Unilever Industrial Placement Programme - Finance - UK

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?

It might come as a surprise, but we don’t have a specific discipline requirement, so you don’t have to have a background in finance or economics. We’re looking for strong analytical ability, ambition, a talent for influencing people, and a real desire to comprehend how a business operates and succeeds. Dedication and commitment go a long way. 

With a strong performance culture, challenging goals, and continuous feedback, we will help you in achieving 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. First-hand experience- it’s the fastest way to learn.

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 Finance Industrial Placements are a chance to showcase your thinking and skills, with total encouragement from a line manager and a buddy. 

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.  
• Driving performance by ensuring our resources are driving sustainable and profitable growth. 
• Analysing data to bring impactful insights to the business teams.  
• Developing communication and storytelling skills to translate finance for non-finance partners to drive meaningful actions. 
• Delivering short-term plans, whilst also working on the longer-term strategic horizon 
• Identify fuel for growth opportunities and drive them through to delivery. 
• Budgetary and controlling exposure.  
• Learn about our Profit & Loss and Balance Sheet and how we use these to make decisions 
• Learning how to use business tools such as Excel, Power BI, and PowerPoint to a professional standard. 

Some of our positions you could be allocated to include:

• Global Finance Business Partner – Beauty & Wellbeing
• Finance Business Partner – Foods
• Personal Care Brand Finance
• Procurement Finance

Skills required include:

• Accounting and Reporting
• Prioritisation
• Stakeholder management
• Effective communication
• Microsoft Office skills (Excel, Outlook, Word, PowerPoint)

Please note, that at Unilever, we have development programmes, the skills below 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 at our London Blackfriars or Kingston office.

Applications open:

Monday 14 September 2026

Applications close:

This is a rolling deadline, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment in case applications close early.  

Start date:

June 2027

Industrial Placement (IP) Application Process

Please note: you will only progress to the next stage if you are successful in the previous stage.

Stage 1 – Online Application & IP Simulation

Complete an online application form before completing our interactive IP simulation, designed to give you insight into our organisation and the programme you’re applying for. This will prepare you for a series of situational judgement questions based on realistic business scenarios.

Stage 2 – Online Assessments.

Complete a numerical reasoning assessment, an online test that measures your ability to interpret and draw conclusions from numerical data and verbal Reasoning assessment an online test that measures your ability to understand and evaluate written information. 

Stage 3 – Digital Interview

Complete a video interview.

*Please note, we do not use AI as a screening tool in our recruitment process therefore, your digital interview submission will be reviewed by a real person*

Stage 4 – Pre-Screening Interview

Attend a virtual pre-screening interview with a member of our recruitment team.

Stage 5 – In-Person Discovery Centre

Attend an in-person discovery centre alongside fellow candidates. This will give you the opportunity to visit a Unilever office, meet and interview with business leaders, and work on function-related business challenges.

What Can Unilever offer YOU? 

• A competitive Salary of £27,898.00
• End of Placement Bonus  
• Subsidised Gym Memberships - availability varies by site
• Discounted Staff Shop 
• Opportunity to work directly with our renowned and exciting brands in a flexible and hybrid working environment.  
• 28 days (pro rata) of holiday inclusive of bank holidays. Once you have completed 12 worked weeks, under the Agency Workers Regulation your holiday entitlement will increase to 33 days inclusive of bank holidays, pro rata for the term of this placement.   
• Opportunity to join one of our Future Careers Development Teams such as Outreach, Digi, Community & Wellbeing and many more! By joining a team, you can grow business-critical skills, develop Unilever Behaviours, and make a meaningful contribution to Future Careers.
• A dedicated buddy to help you onboard and learn about the business. 
• An experienced Line Manager to develop your knowledge and understanding across the year.  
• Connections with the Graduates (UFLPs) who can share helpful tips on how to be successful at Unilever.