Graduate - IT Project Management Office in Manchester

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Graduate – IT Project Management Office

Location: St Albans, GB

Based in StAlbans

Permanent

This is an exciting opportunity for a motivated and detail-oriented graduate to join our IT Project Management Office (PMO) as part of a structured two-year development programme. If you’re passionate about project delivery, governance, and continuous improvement and want to build a career in project management, business analysis, or PMO this role is for you.

You’ll gain hands‑on experience across the full project lifecycle, develop core skills in governance, reporting, and analysis, and be supported by a dedicated mentor and buddy system throughout your journey.

Overview of the IT Function

Premier Foods’ IT function plays a critical role in driving innovation, operational efficiency, and digital transformation across the business. The department is structured around centres of excellence located in Manchester, St Albans and Winchester, supporting both head office and manufacturing sites.

Key Focus Areas

• Smart Solutions & Innovation: The IT team is instrumental in delivering new technologies and digital tools that empower colleagues and enhance business performance.
• Service Excellence: Providing best‑in‑class support through the IT helpdesk and technical support teams, ensuring smooth day‑to‑day operations.
• Business Partnering: IT Business Partners act as strategic liaison between IT and business functions, helping to shape and deliver technology solutions aligned with commercial goals.
• Application Development & Project Delivery: Teams work on a range of initiatives including software development, solutions, and project management.
• Architecture & Infrastructure: Ensuring robust, scalable, and secure systems that support the company’s growth and innovation agenda.

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The IT department fosters a collaborative and supportive environment, where early responsibility and exposure to real business challenges are encouraged.

Graduates and early‑career professionals benefit from structured development, including training in Business Analysis, PMO, and Project Management, and opportunities to lead or contribute to impactful projects.

What does an IT Project Management Graduate Scheme at Premier Foods involve?

Over two years, you’ll rotate through key areas of the PMO and project delivery teams, learning and applying key skills in:

• Project Management of end‑to‑end projects and workstreams
• Business analysis: stakeholder engagement, requirements gathering, process mapping

What You’ll Be Doing and Learning:

• Supporting project and programme teams with documentation, reporting, and analysis
• Maintaining project documentation and project dashboards
• Participating in stakeholder workshops and process mapping sessions
• Leading projects and workstreams
• Contributing to portfolio‑level reporting and benefits tracking
• Presenting insights and recommendations to senior stakeholders
• Assisting in the preparation of business cases and project charters
• Coordinating project meetings, preparing agendas, and capturing minutes
• Supporting change management activities and internal communications
• Conducting impact assessments and tracking project benefits
• Learning and applying different project delivery methodologies
• Creating and maintaining project schedules and resource plans
• Collaborating with cross‑functional teams to gather requirements and define solutions
• Using tools like Planview, Excel, Visio, and SharePoint to support project delivery
• Shadowing experienced Project Managers, Business Analysts, and PMO Analysts to gain practical insights

What will we expect from you?

• Take ownership for your own learning and show commitment to the scheme and to the role you perform
• Be a team player – we are all in it together here at Premier Foods
• Develop commercial awareness quickly if you are not already “commercially aware”

We operate Hybrid working. This means working part of the week in the office and part of the week at home. You can work 5 days in the office if you want to, but we expect office‑based employees to be in the office at least 2-3 days a week.

Our graduates play a role in supporting our ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) strategy, primarily around being charity/volunteering champions.

Do you offer…?

• Degree qualified in a relevant subject such as Business, IT, Engineering, Mathematics, or related disciplines
• Understanding of the UK FMCG/Retail sectors
• Demonstrated interest in project delivery or business analysis through work experience or extracurriculars
• Comfortable working with data and reporting tools
• Analytical and highly numerate skills
• The permanent right to work in the UK
• Prepared to relocate to St Albans (AL1 2RE) and be required to spend time in other locations, including overnight stays

The package and benefits…

• Starting salary – £30,000 per annum
• 25 days holiday plus statutory holidays
• Pension scheme
• Life assurance
• Sharesave scheme
• Employee discount scheme including travel, food and shopping discounts
• Relocation support loan
• Employee assistance scheme
• Community of like‑minded fellow graduates
• Business Mentor
• More than 10 days of off‑job development workshops covering such topics as communication, presentation and influencing skills
• Invitations to social events and executive networking opportunities, including informal dinners, drinks, charity dinners and sales conferences

Ready to apply…?

Click apply, submitting an up‑to‑date CV tailored to this opportunity. We look forward to hearing from you.

A great British food company

Premier Foods is one of Britain’s biggest listed food companies, employing over 4,000 colleagues at 13 manufacturing sites and offices up and down the country.

Many of our brands have been part of UK life for more than a century and you’ll find them in 90% of British households.

At Premier Foods we believe in inclusion, authenticity and individuality. We aim to ensure all existing and future colleagues are given equitable opportunities and are respected, valued and encouraged to bring their true authentic selves to work no matter who they are, what they look like, who they love or what they believe in. Our culture is one where everyone is welcome.