Unilever Future Leaders Programme (UFLP) - Customer Development (Sales) (May 2023)

Unilever is one of the leading suppliers of consumer goods. We have more than 400 brands and our products are on sale in more than 190 countries. On any given day, 2 billion people use our products to look good, feel good and get more out of life.

The Unilever Future Leaders Programme is a paid, full-time accelerated leadership/management trainee programme where fresh graduates and young professionals are fast-tracked into readiness for leadership roles in three years. The programme is open to all graduating students in 2024 and professionals with a maximum of two years of work experience.   

About Unilever   

Unilever is one of the largest global fast-moving consumer goods companies that owns some of the world’s much-loved brands such as Dove, Axe, Rexona, Close Up, Pond’s, Clear, Sunsilk, Cream Silk, Breeze, Domex, Magnum, Knorr, Best Foods and more. Our products sold under our many brands are used 2 billion times a day and in over half the households on the planet. We want our business to flourish, and we know that our success depends on others flourishing around us. That is why our purpose is to make sustainable living commonplace, and why sustainable, long-term growth is at the heart of our business model.   

What will you be doing?   

To win and lead in omni commerce, connecting our consumers to our brands to drive category growth, you’ll build partnerships with our wide range of customers – ecommerce platforms, supermarkets, superstores, convenience stores, drug stores, discounters, online retailers, ice cream parlors, and even theme parks.   

That could mean working together to maximize a new product launch, recommending the right range of products, developing marketing programs, negotiating an annual business plan, or looking for new business opportunities. Our Customer Insight and Innovation Centre allows us to work with our customers in exciting new ways. Our people have the opportunity to make a big impact every day on a local level.  

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.  

What will the programme involve?   

The three-year, world-class development programme is packed with variety and challenge, with the opportunity of promotion to manager level after three years. You’ll develop your individual leadership skills by working on live projects which offer you all the experience you need to become ready for your first management role. Over three years, you will cover four to six placements with:  

• Customer Management (Sales), where you will build relationships, analyze relevant data, own financial forecasting, agree a tailored business plan, or negotiate promotions.  
• Category Management, where you will oversee a category of products, become an expert on the marketplace and our competitors, and advise customers on suitable ranges for their shoppers.  
• Shopper Marketing – You’ll work closely with both the Customer Management teams, and Marketing team, to develop retailer-specific media plans, to activate key brands.  
• Business Operations – You’ll work closely with Marketing, Finance and Supply Chain functions, as well as the Customer Development teams to manage the link between brand ammunition and customer execution within a specific product category.  
• Brand Building – You’ll have the opportunity to do a placement in marketing and get exposure to commercial marketing working with iconic brands like Dove, Knorr, Selecta, managing brand mixes across all their elements.  
• Support and empowerment: We will support you every step of the way to senior management but much of your progress will be up to you. You will need to be focused and ambitious to get where you want, identifying opportunities and taking responsibility for your own development.  
• During the 3 years of your programme, you will be learning and developing in the rotations you will be doing, having real responsibility and impact. This development is supported with a learning roadmap full of internal and external training focused on developing your individual leadership skills.  
• We have an established tradition of developing our own purpose driven leaders and encourage innovative thinking. Future focused feedback and challenging goals drives innovation and ambition within a performance culture and an inclusive and informal environment. We will push you to achieve your potential and make a big business impact where you learn from the best. Firsthand experience – it is the fastest way to learn.   

Why should you apply?   

• Work with exciting brands that give you a chance to make a genuine impact on people’s lives   
• A real job from day one that continuously tests and develops your skills   
• Local & international exposure to stay close to local consumers and harness global expertise   
• Work with cross-functional teams to see the big picture   
• Support along the way with great (learning) development opportunities   
• Competitive primary and secondary benefits such as salary and company pension    

Requirements for Application   

• Eligibility to work in the Philippines at the start of the programme.   
• You have obtained your Bachelor’s degree and have not had more than two years of work experience at the start date of the UFLP (1 August 2024).  

Application Process   

Our online application period runs until November 17, 2023, end of day. You will need to have finished until Stage 3, the digital on-demand interview, by the end of the online application period to be eligible for the Unilever Future Leaders Programme. We will reach out to you should you qualify to proceed to the Line Manager Interview.   

We work on a first-come, first-serve basis so finish all stages as soon as possible. In case we receive an exceeding number of quality candidates, we may decide to close our applications earlier. In that case, we will communicate this.  

The entire selection process consists of:    

• Stage 1: Digital Application   
• Stage 2: Online Assessment   
• Stage 3: Digital On-Demand Interview   
• Stage 4: Interview with Line Manager   
• Stage 5: Discovery Center Day  

Please note: sometimes, correspondence may end up in your spam folder. Regularly check your spam folder during the entire recruitment process.  

If you have any questions about your application or if you require reasonable adjustments to be made to complete any part of the application process, please contact the Talent Advisory Team via Unilever Careers Philippines on Facebook or hr.philippines@unilever.com through email.  

Unilever is an organization committed to diversity and inclusion to drive our business results and create a better future every day for our diverse employees, global consumers, partners, and communities. We believe a diverse workforce allows us to match our growth ambitions and drive inclusion across the business. At Unilever, we are interested in every individual and the talent they can bring. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment.