Operations Management Industrial Placement 2021

At Gist, we pride ourselves in transforming supply chains, with a proven track record spanning 50 years. Our vision is to be our customers’ first choice for logistics, innovation, excellence and partnership. Our customers include Starbucks, EAT, Marks and Spencer, Tesco, Morrisons and 2 Sisters Food Group. 
We are always focused on developing our people to enable them to reach their full potential and our Graduate schemes are designed to create our future business leaders. If you have the drive, aspiration and flexibility required, we can offer excellent development opportunities to ensure you build a successful and rewarding career with Gist, just like our CEO, Martin Gwynn, who began on our Logistics Management Graduate Scheme. He was promoted to CEO at the age of 33 and continues to set the direction of the business today.

What’s it like to be an Industrial Placement student at Gist?

Our Industrial Placement schemes are a year-long opportunity for penultimate- year university students as part of their four or five year sandwich-degree course. The scheme offers students the chance to gain a strong start to their career by gaining valuable work experience within a thriving, fast-paced business.

• You will join as a Team Manager within one of our operational sites. As part of the wider site management team you will be responsible for managing a shift and a team of up to 30 people from day 1, working within the warehouse and transport divisions.
• The environment is fast-paced and not your normal 9-5 and you will experience a full 24 hour operational cycle through various shifts and operational peaks, including Christmas.
• You will therefore be required to work shifts, at points, on nights and over weekends in order to ensure that our operation continues to deliver for our customer. You could be in our fridges at 2am on a Saturday night ensuring that our customers are getting their product, or liaising with our drivers to make sure our vehicles are meeting deadlines, and have agreed routes around the UK that will reach our customers in good time.
• You could be placed at any one of our UK sites and so geographic mobility is important, as well as the possession of a full driving license and a car.
• You will gain opportunities throughout your placement year to gain further experience in some of the wider business functions. Eg: Business Solutions, Our Network Planning Centre or Global Freight.

What will you need to succeed?

• We are looking for driven and engaging industrial placement students to join us. 
• You aim to be a senior leader in our business and constantly look to develop yourself on that journey.
• You will thrive in a fast paced and challenging business which will see you succeed when pushed out of your comfort zone.
• You are a credible, engaging and driven natural leader who is able to take a team on a journey with a shared goal.
• You proactively look to transform, adapt and improve things around you. You want to exceed expectations.
• Change isn’t a scary word for you. You thrive on new challenges, new people and pick things up quickly and effectively.
• People are your focus and you roll your sleeves up when a team needs to come together.

Benefits

Throughout your time with Gist you will receive training and development in order to set you up for success. The programmes are designed to equip you with the knowledge, best practice, skills and techniques to develop your capabilities. This will be delivered in conjunction with your regular progress meetings to ensure you are working towards a career plan that meets your needs and aspirations.

If you have a successful year with us, you will have the opportunity to be fast-tracked onto our Operations Management Graduate Scheme. Returning Industrial Placement students will undertake a shortened graduate scheme which eighteen months rather than 2 years, enabling rapid progression within Gist.

• You will receive a salary of £19,000 with 25 days holiday; there is also a discretionary performance-related bonus scheme, pension scheme and healthcare.
• You will be allocated a buddy a few months before you start, to help you get settled into life at Gist. You will also be allocated a mentor who will be a senior manager in our business and will offer support and guidance on your career within Gist.
• We know that moving can be worrying and stressful– we give you time to find the right place and pay for up to two weeks in a hotel near your new site
• Whether it’s personal or professional, the Employee Assistance Helpline offers counselling, financial and legal advice as well as an online health portal
• 25 days holiday
• Discretionary performance-related bonus scheme
• Pension scheme
• Healthcare
• MyBenefits — offering great discounts across retail and leisure outlets