Graduate Programmes

Proud to build your future with the best

 

Want to join one of our graduate programmes? We’re looking for applicants with enthusiasm, talent, motivation, drive, and resilience who are keen to start a career in the food industry. With us, the pace is fast, energy levels are high and your potential career success is unlimited.

 

We’ll support you to become future leaders. We’ll give you real responsibility from day one, supporting you every step of the way.

 

Choose from five core functional programmes - Whichever path you choose, our innovative programmes, underpinned by a comprehensive training plan, will give you vast exposure to all aspects of our business as you rotate through different roles, departments and locations, dealing with different products and customers.

 

Programmes start in September and involve a minimum of three 12-month placements across different locations so flexibility is a must. The exception to this is our Finance programme, which is three placements over three and a half years.

 

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

The Product Development function works hard to identify the best products for our customers. If you are on this programme, you will work with different customers and product categories as a part of a customer focussed team, and you will turn your passion for food, ingredients, and ideas into products for the nation! You will gain an understanding of the manufacturing processes, as well as the capabilities of the business, to ensure that products are commercially viable and will support the longevity of our customer partnerships. You could be focussing on idea generation, recipe development, product trials and/or launches. On leaving the programme you should be aspiring to a Product Manager role.

 

FOOD TECHNOLOGY

The Technical function supports all functions and suppliers to ensure that manufacturing is done correctly, safely and to expected high standards. As a Grad on this programme you will work closely with internal and external stakeholders and could be based within the factory or an office, depending on the role. You will be working with our customers, as well as making sure that systems and processes are in place, to meet exacting customer and industry standards - You will be driving governance and standards across the organisation. Having established in which area of Technical you would like to pursue your career, within 5-7 years of starting, you should be aspiring to a Technical Manager role.

HUMAN RESOURCES

Carefully planned placements, as well as the opportunity to choose a preferred pathway in year 3 will give you a great understanding of how HR works at Bakkavor, both within our factory settings, as well as in our central support function. You will be exposed to all HR aspects of the business, including People Services, Systems, Resourcing, Employee Relations, L&D, Performance and Talent Management, HR Analytics, Employment Law and Reward Management. Your target role when you come off the programme will depend very much on the strand that you would like to pursue, however you should be aspiring towards a Senior HR Business Partner role within 5-7 years of starting.

FINANCE

Our Finance programme is based around the CIMA qualification and is therefore a 3.5-year programme, broken down into 3 placements, focusing on Management Accounting, Finance Accounting and Advanced Management Accounting. You will also cover financial management, risk management and process evaluation and redesign.  Carefully selected placements will ensure that you have the necessary exposure to the right areas of the business to support your ongoing development and to make sure that you get a full understanding of how the organisation operates.  After the programme you will continue to broaden your experience to prepare you for a senior role.

MANUFACTURING

Operations is the core of the business, and is responsible for delivering high quality, innovative products to our customers on a massive scale! On this programme, you are likely to have supervisory responsibility from an early stage.  You will develop the skills and knowledge to become a great team leader who engages their colleagues, whilst maintaining and setting high standards for operational excellence, food safety and health & safety. Your target role for when you come off the programme is Section Manager, with a development plan to get you to a Senior Section Manager position. Within 5-7 years of starting, with strong focus, hard work and development, you should be aspiring to be in a Factory/Operations Manager role.

UNDERGRADUATE PLACEMENTS

In addition to our Graduate Programmes, we are offering 12-month Industrial, paid placements in Food Technology, Finance and Commercial, Sales & Management, which will start in July 2023. For further information and application details, please click on Early Careers: Placements to see what a career taster with us might look like.

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

 

The Product Development function works hard to identify the best products for our customers. If you are on this programme, you will work with different customers and product categories as a part of a customer focussed team, and you will turn your passion for food, ingredients, and ideas into products for the nation! You will gain an understanding of the manufacturing processes, as well as the capabilities of the business, to ensure that products are commercially viable and will support the longevity of our customer partnerships. You could be focussing on idea generation, recipe development, product trials and/or launches. On leaving the programme you should be aspiring to a Product Manager role

HUMAN RESOURCES

 

Carefully planned placements, as well as the opportunity to choose a preferred pathway in year 3 will give you a great understanding of how HR works at Bakkavor, both within our factory settings, as well as in our central support function. You will be exposed to all HR aspects of the business, including People Services, Systems, Resourcing, Employee Relations, L&D, Performance and Talent Management, HR Analytics, Employment Law and Reward Management. Your target role when you come off the programme will depend very much on the strand that you would like to pursue, however you should be aspiring towards a Senior HR Business Partner role within 5-7 years of starting

FINANCE

 

Our Finance programme is based around the CIMA qualification and is therefore a 3.5-year programme, broken down into 3 placements, focusing on Management Accounting, Finance Accounting and Advanced Management Accounting. You will also cover financial management, risk management and process evaluation and redesign.  Carefully selected placements will ensure that you have the necessary exposure to the right areas of the business to support your ongoing development and to make sure that you get a full understanding of how the organisation operates.  After the programme you will continue to broaden your experience to prepare you for a senior role

MANUFACTURING

 

Operations is the core of the business, and is responsible for delivering high quality, innovative products to our customers on a massive scale! On this programme, you are likely to have supervisory responsibility from an early stage.  You will develop the skills and knowledge to become a great team leader who engages their colleagues, whilst maintaining and setting high standards for operational excellence, food safety and health & safety. Your target role for when you come off the programme is Section Manager, with a development plan to get you to a Senior Section Manager position. Within 5-7 years of starting, with strong focus, hard work and development, you should be aspiring to be in a Factory/Operations Manager role.

FOOD TECHNOLOGY

 

The Technical function supports all functions and suppliers to ensure that manufacturing is done correctly, safely and to expected high standards. As a Grad on this programme you will work closely with internal and external stakeholders and could be based within the factory or an office, depending on the role. You will be working with our customers, as well as making sure that systems and processes are in place, to meet exacting customer and industry standards - You will be driving governance and standards across the organisation. Having established in which area of Technical you would like to pursue your career, within 5-7 years of starting, you should be aspiring to a Technical Manager role.

UNDERGRADUATE PLACEMENTS

 

In addition to our Graduate Programmes, we are offering 12-month Industrial, paid placements in Food Technology, Finance and Commercial, Sales & Management, which will start in July 2023. For further information and application details, please click on Early Careers: Undergraduate Placements to see what a career taster with us might look like.

What we offer you

Proud to get what you deserve

 

Join our Graduate Programme and you’ll enjoy a competitive reward package, a solid support network and some fantastic development opportunities.

 

Competitive reward package

  • Starting Salary - £27,000 + £1,000 one-off signing on bonus, annual increases thereafter (London placements will receive an additional allowance for living costs).
  • Pension Scheme.
  • Relocation Financial Assistance (for each graduate placement).
  • Holiday purchase scheme.
  • Access to employee benefits – such as MyDrive Car Lease scheme.

 

A suite of training and development opportunities

  • Dedicated graduate leadership training events.
  • Bespoke programme workshops and exposure to other functions.
  • Rotational placements to broaden your experience.
  • Management skills training.
  • HR and Finance will work towards further accredited qualifications (CIPD & CIMA respectively).
  • Opportunities to continue your development after the programme.

 

A broad support and development network

  • A dedicated Champion for your functional programme.
  • A Mentor to support and guide your development.
  • A Buddy to help introduce you to the business.
  • A Graduate Team to coordinate your programme and offer advice.
  • A Line Manager who will complete regular performance reviews and support you to develop the skills, knowledge and behaviours set out in your programme.
  • You’ll join as part of a cohort, with up to 20 other graduates, not to mention a wide community of existing graduates who joined in the years before you.


Career Progression

We recruit graduates as part of our Talent Pipeline, to develop our future leaders, so we’ll work with you to agree the career path that’s right for you. Because of the size and scope of our business we can offer an amazing range of career opportunities for candidates who want to kick start their career with us, in the FMCG industry.

What you need to apply

Ambition. Motivation. The drive to dig deep, stay focused and work hard to achieve success. They’re the sort of qualities that will get you onto our graduate programme and upon completion, into a senior role at Bakkavor.

 

We also look for:

  • Finance, Manufacturing and HR: at least a 2:2 honours degree in any discipline, (achieved or expected).
  • Product Development: a food or product related or science-based degree.
  • Food Technology: a technical, food related or science-based degree.
  • At least three months’ work experience gained in a role within the food industry or manufacturing or related to your chosen discipline (for example, a 3-month office internship).
  • An existing and future right to work in the UK to cover the length of the programme.

HOW TO APPLY

Find out more about applying with us and the process we follow.

 

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