Food Business Programme

Our food is not just any food. And it’s always changing as we look for innovative ways to bring great-quality, delicious food to our customers every day.

About the role

On this programme, you’ll dive into the heart of our Food business, gaining hands-on experience across various functions. You’ll discover first-hand how every part of our operation works together to bring exceptional quality, value, and innovation to our customers.

What you’ll be doing

You’ll start by hitting the ground running with a 4-month placement in one of our Food stores. Here, you’ll get close to customers, roll up your sleeves, and get stuck in to learn what it takes to run a successful Food business from the ground up.

After your time in store, you’ll get insight into key areas of our Food business to help you build your understanding of each function, including Product Development and Food Technology. These placements will broaden your understanding of our end-to-end operations and help you build a solid foundation for your future career in food.

You’ll then move on to your chosen specialism in either Commercial or Product. In Product, you’ll learn how to spearhead pioneering products from concept to shelf, ensuring that every item meets our high standards of quality and innovation. In Commercial, you’ll focus on getting the right products to the right place at the right time. You’ll analyse customer data to forecast and and play a key role in ordering new product ranges for our stores.

What you’ll need

We’re looking for people who are obsessed with both customers and products. You’ll need to be a team player who’s honest and straightforward, and eager to learn quickly. Our food products are world-famous and of the highest quality, so a genuine interest in our food business and love for food are essential.

You don’t need to have a specific degree, but if you choose to specialise in Commercial, you’ll need to be numerical, have an analytical mind, and be comfortable interpreting data. If Product is your passion, you’ll need an eye for detail and an enthusiasm for innovation and creative thinking.

What we look for

We want bold, ambitious thinkers who are ready to challenge the status quo and drive the next generation of our food business. You’ll thrive here if you’re a proactive team player who’s not afraid to speak up, get involved, and take ownership of your work. We’re looking for people who are excited to learn, quick to adapt, and who share our passion for quality, innovation, and customer satisfaction.

Candidates must have the right to work in the UK for the full duration of their preferred programme.

Being an in-person business

We're at our best when we're close to customers, and for many of us at M&S, that means working in store every day.

To stay close to customers, our support teams are in the office three days a week as we believe that skills are developed through collaboration, and that spending time together makes us more creative and connected. It also means we can solve problems as soon as they arise, learn and grow as a team, build trust, and get closer to our colleagues.

Example career path

If you choose to specialise in Commercial, you’ll finish this programme with the opportunity to continue your career in roles such as a Buyer or Analyst. And if you want to be a Product Specialist, you could look forward to roles such as a Product Developer or Food Events Manager.

You'll have structured learning and development, but your career with M&S will be unique to you, with plenty of opportunity to accelerate at pace. Here’s an example of a path someone completing our Food Business Programme might take.

- Product Developer

- Product Development Manager

- Trends and Insights Manager

- Head of Product

Learning and support

Your development is our priority. We’ll give you a structured programme including mentoring, on-the-job training, and opportunities to solve real challenges that will help you build a long-term career at M&S. And, if we believe you can reach your potential faster, we will give you the tools and opportunities to do it. But the person who is really going to make this happen is you. With our support, we want you to own and drive your development.