People Graduate

Arriva UK Bus Limited; Sunderland, Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 26,000 - 36,000; Full time

Job summary

Arriva UK Bus Limited invites graduates to join its two-year People Graduate Programme. You’ll gain exposure to talent, learning and development, employee engagement and people partnering while working across Arriva’s People function.

Based in Sunderland or London, the role operates on a hybrid basis with at least three days in the office each week. The programme includes mentoring, structured learning and a pathway to CIPD qualification.

Qualifications

• To be on track to achieve, or have already achieved, a degree (2:1 preferred, with strong 2:2 applications considered)
• The right to work in the UK permanently
• Availability to join the programme in September 2027
• Willingness to travel where required as part of the programme

Responsibilities

• Participate in Arriva's two-year graduate development programme, with structured learning, mentoring and exposure to senior leaders
• Gain experience across People functions such as talent, learning and development, engagement, and organisational development
• Contribute to projects and activities that support employee experience and organisational performance

Job description

Every day, millions of people rely on transport to access the people, places and opportunities that matter most. At Arriva, we're shaping the future of passenger transport and investing in the people who will help lead it. We are one of Europe's leading passenger transport partners, helping people get to work, education, healthcare, family and the moments that matter. Operating across 11 countries, with around 35,000 colleagues and more than 1.5 billion passenger journeys each year, we're a business with the scale to make a difference and the ambition to keep moving forward. Through our Graduate Programme, we're looking for talented graduates who are curious, motivated to learn and ready to grow their careers with us. If you're ready to make an impact, we'd love to hear from you.

The Graduate Opportunity

As a People Graduate, you'll gain exposure to the activities that help attract, develop, engage and support colleagues across Arriva. Through a variety of experiences and projects, you'll develop an understanding of how People teams contribute to organisational performance, employee experience and long-term business success. You'll work with colleagues across different areas of the People function, gaining exposure to areas such as talent, learning and development, employee engagement, organisational development and people partnering.

Location

This role can be based at our Sunderland or London office and operates on a hybrid basis, with a minimum of three days per week in the office.

What We’re Looking For

We're not expecting you to have all the answers. We're looking for graduates with curiosity, drive and the confidence to keep learning. People who take ownership, build positive relationships and want to make a meaningful contribution from day one. What matters most is your potential. We're looking for people who are eager to learn, motivated to grow and ready to develop your Arriva Graduate EDGE.

About You

We're open to applications from graduates of all degree disciplines. We're particularly interested in people who:

• Are passionate about supporting and developing others
• Enjoy building relationships and collaborating with different people
• Have strong communication and interpersonal skills
• Are curious about organisational culture and performance
• Like solving problems and finding practical solutions
• Want to positively influence employee and business outcomes

The Graduate Programme

Alongside your role, you'll be part of our two-year graduate development programme, benefiting from structured learning, mentoring, exposure to senior leaders and a connected graduate network across Arriva. There may also be opportunities to work towards a CIPD qualification, helping you build your professional knowledge and develop your career in People. The breadth of experience gained throughout the programme will help you explore different career pathways and build a strong foundation for your future career.

Eligibility Requirements

• To be on track to achieve, or have already achieved, a degree (2:1 preferred, with strong 2:2 applications considered)
• The right to work in the UK permanently
• Availability to join the programme in September 2027
• Willingness to travel where required as part of the programme

The closing date for applications is close of play Friday 27 November 2026.

Company Background

Arriva is a leading provider of passenger transport across Europe, employing around 34,400 people and delivering around 1.6 billion passenger journeys. With buses, trains, coaches, trams, waterbuses, bike‑sharing systems, on-demand transport solutions and a rolling stock leasing company, Arriva proudly connects people and communities safely, reliably and sustainably across 11 countries, delivering these services in a better way, every day. The activities of Arriva are divided into four business units: UK Bus, UK Trains, The Netherlands and Mainland Europe. Arriva has passenger transport operations in the Czech Republic, Croatia, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and the United Kingdom, and also operates a rolling stock leasing company in Romania.