Sales Graduate Programme

Cooper & Hall Limited; Reading; Hybrid; GBP 25,000 - 36,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension + life assurance

Heavily discounted staff sales on Sysc

Volunteering hours

Company car or allowance

Job summary

Sysco GB is seeking graduates for a Sales Graduate Programme that combines structured learning, hands-on placements, and mentorship across our sales teams. You will engage with customers of varying sizes, learn to tailor solutions, and contribute to growth through insight-led selling.

You will rotate through three key placements, develop core sales skills, and then specialise in a chosen area, with support from managers and a broad graduate network.

Qualifications

• Minimum of a 2:2 Bachelor's degree.
• Strong interest in pursuing a career in Sales.
• UK driving licence.
• Genuine passion for food.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work independently and in a team.
• Proactive, adaptable, and eager to learn.
• Analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Initiative and a growth mindset.

Responsibilities

• Engage with customers and understand their needs.
• Build long-term partnerships and grow accounts.
• Utilise data and insight to shape conversations.

Skills

Communication

Analytical thinking

Teamwork

Self-motivation

Education

Bachelor's degree (2:2)

Tools

UK Driving Licence

MS Office

Job description

Welcome to the Sysco GB Sales Graduate Programme!

At Sysco, food is at the centre of everything we do. As a global leader in foodservice wholesale distribution we operate with over 76,000 colleagues across 10 countries worldwide. Driven by our purpose to connect the world to share food and care for one another, we’re proud to supply the expertise, products and partnerships that power every corner of the industry – from independent high street cafes to large‑scale corporate customers, and from hospitals and schools to pubs, restaurants and fine dining establishments across the UK.

Our Sales Graduate Programme is your opportunity to be at the forefront of those relationships. You’ll play a key role in helping our customers succeed, driving growth through insight‑led selling, and building long‑term partnerships in a fast‑paced, commercially driven environment. This is where you start building a career that brings exceptional food, service and support to the communities we serve.

From day one, you’ll gain hands‑on experience across our sales operation, working closely with experienced sales professionals and account managers. You’ll engage directly with customers of all sizes – understanding their needs, recommending the right solutions, and helping them get the most from their relationship with Sysco.

This is a role for confident communicators who enjoy building trust, having honest conversations and influencing decisions that deliver value for both the customer and the business. We’re looking for ambitious, curious graduates who enjoy working with people, solving problems, and using data and insight to shape conversations.

If you’re motivated by targets, energised by collaboration, and excited to take ownership of your impact, you’ll thrive here.

Your journey starts here – let’s make it extraordinary.

The Sysco GB Graduate Programme is designed to give you a dynamic and inspiring start to your career. You’ll gain hands on experience, take part in structured learning, and receive personalised mentorship to help you transition into the workplace and develop the skills and confidence needed to grow as a future leader. Through key business rotations, you’ll work on real projects, collaborate with a variety of teams, and gain valuable exposure to senior leaders.

You can expect…

A structured learning and development plan

to build both your technical and professional capabilities

Mentorship from experienced professionals

who will support, guide, and challenge you throughout the programme

Business placements

that give you the experience and exposure to build your skills within Sales

Networking opportunities

with graduates, colleagues, and industry partners to help you grow your professional network

including workshops, training sessions, and access to learning resources to accelerate your growth

Exposure to senior leaders

providing valuable insights and helping you build your profile across the organisation

Clear opportunities for career progression

and continued development opportunities post programme

What You’ll Experience

As part of the Sysco Sales Graduate Programme, you’ll begin your journey with a comprehensive introduction to Sysco GB, our Sales function, and the teams we collaborate with across the business. This foundation will help you understand how we serve our customers, how different sales teams operate, and how our commercial decisions come together to support both local high street customers and large‑scale corporate accounts.

Building Core Sales Skills

You’ll complete three key placements, rotating acround different sales teams and customer types. Each placement is designed to give you hands‑on exposure to the breadth of our sales operation – from local field sales and account management to strategic customer teams. You’ll work with experienced sales professionals, supporting live accounts and gradually taking on responsibility as your confidence grows. Throughout your placements, you’ll get to grips with core sales skills, understand the needs of different customer segments, and learn how we tailor our approach to deliver value in a competitive market.

Specialise and Deepen Your Impact

You’ll then have the opportunity to specialise in one sales area that aligns with your strengths, interests and future career ambitions. This is where you’ll really deepen your skills and experience, taking on greater ownership and responsibility as you work towards your post graduate role within the business. You’ll continue to build strong customer relationships, contribute to sales growth, and develop the commercial insight needed to succeed in a fast‑paced environment – all with the support of your manager, mentors and the wider graduate network.

You’ll Gain Experience In:

• Core sales and account management skills
• Building and maintaining customer relationships
• Understanding customer needs and delivering tailored solutions
• Managing a portfolio and balancing competing priorities
• Commercial conversations, negotiation and influencing
• Communication, presentations and stakeholder management
• Using data and insight to identify opportunities and drive growth

You’ll also be supported through structured training, on‑the‑job learning and ongoing development designed to build your confidence and capability as a sales professional. This is your chance to make a real impact, learn from experienced sales leaders, and kick‑start your career towards becoming a sales professional with your own ledger and the opportunity to increase your earnings through a generous bonus scheme.

Key Info

This is a home-based role but as a sales professional you will spend the majority of your time travelling to our customer locations and key business sites. This is a South East based position so for this programme you will need to be based in this region and comfortable with driving to locations including Bicester, Reading, Hemel, Aylesford and Ashford.

39hrs a week, Monday – Friday

Additional travel required includes graduate workshops, Sales or business events

A company car or allowance will be provided – candidates must hold UK driving licence

What you’ll need to succeed

• A minimum of a 2:2 or above Bachelors degree (or equivalent)
• Strong interest in pursuing a career in Sales
• UK Driving licence
• Genuine passion for food
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a team environment
• Proactive, adaptable, and eager to learn
• Analytical and problem‑solving abilities
• Initiative and a growth mindset

What we offer

• Competitive salary and benefits package
• Pension + life assurance
• Heavily discounted staff sales on Sysco products
• Volunteering hours

Additional Information

Sysco is the world’s global foodservice leader – selling, marketing and distributing food and non-food products to customers in 90 different countries across the globe. Sysco GB, (whose trading divisions include Brakes, Fresh Direct, Campbell’s Prime Meat, Fairfax Meadow, Country Choice, KFF & Medina), is built on a passion for food and feeding the nation. Every day we deliver the highest quality fresh and frozen food and ingredients from our nationwide network of distribution centres to some of the nation’s most famous pubs and restaurants, as well as schools, caterers, care homes and hospitals. Our customers depend on us, and our 8,500-strong workforce is dedicated and proud to be part of this vital provision.

At Sysco GB everyone is welcome. We don’t want you to ‘fit our culture’ we want you to help define it and we actively celebrate the unique talents of each and every colleague. As part of our values, we are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive culture where everyone has a voice, is appreciated and has the same opportunities. We work hard to ensure that everyone feels part of our business, as we care for one another and connect the world through food and trusted partnerships. Our ultimate goal is to ensure that everyone belongs and thrives at Sysco GB, and we recognise that Sysco GB can only thrive when everyone feels they belong. We'll do everything we can to support you during your application. If you need us to make any adjustments to our recruitment process, speak to our resourcing team who will be happy to support you.

Sysco GB is a prominent foodservice distributor in Great Britain, specializing in providing a comprehensive range of food and non-food products to the hospitality sector, including restaurants, pubs,