Unilever Future Leaders Programme - Customer Development

What will you be doing? 

To win and lead in omni commerce, connecting our consumers to our brands to drive category growth, you’ll build partnerships with our wide range of customers – ecommerce platforms, supermarkets, superstores, convenience stores, drug stores, discounters, online retailers, ice cream parlors, and even theme parks. 

That could mean working together to maximize a new product launch, recommending the right range of products, developing marketing programs, negotiating an annual business plan, or looking for new business opportunities. Our Customer Insight and Innovation Centre allows us to work with our customers in exciting new ways. Our people have the opportunity to make a big impact every day on a local level.

What do we look for? 

You don’t need a specific degree background – this is an area where your personality will set you apart. It takes a special blend of ambition, people skills and commercial acumen; you’ll need to be credible and confident in front of people and have a passion for growing businesses, coupled with the power to influence and negotiate.

What will the programme involve? 

The three-year, world-class development programme is packed with variety and challenge, with the opportunity of promotion to manager level after 3 years. You’ll develop your individual leadership skills by working on live projects which offer you all the experience you need to become ready for your first management role. Over three years, you will cover four to six placements with:

• Customer Management (Sales), where you will build relationships, analyze relevant data, own financial forecasting, agree a tailored business plan, or negotiate promotions.

• Category Management, where you will oversee a category of products, become an expert on the marketplace and our competitors, and advise customers on suitable ranges for their shoppers.

• Shopper Marketing – You’ll work closely with both the Customer Management teams, and Marketing team, to develop retailer-specific media plans, to activate key brands.

• Business Operations – You’ll work closely with Marketing, Finance and Supply Chain functions, as well as the Customer Development teams to manage the link between brand ammunition and customer execution within a specific product category.

• Brand Building – You’ll have the opportunity to do a placement in marketing and get exposure to commercial marketing working with iconic brands like Dove, Knorr, Selecta, managing brand mixes across all their elements.

• Support and empowerment: We will support you every step of the way to senior management but much of your progress will be up to you. You will need to be focused and ambitious to get where you want, identifying opportunities and taking responsibility for your own development. 

• During the 3 years of your programme, you will be learning and developing in the rotations you will be doing, having real responsibility and impact. This development is supported with a learning roadmap full of internal and external training focused on developing your individual leadership skills. 

• We have an established tradition of developing our own purpose driven leaders and encourage innovative thinking. Future focused feedback and challenging goals drives innovation and ambition within a performance culture and an inclusive and informal environment. We will push you to achieve your potential and make a big business impact where you learn from the best. Firsthand experience – it is the fastest way to learn.