Procurement & Commercial Graduate Scheme

Job overview

TfL spends billions of pounds every year operating the network. It is the Procurement & Commercial (P&C) function who are responsible for planning, sourcing, implementing and managing contractual relationships with suppliers.

This means we need to work closely with our expert operational colleagues to understand the requirement, decide how we should source it, run a procurement, agree a contract and manage the supplier relationship. You’ll learn how to navigate the complexities of Public Sector procurement, negotiate with suppliers whilst developing professional competencies. All of this will build the foundations of a fantastic career in Procurement & Commercial.

On the P&C Graduate Scheme you will work in a number of different departments. You can gain expertise in cutting edge technology, to maintaining established Underground lines, delivering new trains, major construction projects, travel, marketing, electricity, highway maintenance, station upgrades and much more.

Underpinning all of our activity is the need to support the Mayor of London’s vision to create a better quality of life for all of its communities now and in the future. P&C takes the lead on a significant Responsible Procurement agenda focusing on skills, diversity, ethical sourcing and environmental sustainability to help realise that vision.

What will I be doing?

As a P&C Graduate, your 2-year development programme will be made up of four 6-month placement rotations. Our aim is to equip you with a broad range of skills and experience you need for your successful career.

We also understand that everyone’s career is different, so every Graduate’s journey is unique and will be shaped by their personal support network. Here’s an idea of what yours could look like:

Year 1

Placement 1 – P&C Corporate Services– 6 months

Working in the Corporate Services team procuring and managing a diverse supplier base ranging from multinational consultancies and media agencies to social enterprise, charities, facilities management providers and specialist service organisations.

Placement 2 – P&C Rolling Stock – 6 months

Working within the Rolling Stock Team, procuring specialist parts to keep the trains running on the network. This could include train wheels, motors and doors. Without this vital work, trains could be taken out of action which causes delays to customers.

Year 2

Placement 3 – P&C Tech and Data– 6 months

Work on revenue collection and associated agreements of future bus systems such as iBus 2, Health & Safety Passport Systems or on a Core IM Contract. tell our passengers when their buses are going to arrive.

Placement 4 – P&C Highways Procurement – 6 months

Contract management of surface transport contracts such as Cycle Hire, E-Scooters and Cable Car, as well as supporting the procurement of Highways maintenance and construction contracts.

You’ll be encouraged to gain well-rounded experience across all of the P&C departments, with support and guidance from your Sponsor and Scheme Leader who will help you in identifying the most suitable placements for you as an individual. Graduates are encouraged to tailor the scheme to suit their interests and seek placement opportunities to meet their development needs within P&C.

Sustainability

Sustainability is intrinsic to TfL’s work ethos, and we ensure that we operate in a sustainable way to protect and regenerate the natural world.

In our P&C function we work to the most excellent, Responsible Procurement guidelines in everything we do and work to ensure that our supply chain follows the same principles

Where can this career take me?

At the end of your scheme, you’ll have achieved both Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS) Level 4 Diploma and Level 5 Advanced Diploma in Procurement and Supply and will roll-off into an Assistant Commercial Manager role. TfL will then continue to fund your CIPS Level 6 in your third year, therefore becoming a Member of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (MCIPS).

You can expect to have a well-established level of experience which will enable you to pursue Commercial Manager and Senior Commercial Manager career opportunities.

The application process consists of 5 steps, including online assessments which will need to be completed within an allocated time frame. We highly recommend that you read through this document thoroughly so that you can familiarise yourself with the process.

 

Please click on this link for which describes each stage of the Graduates Application Process

 

If you already hold your qualification certificates, please upload copies of these to your application. If you are due to sit final exams or need to replace any certificates, these must be provided at a later stage.

You will receive information and guidance around each assessment stage as you progress through your application.

Please pay close attention to emails and deadlines provided noting you have 1 week to complete online assessments and we cannot re-issue these tests once the deadline passes.

Assessment centres for graduates and intern roles will take place from November-January, please note that many roles only have 1 assessment day and we are unable to guarantee alternative dates. We are conducting assessment centres in person and virtually (role dependent). 

Our city. Made better by you. 

TfL is a place that’s open to your ideas. Where you can make a tangible impact and see the positive results of your work on the people and places around you. It’s a place where you can thrive and achieve. Where you’re encouraged and enabled and empowered to feel pride in the work you do. The clue is in the name, really. We work together for a better London. A better place for everyone. Constantly improving and enhancing how we operate to shape a city of the future.

Inclusive recruitment process 

We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and aim to reflect the diverse communities we serve. We believe that a diverse workforce enables us to deliver better services and outcomes. Our goal is to make our recruitment as inclusive as possible.

As a Disability Confident Leader, we actively encourage applications from disabled people. As part of the Disability Confident scheme, we aim to offer an assessment or interview to candidates who apply via the scheme where the minimum essential criteria for skills, knowledge and experience has been met. In some circumstances, it may not be practical to offer an interview or assessment to every candidate who applies through the scheme and meet the minimum essential criteria; in these situations, we select candidates who best meet the minimum criteria for the job rather than interviewing all who meet them.

Across all recruitment activity, we recognise that selection methods may vary depending on the nature and scale of the campaign and will be applied fairly, consistently and proportionately in line with our Disability Confident commitments.

In High Volume campaigns including Graduate, Apprentice and Intern recruitment the minimum criteria we set is achieving a pass mark in our first stage assessments, adopting a proportionate approach to the Disability Confident Offer an Interview scheme.

Please let us know if you require any reasonable adjustments for any stages of the application process.

What Qualifications will I gain?

Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS) Level 4 Diploma and Level 5 Advanced Diploma in Procurement and Supply.

Contact us 

Phone: 0203 005 1680 (Monday to Friday between 09:00 and 17.30) 

Email: EarlyCareersCampaigns@tfl.gov.uk