UFLP UK 2021 - Graduate Customer Development

Job description

Description - External

Function: Customer Management (Sales)

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, and they have a powerful role to play in realising our vision for a brighter future. You will have the opportunity to work on some of these brands across some fantastic categories. Customer Management (Sales) brings them to the customer, ensuring that they are available wherever the shopper wishes to buy them. Managing relationships with key retailers with skill and sensitivity makes all the difference to our business and theirs.

What will I be doing?

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 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 don’t need a specific degree background – this is an area where your personality will set you apart. It takes a special blend of ambition, 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.

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.

What will the programme involve?

The three-year, world-class development programme is packed with variety and challenge, with the opportunity of promotion to manager level after three years. You’ll develop your individual 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, analyse relevant data, own financial forecasting, agree a tailored business plan, or 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 team, to develop retailer-specific media plans, to activate key brands.
· Business Operations – 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 Building - you will have the opportunity to do a placement in marketing and get exposure to commercial marketing working with iconic brands like Dove, Persil, Sure and Marmite, managing brand mixes across all their elements.

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 own interests, strengths and ambitions.

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. 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 also contact the team using the following contact details:

Phone: Freephone 0808 164 2255 or 01635 584145 or e-mail: enquiry@unilevergraduates.com