Software Engineering Apprenticeship - Level 6 - Newcastle-upon-Tyne

Join the BBC as an apprentice to kick-start your career in a job you'll love. You will learn on-the-job, developing your knowledge and skills whilst working towards your apprenticeship qualification.

Why Join This Scheme?

As an apprentice within our team, you will be at the heart of the BBC's digital world, developing and maintaining the systems that audiences rely on every day. The code you write will help deliver content across platforms like iPlayer, BBC Sounds, and Sport. Your work will directly delight millions of people weekly, and you will learn to handle the challenge of running fast, reliable, and 24/7 available digital services. You will work with world-class software engineers to evolve the platform.

Teams You Could Join:

Echo Team

This team is part of Data Sourcing and is responsible for the ingestion of user behavioural data for analytics purposes. They work with libraries for iOS and Android apps, collaborating with mobile app teams and data analysts. Work includes mobile library development using Swift and Kotlin, with a focus on testing and continuous integration using BDD with Cucumber and Github Actions for CI/CD.

Audience Portal Team

This team manages tools that help the BBC understand audience usage of content and services. As an apprentice, you will help build and improve products that turn large amounts of information into understandable insights. Tools include:

• X-Ray: Shows audio content performance across BBC Sounds and digital radio in near real-time.
• Telescope: Helps News teams understand article performance and audience engagement.
• Audience Performance: Consolidates TV, iPlayer, and Sounds performance data.

You will help improve these tools, solve problems, add features, and make them easier to use, working alongside engineers, product managers, and data colleagues.

Your Key Responsibilities and Impact

As a Software Engineer apprentice, you will:

• Gain hands-on experience in BBC's software engineering teams responsible for TV, audio, online, and digital platforms.
• Develop your understanding of how BBC apps and websites function across analysis, design, code, build, test, implementation, and support.
• Learn to apply software engineering principles to all stages of the solution development life cycle, from requirements gathering to ensuring security.
• Gain an understanding of how to ensure software quality and reliability through rigorous testing and quality control.
• Explore troubleshooting concerns with guidance from your team.
• Play a part in complex projects from inception to delivery, aligning with the BBC’s Digital First strategy.

Upon successful completion of the apprenticeship, you will be awarded an Undergraduate Degree (Bachelor of Science with Honours) in Digital and Technology Solutions Professional (Software Engineer pathway) from a UK University. You will be supported to find a job role within the BBC’s Technology or Product delivery teams.

Your Skills and Eligibility

We are interested in your passion for working at the BBC and your enthusiasm for delivering world-class content. We look for potential and transferable strengths.

We encourage you to apply if you have:

• A love of maths and a passion for coding.
• Excitement about embracing AI and Machine Learning technologies.
• Brilliant organisational skills, problem-solving abilities, and negotiation skills.
• The ability to manage multiple deadlines and demands with a calm and focused approach.
• A keen interest in the BBC and how people consume content, with fresh ideas.

This scheme is aimed at non-graduates. If you have a degree, please look for other opportunities.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for an apprenticeship at the BBC, you must:

• Be 18 years old or over by September 2027.
• Have lived in the UK continuously for the last three years.
• Be legally eligible to work full-time in the UK for the entire apprenticeship duration.
• Not be enrolled in another apprenticeship programme.
• Not already hold a qualification in the same subject area at the same or a higher level.

To apply, you must also have:

• Maths and English GCSE at Grade 4/C or above (or equivalent).
• Some experience of coding and/or software engineering (e.g., from A Levels, BTEC, coding boot camp, or personal projects). A basic coding test will be part of the assessment.

How to Apply

Click ‘Apply Now’ to create a candidate profile and answer a few questions. No CV or cover letter is needed. If you are eligible, you will be guided through the next steps.

You’ll need to live within a commutable distance of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Relocation financial support is available for this role, subject to meeting financial eligibility criteria.

This is a fixed-term apprenticeship for the duration of the scheme. Upon completion, you can apply for suitable vacancies within the BBC or the wider creative industry. You will be supported with career development, employability training, and networking opportunities.

Disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria will normally be progressed to the next stage of the recruitment process under the Disability Confident Scheme.