Unilever Industrial Placement Programme - Human Resources - UK

Location: United Kingdom

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?

People skills are essential. The role of HR in Unilever, as a core strategic business area, means we look for people with an interest in business and the courage to offer creative insights and execute change. We are looking to develop Future Career talents and Unilever's future leader’s pipeline. We need people who can drive performance by using data and insight to inform decision-making and continually think of new ways to simplify the way we work bringing creativity and an innovative approach to how we think and deliver impact for the business.

With a strong performance culture, challenging goals, and continuous feedback, we will support you to achieve your potential in an inclusive environment. You will thrive by gaining exposure to real business challenges where your energy and fresh thinking will have an impact. We also recognize that hands-on experience is the most effective way to learn and grow, which is why we encourage you to take on new challenges and gain valuable exposure to real-world situations. No specific subject degree is required.

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 Human Resources Management Industrial Placements are a chance to showcase your thinking and skills bringing new ideas and perspectives, with total support from a line manager and a buddy.

Some of our positions you could be allocated to include:

Global HR Business Partner – working in a local, regional, or global role across a business group, business unit, and/or global functions team to support leaders and help them achieve their business goals

Future Careers IP – working with the Future Careers team on initiatives that consist of inspirational programs, networks, and initiatives to help people discover their purpose and achieve their full potential.

Global Talent Partner – working with specific HR leads to consider talent for senior positions. This includes assessing current roles, identifying future positions, developing leadership skills, and ensuring the right talent numbers.

Global Learning IP – support initiatives within the Global Learning team to ensure that employees develop the skills they need to perform their jobs.

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

Working in either a local or global role with a broad range of cross-functional stakeholders.

Gain experience in driving culture change

Managing employee relations

Developing talented people and leaders

Improving team performance

Building skills and capabilities that each business area needs

Learning how to use business tools such as Excel, Power BI, and PowerPoint to a professional standard

Every day at Unilever will aim to shape the organisation and its employees to be future fit and maximise business performance and growth.  In HR our vision is ‘To care for our People & Grow them’, in order to do this, we aim to unlock our full potential as a company to drive business growth by building a diverse and inclusive talent powerhouse that delivers consistent, high-level performance.

Skills required include:

Business Acumen

Stakeholder Management

Design thinking

Digital Technology Awareness

Microsoft Office skills (Excel, Outlook, Word, PowerPoint)

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 the Kingston, London Blackfriars, or Port Sunlight (Wirral) office – depending on where you are based.

Applications open:

Monday 14 September 2026

Applications c