Software Engineering Apprenticeship - Level 6 - Salford

Join the BBC as an apprentice to kick-start your career in a job you'll love. You’ll 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-first world, developing and maintaining the systems that audiences rely on every day. The code you write helps deliver content across platforms like iPlayer, Sounds, News, and Sport. You will learn to handle the challenge of running services that must be fast, reliable, and available 24/7, working with world-class software engineers to evolve the platform.

Partnerships Team

This team works with partners like Samsung, LG, Google, and Amazon to surface BBC content on their platforms. They maintain and create core services such as VOD catalogue, schedules, promotions, and continue watching features. They create services used by millions on a wide variety of devices and drive over 20% of traffic directly to the BBC.

iPlayer & S TV Engineering Team

This team is responsible for BBC Search, helping millions discover content across BBC iPlayer, Sounds, News, Sport, and the wider BBC. Their search platform handles millions of requests daily. The engineering team is organised into three squads: Search Catalogue, Search Intent & Retrieval, and Search Ranking. Apprentices will work with technologies including Apache Solr, OpenSearch, AWS, Python, and Java, gaining experience in building and improving large-scale search systems. Exposure to AI, LLMs, NLP, semantic search, and machine learning is also provided.

Search Team (TV Client)

This team builds iPlayer on TV, serving over 20 million people monthly. They have 6 teams focusing on different problem spaces: platform teams that build the interface with TV devices, and experience teams that use that platform to deliver audience features. Apprentices will learn how TVs work and how experiences are delivered on them.

Your Key Responsibilities and Impact

As a Software Engineer apprentice, you will:

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

You’ll study for an industry-recognised apprenticeship qualification, learning both on-and-off-the-job. Upon successful completion, 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, and 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 offer the opportunity to apply transferable strengths and experience.

We encourage you to apply if you have:

• A love of maths and a passion for coding.
• Excitement about embracing the latest 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 on the BBC careers site.

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 prior to the start of the apprenticeship.
• Be legally eligible to work full-time in the UK for the entire duration of the apprenticeship.
• Not currently be enrolled in another apprenticeship programme.
• Not already hold a qualification in the same subject area at the same or a higher level than this apprenticeship.

To apply, you must also:

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

Ready to Apply?

Create a candidate profile and answer a few questions – no CV or cover letter needed. If you're eligible, you’ll be guided through the next steps. You’ll need to live within a commutable distance of Salford. Relocation support is available for those who meet financial eligibility criteria.

This is a fixed-term apprenticeship for 40 months. Upon completion, you will be able to apply for suitable open vacancies at the BBC or in the wider creative industry. You’ll be supported with career development, employability training, and networking opportunities.

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