IT Apprentice

CIL is a growth strategy consultancy. We help our clients identify opportunities, solve problems and build strategies for long-term success.

You’ll join our small, close-knit IT team, working alongside our Support Agents and Infrastructure and Cloud Manager, and reporting to our Head of IT Operations. Together, the team supports our people across six offices, working within a modern, cloud-first Microsoft 365 environment.

We’re looking for an IT Apprentice to start their career in technology with hands-on experience. You’ll gain broad exposure to IT support, cloud administration and security, working towards a recognised Level 3 apprenticeship qualification, with real responsibility from day one and structured mentoring throughout. You’ll work with technologies including Entra ID, Intune, Defender for Endpoint, Exchange Online, SharePoint and Teams. In line with CIL’s wider push to build AI fluency across every team, you’ll also get comfortable using tools like Microsoft Copilot and Claude as part of your everyday work.

Key Responsibilities

- Provide first-line IT support to staff across our offices — logging, triaging and resolving tickets via our helpdesk system.
- Assist with device lifecycle management: building, provisioning and enrolling laptops into Intune and Entra ID.
- Help maintain user accounts, groups and licensing across Microsoft 365 (Entra ID, Exchange Online, SharePoint, Teams).
- Support day-to-day monitoring of our security tooling (Microsoft Defender for Endpoint), escalating anything unusual.
- Help manage printers, peripherals and meeting room AV/Teams Rooms setups across our offices.
- Maintain clear documentation — asset registers, runbooks and knowledge base articles.
- Assist with onboarding and offboarding processes, working closely with HR.
- Build fluency with AI tools such as Microsoft Copilot and Claude as part of your everyday work, in line with CIL’s wider commitment to embedding AI across every team.
- Get involved in wider infrastructure projects as they arise, shadowing senior team members to build your skills over time.
- Complete apprenticeship coursework and off-the-job training towards the Level 3 Information Communications Technician standard, with dedicated study time built into your working week.
Given the hands-on, mentoring-led nature of this apprenticeship, we'd expect you to be office-based full-time so you can learn directly from the team. This role is based in our London office, with occasional travel to our Frome office for team days.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

We have a team of ~280 highly qualified, highly skilled people across our six offices. Successful CIL people share some key attributes:
- A ‘growth mindset’ when it comes to problem solving.
- Motivation and ambition, able to stand on their own two feet.
- Strong team working and people skills.
- Outstanding written and verbal communication skills.
- Humility and quiet self-confidence – we are not an ‘alpha’ environment.
- A keen sense of humour and broad shoulders.
Qualification criteria

We have strict qualification criteria for this role. These are:
- Five GCSEs at grades 9–4 (A*–C), including English and Maths — or willingness to study towards Functional Skills English and/or Maths alongside the apprenticeship, if required.
- A genuine interest in IT and technology, and enthusiasm for building a career in the field.
- Good written and verbal communication skills. Comfortable speaking to people in a customer-facing role.
- A methodical, curious approach to problem-solving.
- Ability to be proactive and work independently, as well as part of a team.
- Comfortable picking up new tools and technologies quickly, including AI-assisted ways of working.

Benefits

- Competitive renumeration package, with participation in our company’s discretionary bonus scheme and matched pension contributions of 5% of basic salary, via salary sacrifice.
- Generous holiday entitlement (25 days, with an additional discretionary ‘CIL Day’ around Christmas) with option to purchase five additional days each year.
- Option to join our company private healthcare scheme through Vitality, which includes a Dental, Optical and Audiological cash plan alongside a variety of wellbeing rewards and incentives.
- Life assurance and long-term sick cover.
- Enhanced parental leave & pay policies.
- Support to undertake training relevant to your role and access to personal online career coaching via a third-party provider.
- Regular company events & socials.