Apprentice Software Developer

About Autotrader

You’ve probably heard of Autotrader, but do you know what we’re all about?  

We’re the UK’s leading automotive marketplace, a heritage brand, and a tech darling of the stock market. We bring together vehicle buyers and sellers to give them real choices. Cars may be what we're best known for but we’re also the place for pretty much everything else on wheels, from e-bikes to caravans. 

In the automotive world, change is a constant, that’s why we take our job of untangling the complex car-buying journey very seriously. 
 
At our core, we’re all about people. We go our own way while embracing diversity and celebrating our differences. We dedicate ourselves to the idea that we work better together. 

Autotrader is a beautiful, surprising and vibrant place to work. We might not be for everyone, but we could be perfect for you. 

About the job

As an Apprentice Software Developer, you’ll join our Engineering Academy and work towards a Level 4 Apprenticeship in Software Development over a two-year period. The programme is designed to give you a solid foundation in both technical and professional skills, while supporting you every step of the way as you build your career in tech. 

From the very start, you’ll focus on developing core skills such as communication, collaboration, Java fundamentals, and Test-Driven Development (TDD). You’ll also take part in pair programming, which is a key part of how we learn and work at Autotrader.  

Once you’ve built these skills, you’ll have the opportunity to apply and stretch them further in our tech incubator, a dedicated environment that allows you to work on real-world projects in a safe and supportive space. 

After the incubator phase, you’ll move into one of our engineering teams, where you’ll continue to grow through hands-on experience and exposure to a wide range of technologies, tools, and methodologies. At Autotrader, our developers take an object-oriented approach to programming and use techniques like TDD, refactoring, and debugging to deliver seamless, high-quality user experiences. 

Thought the programme, you’ll collaborate closely with early careers colleagues, tech leads and developer’s at all levels. By working in an environment that embraces Agile, XP, Scrum, Kanban, and TDD practices, you’ll develop strong technical foundations and a deep understanding of software development. 

To learn more about our tech community's work, read our Engineering blog and check out our tech stack. 

The start date for the Engineering Academy is Monday 16th March 2026.  

Eligibility criteria

• For this apprenticeship, you must not hold a qualification at level 4 or above in the same or similar subject (examples of this would be a Software Developer Apprenticeship at level 4 or HNC/D, foundation degree, degree, etc). 

• If you’ll be under the age of 19, at the start of the apprenticeship, you will need to currently hold a Level 2/GCSE in English and Mathematics at grade 4 (C) or above or will be willing to study these whilst completing your apprenticeship. (subject to an entry test) 

• You cannot be enrolled in any other full-time education 

• You must have the right to work in England, and be a resident here for 3 years before the start date 

• A full list of current criteria can be found here 

What we're looking for

• A passion for software engineering and problem-solving. We'd like to hear how you've grown your knowledge through personal tech projects or hacks you've attended. 

• As a digital business, we're constantly evolving, so adapting and being comfortable with change in an ever-changing environment is necessary. 

• Our tech community values collaboration and teamwork, and you’ll be eager to learn from and collaborate with the people you work with and embrace the opportunities. 

During our application process, you will be asked two questions to help us learn more about you and how you align with our values. These will be used as part of our selection criteria, to determine if we progress your application further.

Benefits and more

We’re offering a starting salary of £24,570 plus an additional 10% of your salary awarded to you in shares each year. These awarded shares will become yours in yearly instalments over the next three years, and you can choose to either sell them or keep them as shares. 

You'll have 28 days holiday per year, and that's in addition to bank holidays and half day closures on Christmas and New Year's Eve.

That’s not all. You'll be enrolled in our pension scheme, where our standard contributions are 7% and employee contributions are 5%. We also have comprehensive private medical cover, enhanced family leave provisions, a car salary sacrifice scheme, share-save options, and much more. 

We always want to give you the support you need and help prioritise your wellbeing, that’s why we provide access to 24/7 online GP and dentist, as well as specialist support for assisted fertility, gender dysphoria, menopause, period care plans and lots more.  

On top of all that, our hybrid model, Connected Working, combines the best of both worlds – office and home working. You’ll have two fixed weekly office days for team collaboration and one more of your choice to suit your work-life balance.  

Additionally, we have our remote-first periods at set times during summer and winter. During these periods, you can work remotely anywhere in the UK and from certain locations abroad.

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