Customer Development (Sales) Graduate Scheme

Graduate Scheme (UFLP) - UK & Ireland 

FUNCTION: Customer Development (Sales)

To apply to this graduate scheme, please click this link.

Your Future Employer - Unilever

Unilever is one of the world’s leading suppliers of Food, Home, and Personal Care products with sales in over 190 countries and reaching 3.4 billion consumers daily. Founded in Port Sunlight (Wirral) in 1929 by Lord Lever, Unilever has more than 400 brands found in homes around the world, including Dove, TRESemmé, Lynx, Lifebuoy, Shea Moisture, Persil, Domestos, Ben & Jerry’s, Magnum, Marmite, The Vegetarian Butcher, Graze, Vaseline, Sure, Wall’s, Colman’s, and Pot Noodle.   

Faced with the challenge of climate change and the desire for human development, we want to move towards a world where everyone can live well and within the natural limits of the planet. That’s why our purpose is ‘to make sustainable living commonplace’. 

What do we look for? - Customer Development (Sales) Graduate Scheme

You don’t need a specific degree background as this is an area where your personality will set you apart. It takes a special blend of initiative, people skills, and commercial acumen; you’ll need to be credible and confident in front of people and have a passion for growing businesses, coupled with the power to influence and negotiate. 

The role: Customer Account Management (Sales) 

All of our brands have a powerful role to play in realising our vision for a sustainable future. You will have the opportunity to work on some of these amazing brands across different categories. Customer Account Management brings them to the customer, ensuring that they are available wherever the shopper wishes to buy them.

With our key retailers, you will manage and build strong working relationships. Harnessing skill and sensitivity whilst developing and executing plans makes all the difference to our business and theirs. 

What will the programme involve? - Customer Development (Sales) Graduate Scheme

The three-year, world-class development programme is full of variety and challenge, with the opportunity of promotion to manager level after three years. You’ll develop your leadership skills by working on live projects that offer you all the experience you need to become ready for your first management role. Over three placements we’ll make sure you gain broad experience in several different areas to develop your commercial expertise, for example: 

• Customer Management (Sales), where you will build relationships, examine relevant data, own financial forecasting, agree on a tailored business plan, and negotiate promotions. 
• Category Management, where you will oversee a category of products, become an expert on the marketplace and our competitors, and advise customers on suitable ranges for their shoppers. 
• Shopper Marketing – you’ll work closely with both the Customer Management teams and Marketing teams to develop retailer-specific media plans, to activate key brands.  
• Customer Strategy – you’ll work closely with Marketing, Finance, and Supply Chain functions, as well as the Customer Development teams to manage the link between brand ammunition and customer execution within a specific product category. 
• Brand Management - you will have the opportunity to undertake a placement in marketing and get exposure to commercial marketing working with iconic brands like Dove, Persil, Sure, and Marmite, managing brand mixes to maximise their potential across product, place, price, and promotion. 

First-hand experience – it’s the fastest way to learn. The Unilever culture is varied, friendly, and encourages innovative thinking. We will push and support you to achieve your potential, whilst giving you the chance to shape your career path according to your interests, strengths, and ambitions. 

What could your day-to-day role include (depending on your role)?

You’ll build partnerships with our wide range of customers – supermarkets, superstores, convenience stores, drug stores, discounters, online retailers, ice cream parlours, and even theme parks – so that we reach our target markets.

That could mean working together to maximise a new product launch, recommending the right range of products, developing marketing programmes, negotiating an annual business plan, or looking for new business opportunities.

Our Customer Insight and Innovation Centre allows us to work with our customers in exciting new ways.  Our people and actions can make a big impact every day on a local level, across Europe and the globe.  

Some of our positions you could be allocated to include:

• Customer Account Exec.
• Category Exec.
• Shopper Marketing Exec.
• Customer Strategy and Promotions Exec.
• Assistant Brand Manager.

Skills required - Customer Development (Sales) Graduate Scheme

• Selling.
• Commercial Strategy.
• Negotiation.
• Customer Relationship.
• Microsoft Office skills (Excel, Outlook, Word, PowerPoint).

Please note that at Unilever we have development programmes, the skills above are skills that would be good to have at the beginning however you will develop them over the course of the programme.

Our application process involves - Customer Development (Sales) Graduate Scheme

Step 1: Online Application

To apply to this graduate scheme, please click this link. Complete the online application form. It is a simple and easy application process with the option of filling out your details using your LinkedIn profile. You may apply to one function in your application.

Step 2: Profile Assessment

Complete two stages of profile assessment; a portrait personality test and an online assessment. These are designed to look at different elements of your cognitive, emotional, and social traits. You will receive personalised feedback after completing each stage.

Step 3: Digital Interview:

The digital interview will consist of 3 short questions followed by a business case. You will be asked to solve real-world problems using Unilever scenarios. You’ll be able to record and complete your interview anytime and anywhere.

Step 4: Discovery Centre:

You will be invited to a ‘day in the life’ of a Future Leader at Unilever. You will get to experience a face-to-face day filled with several exciting activities including project meetings, business challenges, a team meeting with Unilever colleagues, and an interview.

What Can Unilever offer YOU? - Customer Development (Sales) Graduate Scheme

• A competitive salary of £35,000.
• A pension scheme.
• Annual bonus.
• A discounted staff shop.
• Shares.
• Relocation support through a £5000 tax free loan.
• 25 days of holiday allowance.
• Paid time off holiday/sick pay.
• Clear diversity policy.

Diversity at Unilever is about championing inclusion, embracing differences, creating possibilities, and growing together for better business performance. To celebrate this, we have internal networks and communities created to raise awareness for a cause, which work to create change within the business. These networks include Proud, Empower, Enable and Unity and our communities include Thriving Parents, Carers, and All Inclusion Club.

We give full and fair consideration to all applicants, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy and maternity.  

We are a key advocate of well-being and offer a variety of support for our people including hubs, programmes, and development opportunities. We strive to achieve a family-friendly and inclusive workplace and to, above all, create possibilities for all.   

What support will you receive? - Customer Development (Sales) Graduate Scheme

• A dedicated buddy to help you onboard and learn about the business.
• A dedicated Career Sponsor, who can support you with your growth & development throughout the total duration of your programme.
• An experienced Line Manager for each of your functional rotations, allowing you to gain a breadth of experience.
• A bespoke Learning & Development Plan, designed to help you build your leadership skills.
• Opportunities to gain leadership experience outside of your functional rotations.

Do you require any adjustments in the application or assessment process?

If you do need any adjustments, please inform the Talent Acquisition team who will contact you to discuss the accessibility options available. E.g., If required extending time spent in any ‘timebound’ assessments/interviews.

We also provide accessibility options such as magnifying glass, decrease/increase the font size, change font & colour, screen ruler, and screen mask for everyone who would require them.

Please contact the Talent Acquisition team at [email protected]

Location:  

We offer a 3-year programme consisting of a variety of roles across the UK with rotations ranging from 3 to 12 months. We require all applicants to be geographically mobile throughout the programme as we have opportunities across the UK and the programme is designed this way to excel your experience and leadership skills.

Travel Required:

Approximately 10-25% of your time, depending on your functional rotation.

Discovery Centres:

Our Discovery Centres will be running from the week commencing the 13th of January 2025 and will be held at our Kingston office.

Closing date:

We will be closing our applications on the 13^th of December 2024 however, if we receive enough applications for the business area before this, applications will close accordingly. We therefore advise you to apply as early as possible to avoid disappointment.

Recruitment Fraud  

Cybercriminals advertise fake job adverts with prestigious employers as a way of stealing information or even defrauding individuals out of money. In the most sophisticated cases, they will set up fake websites, which have a similar address to companies like Unilever.

They even conduct fake telephone interviews and then offer candidates a role with the proviso they pay a fee for background checks or to cover work visa costs. These types of attacks are becoming more common as more people are looking for employment in the economic climate.  

 How is Unilever tackling this?  

Many of Unilever’s recruitment sites publish a warning to candidates about recruitment fraud. The Cyber Security team also proactively scans for signs of people setting up fake Unilever sites and acts to close them down.  

What can I do?  

If you become aware of potential recruitment fraud, spot fake Unilever recruitment adverts or fake LinkedIn profiles, report them via Una Live Chat.  

Unilever does not accept responsibility or liability for any candidates who are financially impacted by recruitment fraud. Your vigilance is key!