Operations Graduates

Sika; England; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 36,000; Full time

Job summary

Sika is offering multiple vacancies for its UK Graduate Programme. The two-year rotation-based scheme develops technical, analytical and leadership capabilities across operations, from production to digitalisation.

Graduates work with Operations and EHS teams on safety, sustainability and performance projects, rotating through diverse sites and challenging environments. You will gain hands-on responsibility, mentoring and structured development to prepare for future operations leadership roles.

Qualifications

• Relevant degree or equivalent qualification.
• Interest in manufacturing, sustainability and technology.
• Ability to learn, solve problems and work with others.

Responsibilities

• Support Operations and EHS to maintain safety and excellence across sites.
• Contribute to projects that improve current operations and prepare for future challenges.
• Develop dashboards and reports to enable data-driven decisions.
• Lead or assist lean and continuous improvement activities.
• Support digital tool adoption and automation initiatives.

Skills

Analytical thinking

Data analysis

Communication

Problem-solving

Team player

Curiosity

Learning mindset

Education

Engineering

Manufacturing / operations

Occupational Health & Safety

Supply chain / logistics

Data analytics / data science

Environmental management / sustainability

Business management

Chemistry or materials science

Other relevant technical subjects

Job description

Job Description

What we offer you

We have multiple opportunities to join our two-year UK Graduate Programme.

The programme is designed to develop the technical, analytical and leadership capabilities you will need to build a successful career in operations. Our ambition is to prepare high-performing graduates to progress towards a future operational leadership position.

Through a series of structured rotations, you will experience Sika’s end-to-end operations, work alongside teams, and lead projects in areas including:

• Production and manufacturing
• Engineering and maintenance
• Procurement and supply chain
• Environment, Health and Safety
• Sustainability and energy management
• Data analytics and business intelligence
• Continuous improvement
• Automation and digitalisation

From the outset, you will be given real responsibilities and the opportunity to deliver meaningful projects with measurable outcomes.

Your role and priorities

Throughout the programme, you will support our Operations and EHS teams in maintaining high standards of safety, compliance and operational excellence. You will contribute to projects that improve how we operate today while helping us prepare for the challenges and opportunities of the future.

Safety and operational performance

• Drive continuous improvement in Health & Safety performance across all operations
• Proactively support Operations and EHS teams to create and maintain safe and healthy workspaces
• Help the business meet its legal, regulatory and moral responsibilities
• Identify, assess and implement opportunities to reduce risk and improve safety culture
• Work collaboratively with colleagues across different functions and locations to embed EHS best practice and promote a culture of continuous improvement

Sustainability and environmental improvement

• Support projects to reduce energy consumption, carbon emissions, waste and water usage
• Analyse environmental and sustainability performance
• Identify opportunities to make manufacturing processes more efficient and sustainable
• Support site-level delivery of wider sustainability objectives
• Help teams understand the environmental impact of operational decisions

Data analysis and business intelligence

• Collect, analyse and interpret operational data
• Develop dashboards and reports that support effective decision-making
• Identify trends, risks and improvement opportunities
• Turn complex data into clear and practical recommendations
• Support the development of consistent operational performance measures

Continuous improvement and operational excellence

• Review processes to identify waste, inefficiency and variation
• Support Lean and continuous improvement activities
• Work with operational teams to investigate problems and identify root causes
• Help implement and measure process improvements
• Share successful approaches across teams and sites

Digitalisation and automation

• Support the introduction of digital tools and automated processes
• Explore opportunities to improve productivity through technology
• Help teams adopt new systems and ways of working
• Contribute to projects involving emerging technologies and artificial intelligence
• Evaluate whether digital solutions have delivered the intended operational benefits

During each rotation, you will deliver defined projects and demonstrate how your work has added value to the organisation.

Your development

You will be supported by a mentor, operational leaders and colleagues across the business. At the start of each rotation, you will agree clear learning objectives and development priorities.

Your development will combine hands‑on experience, formal learning, internal and external training, peer support and exposure to senior leaders. You will build capability in:

• Operational leadership
• Data analysis and decision-making
• Sustainability
• Project and change management
• Commercial awareness
• Problem-solving and continuous improvement
• Communication, influencing and collaboration

Projects you could work on

• Developing a dashboard to improve visibility of operational performance
• Analysing manufacturing data to identify productivity opportunities
• Reducing waste, energy consumption or carbon emissions at one of our sites
• Improving a production, procurement or supply chain process
• Supporting the implementation of automation or new digital technology
• Investigating the root cause of a recurring safety, quality or service issue
• Improving inventory performance and material availability
• Developing a business case for an operational investment
• Helping teams measure the benefits delivered by an improvement project

What we are looking for

We are looking for driven and curious graduates who are ready to tackle the challenges involved in building the modern world.

You will be a team player who builds trust through integrity, accountability and respect. You will be eager to learn from experienced colleagues while bringing your own ideas, energy and perspective to the business.

You should be able to:

• Approach challenges logically and analytically
• Work confidently with data and communicate what it means
• Turn ideas into practical actions
• Communicate effectively with different audiences
• Build positive working relationships
• Remain calm and focused when priorities change
• Take ownership of your work and follow through on commitments
• Balance attention to detail with an understanding of the bigger picture
• Demonstrate an interest in manufacturing, sustainability and technology
• Show the potential and ambition to become a future operations leader

You do not need to arrive with all the answers. We are looking for people with the curiosity, adaptability and determination to learn.

Qualifications

We welcome applications from graduates with a relevant degree or equivalent qualification. Suitable disciplines could include:

• Engineering
• Manufacturing or operations management
• Occupational Health and Safety
• Supply chain or logistics
• Data analytics or data science
• Environmental management or sustainability
• Business management
• Chemistry or materials science
• Other relevant technical or analytical subjects

More important than your specific degree subject will be your ability to learn, solve problems, work with others and apply your knowledge in a practical operational environment.

Your future with Sika

Operations Management is at the centre of what we achieve together. Our customers, colleagues and society rely on us to operate safely, responsibly and effectively.

Our ambition is to develop future operations leaders. High-performing graduates will have opportunities to progress into supervisory, specialist, project or leadership roles, supported by structured development, mentoring and real business responsibility.

If you are ready to learn, contribute and help shape the future of our operations, we would like to hear from you.

We offer competitive salaries, aligned with local market benchmarks and the specific scope and responsibilities of each role. Compensation is determined based skills relevant to the position, education and/or training. We are committed to fair and equitable pay practices in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.