Unilever Future Leadership Programme - Human Resources UK

Unilever; Kingston; Hybrid; GBP 32,000 - 40,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary £35,000

Pension scheme

Annual bonus

Staff shop discount

Subsidised gym memberships

Shares

Relocation support

25 days holiday

Job summary

Unilever’s Future Leaders Programme is a 36‑month rotational development path designed to grow you into a manager through live projects, CIPD training, and cross‑functional rotations.

You will rotate across HR functions including Business Partnering, Rewards, Learning, Talent and People Analytics, with a focus on data‑driven decision making and leadership development.

Hybrid work arrangement with multiple UK locations; start Sep 2027; rolling recruitment.

Qualifications

• Strong business acumen and strategic thinking.
• Excellent stakeholder management and collaboration.
• Creative problem-solving and design thinking mindset.
• Proficient with digital technologies and data awareness.
• Advanced Microsoft Office proficiency (Excel, Outlook, Word, PowerPoint).

Responsibilities

• Driving culture change
• Managing employee relations
• Developing talented leaders
• Improving team performance
• Building skills and capabilities that each business area needs

Skills

Business acumen

Stakeholder management

Design thinking

Digital technology awareness

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Our Future Leaders Programme

Our Future Leaders Programme will ignite the leader in you. This unique programme is designed to develop Unilever’s Future Leaders (UFLs) by providing challenging and purposeful opportunities that accelerate their readiness to take on business leadership roles. The Unilever Future Leaders Program (UFLP) is a global initiative enabling Unilever to build a strong talent pipeline that will support and lead our business growth. In the UK, our UFLP is a 36-month rotational leadership development program for which we recruit top-performing undergraduate talent who demonstrate the potential to become managers within our business. It’s designed to grow you into a manager, through hands‑on learning alongside world‑class experts. You’ll be hired into a function and develop your leadership skills by working on live projects which offer you all the experience you need to become ready for your first management role. At the heart of it, it’s about developing tomorrow’s leaders, today. From Day 1, you will take on real business challenges within your own function and across the organization. Along the way you will develop deep core professional skills and leadership skills, and build a robust support network. On top of all that, you will have a lot of fun along the journey. We look for people who want to get to grips with the inner workings of a vast business and a desire to understand how it works. It’s about commitment, real people skills and a deep‑seated interest in the business as a whole. You’ll become part of a leading‑edge company, where you’ll work with outstanding brands and outstanding people to drive sustainable business growth.

What do we look for?

We are looking for future HR leaders who are motivated by a passion for people and are trusted partners in the business to get things done. We need people who can drive performance by using data and insight to inform decision‑making and continually think of new ways of doing things, fuelled by their dissatisfaction with the status quo. Whilst people skills are critical for the Unilever Futures Programme in HR, there are no specific qualifications necessary. We need HR people who are mindful and responsive to contexts and audiences, inspired to develop colleagues and the capabilities required for our winning business. The role of HR in Unilever as a core strategic business area means we look for people with enthusiasm, an interest in how businesses operate, and the bravery to offer creative insights and execute change. People who can build relationships, collaborate with others, have a data‑driven mindset, and possess strong influencing and negotiation abilities. Business challenges are always changing and evolving so remaining constantly curious and keen to learn, demonstrating agility, and being able to think differently in different contexts are key.

Role: Human Resources (HR)

In HR, our vision is “Bring back joy to our people, passion for our brands and pride in our performance”. We aim to unlock Unilever’s potential and drive business growth by building a diverse and inclusive talent powerhouse that delivers consistent, superior performance.

What will the programme involve?

The three‑year leadership development programme is packed with variety and challenge, with the opportunity of promotion to the managerial level after completing the programme. Throughout the programme, you’ll develop your leadership skills by working on live projects and completing CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development) training, preparing you for your first management role. The programme includes 4 placements of 9 months each, including time spent in the following areas:

• HR Business Partnering working in a local, regional, or global role across a business group, business unit, and/or global functions team
• HR in Factories across various locations in the UK
• HR Expertise including Reward, Learning, Talent, Organisation Development & People Analytics
• People Experience is the heart of our function delivering the best HR experience for all Unilever employees across the entire employee lifecycle from hiring to retiring.

All rotations present responsibility and accountability from day one – it’s the fastest way to learn and grow. You'll have the opportunity to shape your career adventure based on your unique strengths, skills, interests, and aspirations. We will support and guide you through stretching assignments whilst enabling you to maximise the experiences available for you to achieve your potential.

Day‑to‑day role

• Driving culture change
• Managing employee relations
• Developing talented leaders
• Improving team performance
• Building skills and capabilities that each business area needs

Potential positions

• HR Business partner BG/BU People Partner
• Global Learning Specialist
• Reward Specialist

Skills required

• Business Acumen
• Stakeholder Management
• Design thinking
• Digital Technology Awareness
• Microsoft Office skills (Excel, Outlook, Word, PowerPoint)

Recruitment process

Step 1: Online Application – Complete the online application form. It is a simple and easy application process with the option of filling out your details using your LinkedIn profile. You may apply to one function in your application. Step 2: Profile Assessment – Complete two stages of profile assessment; a portrait personality test and an online assessment. These are designed to look at different elements of your cognitive, emotional, and social traits. You will receive personalised feedback after completing each stage. Step 3: Digital Interview – The digital interview will consist of 3 short questions followed by a business case. You’ll be asked to solve real‑world problems using Unilever scenarios. You’ll be able to record and complete your interview anytime and anywhere. *Please note, we do not use AI as a screening tool in our recruitment process therefore, your digital interview submission will be reviewed by a real person* Step 4: Discovery Centre – You will be invited to a ‘day in the life’ of a Future Leader at Unilever. You will experience a face‑to‑face day filled with several exciting activities including project meetings, business challenges, a team meeting with Unilever colleagues, and an interview.

Benefits

• A Competitive Salary of £35,000
• A Benefits Envelope which has a notional value of 25% of your pensionable earnings. Use it to save for your pension, get extra taxable pay or both.
• A pension Scheme
• Annual Bonus
• A discounted staff shop
• Subsidised Gym Memberships – availability varies by site
• Shares
• Relocation support through a £5000 tax free loan
• 25 days of holiday allowance

Location & travel

Hybrid working with a minimum of 3 days required weekly at one of our offices – Port Sunlight, Kingston, Blackfriars, Leeds, Crumlin, Colworth, Burton. Travel Required: Approximately 10-25% of your time, depending on your functional rotation.

Support

• A dedicated buddy to help you onboard and learn about the business.
• A dedicated Career Sponsor, who can support you with your growth & development throughout the total duration of your programme.
• An experienced Line Manager for each of your functional rotations, allowing you to gain a breadth of experience.
• A bespoke Learning & Development Plan, designed to help you build your leadership skills.
• Opportunities to gain leadership experience outside of your functional rotations.

Accessibility

Do you require any adjustments in the application or assessment process? If you do need any adjustments, please inform the Talent Acquisition team who will contact you to discuss the accessibility options available. E.g., If required extending time spent in any ‘timebound’ assessments/interviews. *We also provide accessibility options such as magnifying glass, decrease/increase the font size, change font & colour, screen ruler, and screen mask for everyone who would require support.* Please contact the Talent Acquisition team at [e-mail]

Closing information

Closing date: This is a rolling deadline, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment in case applications close early. Start date: September 2027

Equality & diversity

We give full and fair consideration to all applicants, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy and maternity. Diversity at Unilever is about championing inclusion, embracing differences, creating possibilities, and growing together for better business performance. To celebrate this, we have internal networks and communities created to raise awareness for a cause, which work to create change within the business. These networks include Proud, Empower, Enable and Unity and our communities include Thriving Parents, Carers, and All Inclusion Club. We are a key advocate of well‑being and offer a variety of support for our people including hubs, programmes, and development opportunities. We strive to achieve a family‑friendly and inclusive workplace and to, above all, create possibilities for all.

Contact

For further information, check out our Instagram page. For accessibility support, contact as noted earlier.

Corporate values

Better Business. Better World. Better You. Learn More