Food Business Graduate Programme 2026

Marks and Spencer; City Of London; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading UK retailer is offering a graduate programme in Food, focusing on nurturing future leaders. The programme includes a retail placement followed by rotations in Commercial and Marketing & Product. Candidates should have a completed degree and a passion for food and customers, with strong analytical and creative abilities.

Qualifications

• Passion for food and customers.
• Comfortable with numbers and data.
• Ability to bring new ideas to life.

Responsibilities

• Complete a 4-month placement in a store.
• Analyse customer data to forecast demand.
• Work on PR campaigns and product development.

Skills

Analytical skills

Creativity

Customer focus

Education

Completed degree

Job description

All the details

Due to high interest, this role may close earlier than advertised. We recommend applying as soon as possible.

About the role

On this programme, you'll dive into the heart of our Food business and see what it takes to deliver the exceptional quality, trusted value and innovation that M&S is famous for. You'll start with a placement in one of our stores, learning first-hand how the customer experience shapes everything we do. Then you'll rotate through key areas of the Food business before specialising in either Commercial or Marketing & Product. It's a challenging programme that will accelerate your development and prepare you to become a future leader or expert in Food at M&S.

What you'll be doing

You'll begin with a 4-month placement in one of our stores. Here, you'll get close to customers, understand our colleagues' roles, and learn how to run a store efficiently. This grounding in retail gives you a strong base for the rest of the programme.

Next, you'll move into your chosen track:

1. Commercial: You'll rotate through Supply Chain, Space, Range & Display and Buying. You'll analyse customer data to forecast demand, plan ranges, work with suppliers and make sure our shelves are stocked with the right products at the right time.
2. Marketing & Product: You'll join the teams who get our Food in front of the nation. You could be working on PR campaigns, iconic TV ads, or developing products from idea to launch, seeing how innovation and creativity shape what customers love.

What you'll need

This programme isn't about a specific degree - it's about passion for food, customers and M&S. If you choose Commercial, you'll need to be comfortable with numbers and data and have an analytical mind. If Marketing & Product excites you, you'll need an eye for detail, creativity and the ability to bringing new ideas to life.

What we look for

We want ambitious, curious people who share our passion for quality and innovation. You'll be adaptable, quick to learn, and confident in building relationships across teams. You'll succeed if you're proactive, resilient, and ready to take ownership from day one. Above all, you'll be motivated to challenge the status quo and help shape the future of our Food business.

Requirements

• To have completed a degree
• Right to work in the UK for the full duration of the programme

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