Product Development Lifecycle & Category Management Placement (12 Months Commencing July 2024) - Bakkavor

Discover Bakkavor

We're probably the biggest name you've never heard of. You've almost certainly eaten our food - you just didn't realise it! As global leaders in the fresh prepared food industry with over 16,000 employees, we create innovative products, including meals, soups, dips, salads, desserts, pizzas and bread for customers including Tesco, M&S, Sainsbury's and Waitrose in the UK. We're ambitious, full of ideas, and we're keen to find more people who share our passion for quality food to join us. We’re looking for the next generation of talented individuals to join Bakkavor and drive our success.

As well as being the leading provider of fresh prepared food in the UK, we also have a growing international presence in the US and China. Our headquarters are in London, and we have 19 factories in the UK, 5 in the US and 9 in China.

If you share our passion for great food and our strong values, then this company is for you!

We have a diverse range of career opportunities and programmes available for you to kick start your career and make a real impact in the food industry.

We are looking for motivated undergraduates who have a keen ambition to gain experience within the Commercial Team at Bakkavor working with UK Grocery Retailers. This is a 12-month placement aimed at those who elect to complete a year-in-industry as part of their degree. There are opportunities to return to Bakkavor once you have completed your undergraduate degree.

Our Product Development Lifecycle & Category Management Placement

If you share our passion for great food, you can expect to receive opportunities, development, and support to enable you to learn and grow throughout your placement. Expect to gain skills in a range of areas such as critical path management, ingredient sourcing, costings, couriers, product benchmarking, trends, and actual product development working with a chef team (this role is office based not kitchen based).

This entry-level placement will be perfect for someone who is in the process of studying a Food related degree with the aim of entering this field upon obtaining their qualification.

Locations

You will be based at one of our hubs in either London, Lincolnshire, Bo’ness (near Edinburgh) or Newark and will be provided with a broad range of activities and projects. The placement will be for 12 months and will start in July 2024. There may be an opportunity to extend over the summer.

WHAT WILL THE PLACEMENT OFFER YOU?

Our Placement programme is designed to broaden your perspective and offer you a variety of learning opportunities as an entry into the food industry. On the Placement, you’ll receive:

•Reward Package

oA salary of £21,000 per annum

oRelocation Financial Assistance

oAccess to Bakkavor benefits, such as a discount platform

•Career Experience, Skills & Responsibility

oAn experienced line manager who will complete regular performance reviews and support you through a skills chart checklist of experience

oProviding everything goes to plan, due to Bakkavor’s size and breadth, we will work with you to identify the right career opportunities for your professional development once you complete your degree. This could be a direct entry role, or as part of the Graduate or Apprentice programmes.

oYou’ll take responsibility for your work area and personal development from day one, however full in role training will be provided.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED TO APPLY:

The most important thing for us is a motivated attitude to develop your skills and an ambition to progress within the food industry.

We do have some criteria that we will be looking for – you’ll need these to pass our assessment screening process:

oIdeally studying towards a Business related or Food Science degree, however the opportunity is not exclusive to these degrees, if you have a passion for food and are studying towards another degree then please apply.

oDemonstrated experience of working as part of a team

oAn existing ‘right to work’ in the UK, we are unable to sponsor visas as part of the Placement

oA clearly articulated motivation to learn more about the food industry

oA desire to learn how Commercial teams support Business success and drive engaging and valued partnerships with our customers

oAn ability to apply practical ideas and demonstrate your adaptability

oA curiosity to explore, learn and show initiative

oAn ability to demonstrate good attention to detail

oA full UK driver’s licence with own transport is preferred for Cheshire and Lincolnshire placements as our locations and suppliers are not always readily accessible by public transport

All placements are subject to successful right to work checks, and eligibility to work in the UK.

Apply today

Our Placements are for people who can think bigger and grow faster. We created them to offer opportunities to students who are looking for quality experience in the food industry. To learn more and apply online, click here!

After applying, you can expect to complete some initial questions around some relevant scenarios at Bakkavor, followed by an online psychometric test and short video reflection. If successful, we will invite you to an assessment centre in January or February 2024. These interviews are for a July 2024 start on the Placement. If you have any queries about this programme, or the recruitment process, please contact us at: EarlyCareers@Bakkavor.com