teams across the business, including Estimating, Commercial, Design, Operations and Social Value, helping to coordinate information and contribute to high-quality bid submissions. You will learn how to understand client requirements, develop bid strategies, and support the production of compelling proposals that showcase our expertise and capability.

What you will do:

Over the course of the programme, you will:

• Support the Pre-Construction team in preparing bids, proposals and tender submissions for new project opportunities.
• Assist in identifying client requirements, priorities and challenges to help develop effective bid strategies and solutions.
• Produce customer-focused content for bid submissions, tailoring responses to meet the specific needs of each client and opportunity.
• Help coordinate input from teams across the business to ensure bid submissions are accurate, compliant and submitted on time.
• Create and maintain responsibility matrices, action trackers and programme schedules to support the effective management of bid activities.
• Maintain document control systems, ensuring case studies, project information, evidence and supporting documentation are up to date and readily available.
• Support information gathering, research and content development for submissions, presentations and client meetings.
• Develop an understanding of the project lifecycle, from opportunity identification and tendering through to project delivery.
• Build relationships with colleagues and stakeholders across the business to broaden your knowledge and understanding of different functions and their role in securing and delivering successful projects.
• Continuously develop your understanding of the industry, market trends and customer priorities to support the creation of high-quality bid submissions.
• Gain the relevant technical and behavioural knowledge for your role, through the completion of a technical manual, behavioural workshops, short-term placements and relevant qualifications.

About you:

To be successful, you’ll:

• Be passionate about building a career in the built environment.
• Be curious, eager to learn and committed to your personal development.
• Build positive relationships and work collaboratively with others.
• Take ownership of your work and act with integrity and professionalism.
• Approach challenges with a positive, solution-focused mindset.
• Be organised, adaptable and able to prioritise effectively.
• Be committed to delivering high standards and making a positive impact.

What's in it for you?

At Wates, we're committed to helping you build a successful career in construction. Alongside hands-on experience in your chosen career pathway, you'll be enrolled onto a construction apprenticeship aligned to your programme, giving you the opportunity to gain an industry-recognised qualification while developing practical skills on real projects.

You'll also benefit from mentoring, structured training, behavioural workshops and support from experienced professionals throughout your programme. We encourage and support our trainees to continue their professional development through industry-recognised qualifications and, where applicable, work towards chartership.

In addition, we offer:

• Competitive salary
• Private medical insurance
• Car allowance
• Health & wellness programme
• 26 days holiday + bank holidays
• Birthday Day off

Entry Requirements

• By September 2027, you must have achieved Grade 4/C or above in GCSE Maths and English (or equivalent).
• By September 2027, you must have achieved two A-Levels at Grade D or above (or equivalent).
• A full UK driving licence is required.

Location: Birmingham

For site-based roles, the location listed in this advert reflects your initial placement and may change throughout the programme depending on project and business requirements.

Important: Travel Requirements

As a project-based business, our teams work across a variety of locations. Depending on the role, you may be required to work from different project sites within the region or nationally throughout the programme.

Please carefully consider this requirement before applying, as travel and mobility are essential parts of the role. Successful candidates must be willing to travel in line with project and business need.

Ready to apply?

If this sounds like the opportunity for you, we'd love to hear from you!

Applications close on 10th November 2026.

A few things to consider before you apply:

• Some vacancies might close earlier if we receive a high volume of applications, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible
• We value authenticity and encourage you to complete your application without the use of AI tools. This helps us gain a genuine understanding of your individual strengths, experiences and potential.
• Only one application will be accepted per recruitment year. Any additional applications will be automatically withdrawn.

How to apply

To apply for this role and to find out more, please click on the apply button. Please note that applications may close before the application deadline, so apply early to avoid disappointment.