entry level legal jobs

440117

£26,607

There is an associated London Weighting Allowance of £4,000 for the location Bexley Heath.
The location Stafford (Doxey HRTI) attracts a shift allowance payment in addition to the salary, which is at the rate of 30% of annual salary.

A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

Fixed term

This apprenticeship lasts up to 2 years, with the possibility of becoming a permanent role afterward, although this cannot be guaranteed

DVSA - Enforcement

Intelligence
Investigation
Operational Delivery

Flexible working, Full-time

12

Bexleyheath, Bury St Edmunds, Chadderton, Chelmsford, Darlington, Doncaster, Exeter, Gillingham (Kent), Glasgow, Grimsby, Kirkham, Stafford, Winchester

Can you imagine yourself out on the frontline, learning specialist skills while helping keep Britain’s roads safe?

Do you want an apprenticeship where every day is different, hands-on, and full of real responsibility?

Would you thrive in a role where you’re part of live roadside operations and the public face of the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA)?

If so, we’d love to hear from you!

This apprenticeship offers a rare chance to gain real frontline experience in live roadside operations, developing specialist skills while playing an active role in improving safety across the transport industry. You won’t just observe, you’ll learn on the job as a trusted representative of DVSA, building professional confidence, communication skills, and public-facing experience that will help you make a real impact from the very start of your career.

The DVSA helps keep Britain moving, safely and sustainably. We do this by helping people through a lifetime of safe and sustainable journeys, helping them keep their vehicles safe to drive, and protecting them from unsafe drivers and vehicles.

We’re working hard to:

• make roads safer
• improve services for our customers
• make road transport greener and healthier
• harness the potential of technology and data
• grow and level up the economy

Joining our department comes with many benefits, including:

• Employer pension contribution of 28.97% of your salary. Read more about Civil Service Pensions here
• 25 days annual leave, increasing by 1 day each year of service (up to a maximum of 30 days annual leave), plus 8 bank holidays a privilege day for the King’s birthday
• Flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance.

Read more in the Benefits section below!

Find out more about what it's like working at DVSA.

You’ll play an important part in helping keep Britain’s roads safe. You’ll be trained to drive DVSA’s Accredited Stopping Officer vehicles and support our teams in identifying, intercepting, and stopping commercial vehicles that may not be meeting safety or environmental standards. This hands-on role gives you the chance to learn specialist skills while contributing directly to road safety.

You’ll often be the public face of DVSA, so you’ll learn how to role-model Civil Service values, including professionalism, integrity, and respect. You’ll work closely with experienced Enforcement Officers, supporting roadside checks and helping us deliver high-quality, consistent services to drivers, operators, and the wider public.

As part of your apprenticeship, you will also learn how to:

• Provide helpful, accurate information to customers and stakeholders.
• Assist with quality assurance tasks and complaint investigations.
• Gather and share on-the-ground intelligence to help target non-compliant vehicles and operators.

By end of the programme you will earn a Level 3 qualification as a Public sector compliance investigator and officer. This apprenticeship will give the candidate the skills and knowledge required to progress their career within the Driver Vehicle Standards Agency to the role of a Traffic Examiner. There will be opportunities to apply for this role during the apprenticeship.

Your responsibilities will include, but aren’t limited to:

Stopping vehicles

• Directing/causing vehicles to stop, using vehicles or other methods, to enable staff from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) to undertake road safety inspections.

Roadside Checks

• Contributing to the efficiency of roadside checks by making sure the equipment and vehicles are available and fit for use.
• Providing basic IT and clerical support during roadside checks, and other associated tasks.

Vehicle Maintenance & Deployment

• Carrying out minimum maintenance and upkeep of “High-Viz” vehicles (oil, water, tyre pressures & condition etc.).
• Ensuring timely deployment and collection of pool/incognito cars and vehicles around the areas.

For further information on the role, please read the role profile. Please note that the role profile is for information purposes only - whilst all elements are relevant to the role, they may not all be assessed during the recruitment process. This job advert will detail exactly what will be assessed during the recruitment process.

Open Sessions:

Would you like to find out more about the role, the team and what it’s like to work in our department? If so, we are organising an open session where you can virtually 'meet the team' on Monday 22nd December at 12:30 - 13:30. Sign up here.

Essential qualifications/licenses:

• Full clean driving licence, to cover category B
• Minimum level 3/D in English and Maths

You will be required to provide evidence that you hold any essential qualifications/licenses at some point during the recruitment process. If you cannot provide evidence, your application will be withdrawn.

Required experience:

To be successful in this role you will need to have the following experience:

• High standard of driving skill and knowledge of the Highway Code.
• Basic computer literacy.
• Good written skills.

Additional Information

• The Stafford post is based in Doxey.
• The Bury St Edmunds post is based in Elmswell.

This post is offered on a Fixed Term Appointment (FTA).

For permanent Civil Servants, this role is only available on loan, so you must have your home departments approval to return to them at the end of the loan before you apply. There is no opportunity for a permanent Civil Servant to take on this role as a fixed term appointment. OGD applicants will be appointed on an inward loan and subject to the terms of the agreed inward loan. Internal candidates will return to their previous post at the end of the loan period, which will need to be agreed with your line manager in advance.

If you're employed by a non-departmental public body (NDPB) by moving jobs this will involve a change of employer and you may break the statutory rules on continuity of employment.

Eligibility

To be eligible for this apprenticeship, you must:

• Be aged 18 or over
• Minimum level 3/D in English and Maths GCSE
• Have the right work in the UK.
• Not be in full-time education.
• Not be in receipt of funding for other learning programmes at the point of enrolment for this apprenticeship.
• Have valid and eligible residency status and be resident in the UK for 3 years before the start of the apprenticeship. Full eligibility details can be found at Annex A. If you are not sure if you meet the residency requirements then please contact us before applying.

If you currently hold or are working towards a similar qualification of the same level or higher, then you will not be eligible to apply for this vacancy. In order to be eligible for our apprenticeship vacancy, any qualifications previously held or currently being worked towards must differ in content so that this apprenticeship provides substantial new skills. Additionally you must not already be over-qualified or over-experienced in this type of work.

If you apply and are found to possess the above: your application will not be considered; any offer of employment will be withdrawn, and your contract will be terminated.

This role is due to start in March 2026 so the successful candidates will need to be available then. The apprenticeship itself is expected to start June/July 2026.

The successful candidate must be able to pass the bespoke DVSA driving course designed for DVSA Enforcement Support Officers, failure to pass either element of the training may result in termination of your appointment.

Working hours, office attendance and travel requirements

Full time roles consist of 37 hours per week.

This role is not suitable for hybrid working and will require the successful candidate to work solely from their designated location (one of the locations cited in the advert) or, when required for business reasons, from other offices/work locations/visiting stakeholders.

Shift pattern details: A rotating shift pattern of early (06:00 - 15:30), late (14:00 - 23:30), and night (20:00 - 05:30) shifts applies at the Stafford (Doxey HRTI) location.

The role can be physically demanding, including getting in and out of cars and sitting in cars for long periods.

There may be occasional travel, with overnight stays as part of this role.

If you have a question about hybrid working, part time/job share hours, flexible working, travelling for work, or require a reasonable adjustment, please contact the Vacancy Holder during the recruitment process to avoid possible disappointment later in the process should your working arrangements not be compatible with the requirements of the role (see below for contact details).

Visa Sponsorship

Please note that we do not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker Licence sponsor and are unable to sponsor any individuals for Skilled Worker Sponsorship. Candidates must ensure they have the appropriate rights to work in the UK before application.

Full clean driving licence, to cover category B

Minimum level 3/D in English and Maths GCSE

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Making Effective Decisions
• Changing and Improving
• Working Together
• Managing a Quality Service

Alongside your salary of £26,607, Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency contributes £7,708 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Being part of our brilliant Civil Service means you will have access to a wide range of fantastic benefits:

• Employer pension contribution of 28.97% of your salary. Read more about Civil Service Pensions here
• 25 days annual leave, increasing by 1 day each year of service (up to a maximum of 30 days annual leave).
• 8 Bank Holidays plus an additional Privilege Day to mark the King’s birthday.
• Access to the staff discount portal.
• Excellent career development opportunities and the potential to undertake professional qualifications relevant to your role paid for by the department, such as CIPD, Prince2, apprenticeships, etc.
• Joining a diverse and inclusive workforce with a range of staff communities to support all our colleagues.
• 24-hour Employee Assistance Programme providing free confidential help and advice for staff.
• Flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance.

Find out more about the benefits of working at DfT and its agencies.

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy .

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative.

The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Job contact :

• Name : Russell Simmons
• Email : russell.simmons@dvsa.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : dftrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk