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 seven 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.

 

Graduate Programmes start in September and involve a minimum of three 12-month placements across different locations so flexibility is a must. The exceptions to this are our Finance programme, which is three placements over three and a half years, and our Bo'ness HR programme, which is two placements over two years.

 

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT, LIFECYCLE & CATEGORY MANAGEMENT

Are you a passionate foodie? Excited at the opportunity to work with the major grocery retailers? Our graduate roles in development will give you the opportunity to be part of a team, working with chefs, process and operational teams and other developers bringing new products and new recipes to market. Due diligence, paperwork, nutrition, and packaging are all parts of the product lifecycle, as well as category plans.  We work hard to identify the best products for our customers, so if you are on this programme, you will work with different customers and product categories as a part of a customer-focused 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 focusing on idea generation, recipe development and product trials and launches. On leaving the programme you should be aspiring to a Product Manager role.

HUMAN RESOURCES

As a Human Resources graduate you will gain a great understanding of how HR works at Bakkavor, both within our factory settings and in our central support function through carefully planned placements and your preferred pathway in year three. You will be exposed to all HR aspects of the business, including People Services, Systems, Resourcing, Employee Relations, Learning and Development, 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 pathway that you would like to pursue, however you should be aspiring towards a Senior HR Business Partner role within 5-7 years of starting.

HUMAN RESOURCES (BO'NESS, SCOTLAND)

Our bespoke two-year Scottish HR Programme will give you experience within our Bo’ness factory location and within the central HR functions to provide you with the breadth of knowledge, behaviours, and skills necessary to enter future senior HR roles. Carefully planned training and experience will give you a greater understanding of how HR works at Bakkavor.

You will be exposed to all HR aspects of the business, including People Services, Systems, Resourcing, Employee Relations, HR Analytics, Employment Law and Reward Management. Your target role when you reach the end of your two-year programme will be an HR Business Partner position at our Bo’ness site.

MANUFACTURING MANAGEMENT

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 will have management responsibilities from an early stage.  You will develop the skills and knowledge to become a great team leader, responsible for a production line or area, preparing, assembling, and packing product in one of our factories. You will be leading your team to maintain high standards for health & safety, food safety and operational excellence.  Your target role by the end of the programme is a Senior Section Manager position, responsible for the daily operation of a large section of one of our factories, and with strong focus, hard work and development, you should be aspiring to be in a Factory/Operations Manager role within 5-7 years of starting.

FOOD TECHNICAL

The Technical function supports all of our other functions and works with suppliers to ensure that manufacturing is done correctly, safely and to our expected high standards. You will be applying the principles of food safety, quality management and food engineering across some of our factories to help deliver safe, high-quality products to millions of households across the nation. Your role as a Graduate on this programme will see you take up a number of dynamic roles within the business, designed to give you the knowledge, skills and behaviours to become a future leader within the Technical function. Your target role for when you come off the programme is Quality Assurance Manager. Within 5-7 years of starting, you should be aspiring to a Technical Manager role.

FINANCE

Our Finance programme is based around the CIMA qualification and is therefore a three and a half year programme, broken down into three 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.

ENGINEERING

On our new 3-year Engineering Graduate programme you will develop the skills and knowledge to become either an Engineering Maintenance Manager, Engineering Project Manager or Site Services Manager. You will work as part of a team or alone, depending on the task. On a daily basis you will interact with other technicians and engineers, as well as with operational and site teams, and colleagues from Technical, Development, Finance & Planning.  You will get involved in technical performance reviews and continuous improvement activities. You will learn how to employ engineering practices that ensure food safety in line with food safety legislation, keeping machinery and equipment running to meet production needs and outputs. You will ensure that our practices comply with food safety, health, and safety, environmental, sustainability, and engineering regulations and standards, as well as taking account of business operation considerations such as cost and service level agreements.

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 and undergraduate placements 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, Lifecycle & Category Management: a food or product related or science-based degree.
  • Food Technology: a technical, food related or science-based degree.
  • Engineering: an engineering-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 (as a minimum) the length of the programme.

HOW TO APPLY

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

 

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ABOUT US

Discover what we believe in, what we stand for and what makes us proud.

 

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OUR PEOPLE

Meet the people behind the products and learn why they’re the secret to our success.

 

READ MORE

HOW TO APPLY

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

 

READ MORE

ABOUT US

Discover what we believe in, what we stand for and what makes us proud.

 

READ MORE

 

OUR PEOPLE

Meet the people behind the products and learn why they’re the secret to our success.

 

READ MORE

 

 

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