HR Graduate | Nestlé UK & Ireland

Are you looking for a graduate scheme that will empower you to unlock your potential whilst working for the world's largest food and drink manufacturer? If so, this could be the perfect opportunity for you!

Explore our HR within Operations - Graduate Scheme

What will you do?

When you join Nestlé's HR Graduate Scheme, you will embark on an exciting 2-year development journey gaining hands-on experience by rotating across at least two of our factory locations in the UK. By experiencing different sites, you'll build a broader understanding of our operations, our people and the different ways HR can add value across the business

As part of our manufacturing HR team, you'll be at the heart of the action, supporting the people who make our products every day. You'll gain first-hand experience of how HR works with the business to drive performance, build capability and create an inclusive culture where everyone can thrive.

No two days are the same. From working alongside site leaders to supporting employee engagement and development, you'll experience the breadth of HR in a fast-paced manufacturing environment. It's a fantastic opportunity to build confidence, develop your skills and see the real impact your work has on both people and business outcomes.

You will be supported by experienced HR professionals throughout your rotations, helping you understand what it means to build a career in HR within a fast-moving, multinational food and drink business.

What makes this HR Scheme exciting?

- Varied HR experience: Rotate through placements across our factory locations, gaining insight into operational HR, employee relations, people processes and how HR supports different parts of the business.

- Mentorship opportunities: Work alongside experienced HR professionals and business leaders who will provide guidance, challenge and support as you develop your confidence and capability.

- Impactful contributions: Contribute to projects and improvements that support our people, strengthen processes and help deliver better outcomes for employees and the wider business.

- Career growth: Build the foundations for a rewarding HR career, with opportunities to explore different areas of the function and understand where your strengths and interests could take you.

- Networking: You'll work closely with colleagues at all levels — from frontline teams to senior site leaders — building trusted relationships and developing your confidence as an HR professional.

*Our factories are located in North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, Derbyshire, Wiltshire and Pembrokeshire, and the scheme could take you to any of these! Being prepared to move around locations is a great opportunity to gain breadth of experience.

What will you learn?

- HR foundations: Build your understanding of the systems, processes and principles that support a high-performing HR function in a large, complex organisation.

- Employee relations and stakeholder management: Learn how to balance the needs of employees, managers and the business while developing your communication, judgement and influencing skills.

- Problem-solving: Use data, insight and feedback to identify opportunities, respond to challenges and support practical, people-focused solutions.

- Adaptability: Experience different sites, teams and ways of working as you rotate through placements and build confidence in new environments.

- Continuous learning: Take ownership of your development through mentoring, tailored learning and graduate activities designed to help you learn, innovate, solve and inspire.

Our commitment to you…

We will support you every step of the way, the following are just some of our offerings to enable you to thrive with us:

- Flexible working options

- Inclusive culture, join our variety of employee run networks!

- Comprehensive benefits

- Pastoral support

- Employee Assistance Programme

- Potential relocation support (£2,000)

- Pets at work – bring your dog to work (Wisbech and Sudbury only)

- Gym facilities at some of our sites

- Prayer rooms

- Various rewards and recognition opportunities

*Availability dependent upon site

Eligibility requirements

You will need to have the right to work in the UK that is not time-limited and does not require sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route either at the start of the scheme or on completion.

You will have a degree in any subject and at any grade, and you'll need to be mobile across the UK — what's also important is commitment to your chosen career path and your willingness to put everything into your development.

The recruitment journey

After you click "apply" you'll be prompted to answer a few questions to determine your eligibility for the scheme. If you qualify, we will invite you to complete an online assessment which you can practice here. Please do not upload a CV, instead we ask you to upload any relevant qualifications to support your application.

Once you have completed this stage, we will notify you if you are selected to attend an assessment day which will be held between January and March 2027. It may take a little bit of time between assessment stages to get back to you, we really appreciate your patience.

Adjustments

We recognise that each candidate has unique needs, and we are committed to ensuring an inclusive application process. You will have the opportunity to discuss any specific requirements or adjustments you may need as you navigate through our recruitment process.

We may occasionally close job advertisements early in the event we receive sufficient applicants, so please don't delay in submitting your application.

At Nestlé, our values are rooted in respect – for our employees, our customers and our consumers. That's why championing diversity and inclusion is so important to us. When we embrace different perspectives and give everyone the chance to be the best they can be, we can think in new, creative ways that grow and enhance our business. We are committed to equal opportunity for all and we may collect relevant data for monitoring purposes during our candidate registration process.