Applications for this job are now closed
Our Future Leaders Programme will ignite the leader in you. This unique programme is designed to develop Unilever’s Future Leaders (UFLs) by providing challenging and purposeful opportunities that accelerate their readiness to take on business leadership roles.
The Unilever Future Leaders Program (UFLP) is a global initiative enabling Unilever to build a strong talent pipeline that will support and lead our business growth. In the UK, our UFLP is a 36-month rotational leadership development program for which we recruit top-performing undergraduate talent who demonstrate the potential to become managers within our business. It’s designed to grow you into a manager, through hands-on learning alongside world-class experts. You’ll be hired into a function and develop your leadership skills by working on live projects which offer you all the experience you need to become ready for your first management role. At the heart of it, it’s about developing tomorrow’s leaders, today.
Role Description
From Day 1, you will take on real business challenges within your own function and across the organization. Along the way you will develop deep core professional skills and leadership skills, and build a robust support network. On top of all that, you will have a lot of fun along the journey.
We look for people who want to get to grips with the inner workings of a vast business and a desire to understand how it works. It’s about commitment, real people skills and a deep-seated interest in the business as a whole. You’ll become part of a leading-edge company, where you’ll work with outstanding brands and outstanding people to drive sustainable business growth.
Function: Research and Development
Unilever is one of the largest fast-moving consumer goods companies in the world. We make some of the world’s most loved brands: Dove, Lynx, PG Tips, Ben & Jerrys, Marmite, Magnum, Persil and Hellmann’s, to name a few. For a business whose very purpose is to create a brighter future, that future begins in Research & Development (R&D). This is the hotbed of ideas for brands, products, packaging, manufacturing and technology. Your work could impact millions across the world.
What You'll Do
You’ll be undertaking research to understand what consumers want and need, and developing the technology and science to bring new innovations to life. You’ll be helping to make our brands even healthier, more appealing, more efficient and more environmentally friendly – improving our products in any way possible. Our people have the opportunity to make a big impact every day on a local level, across Europe and the globe.
What do we look for
You will be a motivated and ambitious future leader who can offer their expertise in chemical/biological/physical/engineering/food related science or similar discipline. You will understand the importance of commercial success and be passionate about making an impact, contributing towards a more sustainable brighter future through exciting and forward thinking innovations.
Our people have the opportunity to create a brighter future every day on a local level, across Europe and the globe. Working within R&D across our four big categories: Personal Care, Home Care, Foods and Refreshment, you will be part of teams building the next generation of product, packaging, manufacturing and technology capabilities that will allow us to keep making products people love.
Over three years you will undertake a world-class development programme packed with variety and challenge. You’ll develop your individual leadership skills by working on live projects which offer you all the experience you need to become ready for your first management role. Over at least four placement’s you’ll work with teams from different business areas;
- Looking at the science and technology behind our products and designing new product innovation
- Deploying our global brands in a locally impactful way or helping to grow our local brands (like PG Tips) to be market leader
- Developing products from concept idea to full-scale production – with a heavy emphasis on feasibility and understanding consumer needs
During the three-year programme you’ll have the opportunity to work across a range of R&D areas including Discover, Design and Deploy as well as our R&D capabilities such as Digital R&D, Open Innovation or Unilever’s Sustainability and Environmental Assurance Centre. You’ll also have the opportunity to complete at least one placement outside of R&D e.g. in Marketing, Supply Chain or Customer Management (Sales).
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 your own interests, strengths and ambitions.
Further Information
Diversity at Unilever is about inclusion, embracing differences, creating possibilities and growing together for better business performance. We embrace diversity in our workforce. This means giving full and fair consideration to all applicants and continuing development of all employees regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy and maternity.
Location:
- Placements may be in different business units across the UK & Ireland, so you need to be flexible about where you are based during the programme.
Closing date:
- We will close for applications as soon as we receive enough applications for the business area and without prior warning. We therefore advise you to apply as early as possible to avoid disappointment.
Travel Required: 10-25%
If you have any questions about your application or if you require special arrangements/reasonable adjustments to be made in order to complete any part of the application process, please contact the Graduate Recruitment Team. If you would like to discuss any mitigating circumstances prior to making an application, please contact us.
Unilever is an organisation committed to diversity and inclusion to drive our business results and create a better future every day for our diverse employees, global consumers, partners, and communities. We believe a diverse workforce allows us to match our growth ambitions and drive inclusion across the business. At Unilever we are interested in every individual and the talent they can bring. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment.
