Supply chain leadership professional (integrated degree)

Degree apprenticeship (integrated degree) · Transport and logistics route · Standard ST0548 v1.0

Level: 6
Typical duration: 48 months (about 4 years)
Max funding band: £21,000
Route: Transport and logistics

Procuring, producing, moving and delivering a product or service from a supplier to a customer or end-user.

About the role

Supply chain leadership professionals are involved in procuring, producing, moving and delivering a product or service from a supplier (anywhere) to a customer or end-user (anywhere). They have an important role in integrating the functions and processes of customers, distributors, manufacturers, partners, regulators, sub-suppliers and suppliers within and across companies, cities, towns and countries to form an effective and efficient end-to-end supply chain. They are both globally (world-wide) and domestically (UK-wide) capable with an ability to lead effectively, facilitate trade productively and execute a supply chain successfully. To do this, supply chain leadership professionals are effective at working collaboratively with organisations and people and in the use of information and resources.

How it compares

At 48 months (about 4 years), it is longer than average for a degree-level apprenticeship (the average across all 172 Level 6+ standards is 39 months).

The funding band — the maximum an employer's levy can contribute to training costs — is £21,000, below the £21,500 average for degree-level standards. Apprentices never pay tuition either way.

Typical job titles

Supply chain executive
supply chain management lead
chief supply chain officer and demand planner

What you'll learn

The official standard defines 25 knowledge areas, 29 skills, 6 behaviours. This is the actual assessed content of the apprenticeship — worth reading before an interview, because competency questions are usually written straight from these lists.

Knowledge 25

The principles of inventory, supply and demand planning and associated metrics, such as on-time, in-full, error-free and on-shelf availability
Methods of forecasting including effects of fluctuations and seasonality and use of scheduling techniques
The value of targeted research on supply chain dynamics
The principles of supply chain strategies, delivery models and modes and their impact on business performance
How the value proposition of the product and the market affects supply chain strategies and service operations for the end customer
How to use contemporary market, product and supply chain ideas to flex the supply chain network design
The specifics of budgeting, profit and loss reporting and cash flow forecasting in complex supply chains
How procurement processes impact across the supply-chain to ensure cost efficiencies, security of supply, continuity of service and mitigation of risk
The range of sourcing strategies for managing cost, quality, service and time across supply chain networks
Value chain, end-to-end and multi-channel supply chain trends in cross-border sourcing
Options for different inventory channels to markets, factoring in constraints, cost, flexibility, quality and speed
The different commercial, environmental, ethical and social contexts of manufacturing, storing, distributing and selling across an extended supply chain
The optimal supplier to customer supply chain structures
The value of alternative solutions that impact positively on time and cost, on end users and all parts of the supply chain
The ethical, environmental, political, social, economic, technological and legal implications of operating in a supply chain life-cycle
The nature and scope of technologies that can drive supply chain behaviour including virtual networks
Where to leverage investment, and seek specialist advice, in supply chain technology
The worth of modelling and simulation as a key enabling tool when applied to supply chain management problems
The impact of national and international policy frameworks and legislation including employment, health and safety, security, environment, quality, common transport policy, tariff and taxes, trading protocols, customs classification, contracts and insurance
The importance of tracking and recycling and e-commerce practices
The value of asset recovery and related costs
The 7 "R's" of sustainability
The requirements for supply chain and network change using contemporary supply chain thinking
The concepts of supply chain network coordination and leadership and their application to practice
How supply chain visibility and brand appeal can be raised by harnessing knowledge exchange

Skills 29

Determine benefits of insourcing, offshoring or outsourcing
Gather, analyse, interpret and use data from across the supply chain to propose and make effective decisions
Source and plan optimal transport solutions
Actively integrate and use data across enterprise lines
Develop differentiated supply chain strategies aligned to relevant business unit or function to achieve long-term sustainable growth
Use end customer insight to design and evaluate end-to-end supply chain networks
Use current market and product information to influence and challenge supply chain network design
Leverage, and capitalise on, supply chain assets to deliver financial targets
Drive cost efficiencies and service level improvements through the distribution network
Practise in a sustainable and ethical way all sourcing and buying decisions
Control information and material flow on-time and in-full
Apply relevant inventory control techniques and tools
Articulate ways to minimise costs and deploy Lean principles while optimising service
Introduce strategies for managing inventory optimisation and rationalisation across the extended supply chain
Implement change in the supply chain in response to changes in production, scheduling and demand
Collaborate with manufacturing functions to meet criteria of quality, time and continuity
Manage distribution and logistics networks, inbound and outbound
Evolve alternative supply chains to ensure resilience and continuity of supply
Design activities for receiving, put-away, storage, replenish, order-picking and dispatch
Identify next-generation software and manage potentially disruptive technologies
Match innovation in IT with business needs including global sourcing and the international trade context
Meet the challenge of technology selection, development, implementation and application
Give guidance on meeting environmental and legal requirements and maintain a high regard for risk identification and reduction, and safety management
Articulate business purpose and values and establish key accountabilities for contract formation and negotiation
Introduce innovative distribution, delivery and return methods while managing risk
Implement the 7 "R's" of sustainability: remove, reduce, reuse, renew, recycle, revenue and read
Maintain the competitiveness of the supply chain
Agree, communicate, collaborate and coordinate supply chain and network imperatives with finance, HR, IT, sales and marketing functions and with key partners
Initiate value-adding strategic and operational processes through effective project and task management

Behaviours 6

Be flexible to changing business requirements with a desire for achieving supply chain optimisation
Adopt cross-functional/cross-company working to enhance supply chain connections and dependencies
Promote an inclusive approach to a safety-first culture in the workplace and across all tasks in the supply chain
Champion new opportunities for business growth and proactively reduce the supply chain related risks
Be a persuasive negotiator and approachable by all partners and stakeholders in the end to end supply chain
Be an ethical role model with a reputation for sustainable development in a global supply chain community

Live vacancies

2 live vacancies for this course right now:

Supply Chain Leadership Degree Apprentice
GKN Aerospace Services · Bristol (BS35 4GG) · £23,500 a year
Closes in 10 days (Monday 3 August 2026) · starts 1 October 2026
Degree Apprenticeship
Xpo Transport Solutions Uk · Gotham (NG11 0LH) · £24,758 a year
Closes in 3 days (Monday 27 July 2026) · starts 7 September 2026

Live adverts from the government's Find an apprenticeship service, checked 2026-07-24. Closing dates move fast — apply on the official service.

Universities registered to deliver it

10 universities are on the government provider register for this standard. Registration means they can deliver it — live vacancies depend on employer partnerships each recruitment cycle.

Featured programmes

GKN Aerospace Services × Leeds Trinity — Supply chain leadership professional (integrated degree)

Bristol (BS35 4GG) · October 2026 intake

GKN Aerospace Services is recruiting for this apprenticeship with training delivered by Leeds Trinity University — advertised on the government's Find an apprenticeship service (checked 2026-07-24).

Xpo Transport Solutions Uk × Leeds Trinity — Supply chain leadership professional (integrated degree)

Gotham (NG11 0LH) · September 2026 intake

Xpo Transport Solutions Uk is recruiting for this apprenticeship with training delivered by Leeds Trinity University — advertised on the government's Find an apprenticeship service (checked 2026-07-24).

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Official sources

Occupational summary, duties, knowledge, skills and behaviours reproduced from the ST0548 apprenticeship standard (last updated 2018-12-24) — contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Always check the official page before applying: standards get revised.