Unilever Industrial Placement Programme - Marketing UK

Unilever; Kingston; Hybrid; GBP 24,000 - 32,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

End of Placement Bonus

Subsidised Gym Memberships

Discounted Staff Shop

Hybrid working environment

28 days holiday incl. bank holidays

Future Careers development teams

Job summary

Unilever UK offers a 12‑month Industrial Placement for undergraduates taking a year in industry. Location options include Kingston or London with hybrid working and mentoring from day one. You’ll join a fast‑paced team and contribute to real business challenges across leading brands.

Applicants should be in their penultimate year and returning to study, with strong commercial insight and hands‑on execution. The programme provides structured development and a buddy system for support.

Qualifications

• Penultimate year undergraduate degree and returning to study after placement.
• Strong commercial awareness and ability to read market performance.
• Proactive, collaborative, and able to manage multiple agencies and teams.

Skills

Market & Commercial Insight

Digital & Social Media

Hands-on Execution

Cross-functional Collaboration

Organisational & Analytical

Microsoft Office Proficiency

Education

Penultimate year undergraduate

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Our Unilever Industrial Placement (IP) Programme is designed for students who are completing a year in industry as part of their degree studies.

In the UK, our IP programme is a 12-month development scheme, for which we recruit top-performing undergraduate talent, with fresh ideas who are eager to gain exposure to real-world challenges.

All new joiners are given real responsibility from day one and have an opportunity to make a meaningful impact on the business. Alongside this, they receive one-to-one mentoring and support to aid their development and help them achieve their goals. These programmes provide a variety of experiences, enabling individuals to learn, grow, develop personally and professionally, build confidence and gain a comprehensive understanding of the business.

ABOUT UNILEVER

Unilever is one of the world’s leading FMCG companies, home to iconic brands including Dove, Vaseline, TRESemmé, Lynx, Persil, Domestos, Surf, Radox, Sure and Liquid I.V. Through products used by millions of people every day, we help improve health, wellbeing, confidence and care around the world.

Established over 100 years ago, Unilever has a proud heritage of innovation and a long-standing belief that great brands, great people and responsible business go hand in hand.

Today, we are transforming into a faster, more focused growth company centred on Beauty & Wellbeing, Personal Care and Home Care. Through world-class brands, cutting-edge science and technology, digital innovation and AI-enabled capabilities, we are building unmissably superior products and experiences for consumers around the world.

A career at Unilever offers the opportunity to work at global scale while helping shape the future of some of the world’s most recognised brands. Our people are at the heart of everything we do, bringing curiosity, creativity and passion to solve real business challenges and make a meaningful impact every day.

*As we receive a high volume of applications, please make sure to read the job descriptions on our website carefully and apply for the ONE function you are most interested in. Only your first application will be considered*

What do we look for?

Success in this role goes far beyond creativity, it demands sharp commercial awareness and the ability to read a market’s performance, identify opportunities, and take decisive steps to improve results. You’ll bring strong social and digital instincts, staying ahead of trends and understanding how audiences behave across platforms. It’s a hands-on environment where you’ll be driven to get stuck in, make an impact quickly, and keep momentum high. Collaboration is essential, as you’ll work closely with multiple teams and agencies, coordinating moving parts with confidence, clarity, and a genuinely team-focused mindset.

With a strong performance culture, challenging goals, and continuous feedback, we will encourage you to achieve your potential. You will thrive by gaining exposure to real business challenges where your energy and fresh thinking will have an impact. First-hand experience- it’s the fastest way to learn.

Students must have completed the penultimate year of their undergraduate degree by the time they start their placement and be returning to study after their placement.

Our Marketing Industrial Placements are a chance to showcase your thinking and skills, with total support from a line manager and a buddy.

What could your day-to-day role include (depending on your role)?

You’ll be constantly deepening the already expert knowledge of our brands and the people who use them. You’ll use this level of insight to help develop our products’ personalities and bring them to life. That could mean working on the launch of a new fabric softer, undertaking research on the latest trends in hair care, or planning a digital campaign for Lynx.

Skills required include:

• Market & Commercial Insight – Ability to interpret market performance, identify growth opportunities, and recommend clear, commercially grounded actions.
• Digital & Social Media Expertise – Strong understanding of platform behaviours, audience trends, and how to leverage digital channels to drive brand impact.
• Hands-on Execution & Drive – Proactive mindset with the energy to get involved, move projects forward, and deliver meaningful results.
• Cross-functional Collaboration – Skilled at working with internal teams and managing multiple agencies, ensuring alignment and smooth coordination across all moving parts.
• Strong Organisational & Analytical Skills – Confident handling data, structuring workstreams, and managing projects with clarity.
• Microsoft Office Proficiency – Competent in Excel, Outlook, Word, and PowerPoint to support analysis, communication, and planning.

Please note, that at Unilever, we have development programmes, the skills above are skills that would be good to have at the beginning however you will develop them over the course of the 12 months.

Programme details

Location:

Hybrid working with a minimum of 3 days required weekly either at Kingston or London Blackfriars office - dependant on where you are based.

Applications open:

Monday 14 September 2026

Applications close:

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:

June 2027

Industrial Placement (IP) Application Process

Please note: you will only progress to the next stage if you are successful in the previous stage.

Stage 1 – Online Application & IP Simulation

Complete an online application form before completing our interactive IP simulation, designed to give you insight into our organisation and the programme you’re applying for. This will prepare you for a series of situational judgement questions based on realistic business scenarios.

Stage 2 – Online Assessments.

Complete a numerical reasoning assessment, an online test that measures your ability to interpret and draw conclusions from numerical data and verbal Reasoning assessment an online test that measures your ability to understand and evaluate written information.

Stage 3 – Digital Interview

Complete a video interview.

Stage 4 – Pre-Screening Interview

Attend a virtual pre-screening interview with a member of our recruitment team.

Stage 5 – In-Person Discovery Centre

Attend an in-person discovery centre alongside fellow candidates. This will give you the opportunity to visit a Unilever office, meet and interview with business leaders, and work on function-related business challenges.

What Can Unilever offer YOU?

• A competitive Salary of £27,898.00
• End of Placement Bonus
• Subsidised Gym Memberships - availability varies by site
• Discounted Staff Shop
• Opportunity to work directly with our renowned and exciting brands in a flexible and hybrid working environment.
• 28 days (pro rata) of holiday inclusive of bank holidays. Once you have completed 12 worked weeks, under the Agency Workers Regulation your holiday entitlement will increase to 33 days inclusive of bank holidays, pro rata for the term of this placement.
• Opportunity to join one of our Future Careers Development Teams such as Outreach, Digi, Community & Wellbeing and many more! By joining a team, you can grow business-critical skills, develop Unilever Behaviours, and make a meaningful contribution to Future Careers.
• A dedicated buddy to help you onboard and learn about the business.
• An experienced Line Manager to develop your knowledge and understanding across the year.
• Connections with the Graduates (UFLPs) who can share helpful tips on how to be successful at Unilever.

To find out more about Future Careers at Unilever UK, check out our Instagram page!

At Unilever, diversity is about embracing differences, championing inclusion, creating possibilities, and growing together for better business performance. Join our vibrant and inclusive workplace that champions diversity and inclusion.

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.

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.

We also provide accessibility options such as magnifying glass, decrease/increase font size, change font & colour, screen ruler, screen mask for everyone who would require support.

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