Sustainability Placement

Industrial Placement (IP) - UK & Ireland 

FUNCTION: Sustainability

To apply to this placement, please fill in the application form here.

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? - Sustainability Placement

We are looking for ambitious, bright, energetic people with a hands-on mentality. The work in the Sustainability Function is at the heart of the company and has a leading position in setting the scene on sustainability both in- and externally. The opportunities and work are very diverse but can also be pressing and ad hoc which asks for a certain level of flexibility and agility.

The role: Sustainability IP

Unilever believes that sustainable business drives superior performance and through our work, we seek to make sustainability a core in our business. To aid this agenda, the Sustainability Function provides strategic leadership, global partnerships, advocacy capabilities, and subject matter expertise to aid the business in delivering growth whilst driving transformational change at scale across the value chain. 

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

During your placement, you could work with teams from different areas of the business. You could be:  

• Contributing to the evolution and execution of Unilever’s Sustainability priorities.
• Researching and brief writing on key emerging sustainability issues.  
• Advocating on key issues for Unilever, the planet, and its population. 
• Support on big external key moments for Unilever like the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos and the United Nations General Assembly New York.
• Managing internal and external relationships and partners via numerous workstreams.
• Support on external reporting.
• Working on exciting projects that will come our way during the year!

Some of the positions you could be allocated include:

• IP in our Plastics team
• IP in our Strategy and Governance Team
• IP in our Social and Human Rights team
• IP in our Nature team
• IP in our Climate team

Skills required - Sustainability Placement

• Willing to learn/ask questions/pro-active.
• Organised/can meet deadlines.
• Good communication skills (verbal/written).
• Detail-oriented.
• 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 12 months.

Our application process involves - Sustainability Placement

Step 1: Online Application

Click this link, complete the online application form and tell us about your motivation for choosing Unilever and your selected programme. It is a simple and easy process with the option of filling out your details using your LinkedIn profile.

Step 2: Digital Interview

If your online application is successful, you will be invited to complete a digital interview.

Step 3: Virtual Discovery Centre

You will be invited to spend a virtual day in the life with us, immersing yourself in business challenges and an Interview.

What Can Unilever offer YOU? - Sustainability Placement 

• A competitive salary of £24,787.75
• End of placement bonus.
• Discounted staff shop.
• Opportunity to work directly with our renowned and exciting brands in a flexible and hybrid working environment.
• Paid time off holiday/sick pay.
• Clear diversity policy.
• 28 days (pro rata) of holiday inclusive of bank holidays. Once you have completed 12 worked weeks, under the Agency Workers Regulation your holiday entitlement will increase to 33 days inclusive of bank holidays, pro rata for the term of this placement.  

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? - Sustainability Placement  

• A dedicated buddy to help you onboard and learn about the business.
• An experienced Line Manager to develop your knowledge and understanding across the year. 
• Connections with the Graduates (UFLPs) who can share helpful tips on how to be successful at Unilever.   

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:  

Hybrid working a minimum of 2 days required weekly at our London Blackfriars office.

Discovery Centres:

Our virtual Discovery Centres will be running from the week commencing the 20^th of January 2025.

Closing date:  

We will be closing applications on the 30^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.  

If you have any questions about your application or if you require any reasonable adjustments to be made to complete any part of the application process, please contact the Future Careers Team. If you would like to discuss any mitigating circumstances before making an application, please also contact the team using the following contact details:  

Phone: 020 3650 2304 or e-mail: [email protected].  

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!