Undergraduate Commercial Assistant

Co-op Digital; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 23,000 - 28,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus

28 days holiday

Pension contributions

Onsite gym access

Coaching and training

Stream app access

Grocery Aid support

Job summary

Co-op Digital in Manchester is offering a 12‑month undergraduate work placement as a Commercial Assistant. You will gain hands-on experience in a fast-paced retail environment, supporting data management, projects, and cross‑team collaboration.

The role emphasises learning and development, with opportunities to contribute to product and promotion strategies and gain exposure to commercial processes within a member-owned cooperative.

Qualifications

• Currently studying towards a business-related degree.
• Demonstrates attention to detail and accuracy in work.
• Shows organisational skills and ability to prioritise tasks.
• Comfortable working with data and spotting patterns.

Responsibilities

• Keep systems up to date with product, price and supplier data.
• Support the buying team with reports, documents and meetings.
• Communicate with internal and external stakeholders to stay aligned.
• Help load promotions and commercial terms into systems.
• Resolve payment and price queries quickly and efficiently.
• Track timelines and flag risks to the team.
• Attend meetings and training to grow knowledge and skills.
• Ensure compliance with legal and regulatory requirements.

Skills

Business degree study

Attention to detail

Organisational skills

Data literacy

Proactive attitude

Clear communication

Education

Business-related degree in progress

Job description

Undergraduate Commercial Assistant

£25,430plus excellent benefits (Work Level 6C)

Manchester City Centre, in this role you’ll work in a hybrid way splitting your time between home and coming into the office three times a week (find out more about our hybrid working policy at https://jobs.coop.co.uk/hybrid-working-policy).

12-month work placement (starting June 2027)

We're looking for a driven and ambitious undergraduate to join us as a Commercial Assistant on a 12-month work placement. You'll gain hands‑on experience in a fast‑paced retail environment. This is your opportunity to learn, grow, and contribute to a team that shapes the products and promotions our customers see every day.

Why this role matters

Our Commercial team helps make sure we have the right products on our shelves, at the right price and promoted in the right way. As a Commercial Assistant, you’ll help keep things running smoothly by managing data, supporting projects, and working with colleagues across the business. Your work will help us deliver strategies that make a real difference to our customers, member‑owners and communities.

What you’ll do

• Keep our systems up to date with accurate product, price, and supplier data
• Support the buying team with reports, documents, and meeting preparation
• Communicate with internal and external stakeholders to keep everyone aligned
• Help load promotions and commercial terms into systems
• Resolve payment and price queries quickly and efficiently
• Track timelines and flag risks to the team
• Attend meetings and training to build your knowledge and skills
• Make sure we’re compliant with legal and regulatory requirements

What you’ll bring

• Knowledge from studying towards a business‑related degree
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy
• Good organisational skills and the ability to prioritise tasks
• Confidence working with data and spotting patterns
• A proactive approach and willingness to learn
• Clear communication skills and the ability to work with others

Why Co‑op?

At Co‑op, we’re owned by our members. And because we’re owned by you, we can do right by you. So when you join us, you’re not just taking a job, you’re joining a movement. We’re an organisation that puts people and communities first, and we’re powered by purpose. We want this to be a place where you can thrive, so you’ll also receive:

• An annual bonus (based on personal and business performance)
• 28 days holiday (rising to 32 with service) plus bank holidays
• A pension with up to 10% employer contributions
• Access to a subsidised onsite gym (at our Manchester HQ)
• Coaching and training to support your career development
• Stream app – giving you access to a percentage of your pay as you earn
• Grocery Aid – 24/7 access to a range of emotional, financial, and practical support services for you and your family

A place you'll belong

We’re actively building diverse teams and we welcome applications from everyone. If you have a disability, we can make reasonable adjustments to our recruitment process according to your needs. We're also part of the Disability Confident scheme, meaning we'll always offer an interview to disabled candidates who apply through the scheme if they meet the minimum criteria for a job.

We'll ask whether you’d like to be considered under the Disability Confident scheme when you apply.

If we invite you to take part in the recruitment process for any of our jobs, we’ll ask you if you need any reasonable adjustments to enable you to participate.

You can find out more about our recruitment process at jobs.coop.co.uk/apply-process

You can find out more about the Disability Confident scheme at Disability Confident Scheme – Co‑op Colleagues and more about our commitments to diversity and inclusion at Diversity and Inclusion

Please note that we may close applications for this role early.

As part of your application, you'll need to complete an online assessment. This assessment typically takes up to 20 minutes. If you’re a current Co‑op colleague, this does not need to be completed.