Unilever Industrial Placement Programme - Sales - UK in Kingston upon Thames

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.

The Role: Sales ensures that our brands are available wherever the shopper wishes to buy them. The focus of the role is to manage relationships with retailers to effectively drive our business and theirs. Our aim with the retailer is to develop and execute our overall brand & customer strategy and customer business plan, to drive the growth and profitability agenda within Unilever. Our customers recognise the effectiveness with which our work drives our business and theirs, which has led to several retailers (Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Asda and Boots) recognising us as their supplier of the year.

Whilst no two Sales Industrial Placement is the same you will get the chance to work with exceptional brands and develop your analytical, commercial, and marketing skills whilst working with some of the UK’s leading retailers. As part of the programme, you might get the opportunity to work in either the commercial team, the commercial strategy team, the shopper marketing team, or the category management team. Regardless of the team, you will have a strong support network, a bespoke training programme, and the opportunity to partner with multiple teams across the wider business.

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

• You’ll develop your commercial knowledge and numerical skills.
• You’ll build partnerships with our wide range of customers – Grocers, Health and Beauty Retailers, Value Stores, and E-commerce Businesses - so that we reach our target markets.
• Support the execution of trade and promotional plans to drive volume and visibility whilst monitoring sales performance and identifying growth opportunities.
• You’ll also work closely with our internal teams – Marketing, Supply Chain, Finance – to ensure everyone is aligned to deliver the best outcome for our retailers & consumers.

Some of our positions you could be allocated to include:

• Customer Account Executive, Tesco - Home Care
• Customer Account Executive, Heron - Personal Care, Beauty, Home Care & Foods
• Shopper Marketing Executive – Home Care
• Category Executive – Personal Care

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. We also look for candidates who show a curiosity to understand data trends and financial commercials. With a strong performance culture, challenging goals, and continuous feedback, we will support you to achieve your potential in an inclusive environment.

Skills Required Include:

• Selling
• Commercial Strategy
• Negotiation
• Customer Relationship
• Microsoft Office skills (Excel, Outlook, Word, PowerPoint)

Programme details:

• Location: Hybrid working with a minimum of 3 days required weekly within the Kingston office.
• 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:

• Stage 1 – Online Application & IP Simulation
• Stage 2 – Online Assessments
• Stage 3 – Digital Interview
• Stage 4 – Pre‑Screening Interview
• Stage 5 – In‑Person Discovery Centre

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
• 28 days (pro rata) of holiday inclusive of bank holidays.
• Opportunity to join one of our Future Careers Development Teams.
• 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.