Unilever Future Leadership Programme - Research and Development UK

Our Future Leaders Programme will ignite the leader in you. This unique programme is designed to develop Unilever’s Future Leaders (UFLs) by providing challenging and purposeful opportunities that accelerate their readiness to take on business leadership roles.

The Unilever Future Leaders Program (UFLP) is a global initiative enabling Unilever to build a strong talent pipeline that will support and lead our business growth.  In the UK, our UFLP is a 36-month rotational leadership development program for which we recruit top-performing undergraduate talent who demonstrate the potential to become managers within our business.  It’s designed to grow you into a manager, through hands-on learning alongside world-class experts. You’ll be hired into a function and develop your leadership skills by working on live projects which offer you all the experience you need to become ready for your first management role.  At the heart of it, it’s about developing tomorrow’s leaders, today. 

From Day 1, you will take on real business challenges within your own function and across the organization. Along the way you will develop deep core professional skills and leadership skills, and build a robust support network.  On top of all that, you will have a lot of fun along the journey.

We look for people who want to get to grips with the inner workings of a vast business and a desire to understand how it works. It’s about commitment, real people skills and a deep-seated interest in the business as a whole. You’ll become part of a leading-edge company, where you’ll work with outstanding brands and outstanding people to drive sustainable business growth.

Your Future Employer:
 

Unilever is one of the world’s leading suppliers of Food, Beauty and Wellbeing, Home, and Personal Care products with sales in over 190 countries and reaching 3.4 billion consumers daily. Founded in Port Sunlight (Wirral) in 1929 by Lord Lever, Unilever has more than 400 brands found in homes around the world, including Dove, TRESemmé, Lynx, Lifebuoy, Shea Moisture, Hellman’s, Persil, Domestos, Marmite, Graze, Vaseline, Sure, Colman’s and Pot Noodle.
 

Our goal is to deliver best-in-class performance with market making, unmissably

superior brands. From our earliest days Unilever has been at the forefront of change always striving towards making a world where everyone can live well and within the natural limits of the planet. That’s why our purpose is ‘Brightening everyday life for all'.
 

What do we look for?
 

• We require a strong technical qualification in

chemical/biological/physical/engineering/food-related science/maths/coding/computer science or similar discipline

• Motivated, authentic, and ambitious future leaders who can apply their

qualification expertise in a business context

• A forward-thinking and passionate leader to contribute towards a cleaner,

more sustainable future through exciting innovations

• Visionaries that will fall in love with the problem, not the solution - we need

people who are hungry to solve some of the industry’s biggest challenges

(sustainability for instance). Impact at this scale takes time!

• Collaborative & inclusive individuals who are excited to work alongside an

international network to create superior products for our consumers.
 

The role: Research and Development:
 

For a business whose very purpose is to create a sustainable future, that future begins in Research & Development (R&D). This is the origin of ideas for brands, products, packaging, manufacturing, and technology. Your work could impact millions across the world. Our people make a big impact every day on a local level, across Europe, and the globe.
 

What will the programme involve?
 

Over three years and at least four placements, you will be inspired through a world-class development programme packed with a breadth of diverse experiences, challenges, and fun. You will build your leadership skills by working on live projects that offer you all the experience you need to thrive in your first leadership role. You will work with teams from different parts of our business, across our different business groups (Beauty & Wellbeing, Personal Care, Home Care, and Foods).
 

At Unilever, we believe that first-hand experience is the fastest way to learn. The

Unilever culture is inclusive, and collaborative, and encourages innovative thinking.

Our high-support, high-challenge environment will support you to achieve your

potential, whilst giving you the chance to develop industry-leading skills through

shaping your career path according to your interests, strengths, and aspirations. With a strong performance culture, challenging goals, and continuous feedback, we will support you to achieve your potential in an inclusive environment.
 

During the three-year programme you’ll have the opportunity to work across a range of R&D areas, collaborating with a plethora of experienced leaders and technical experts. You could be unlocking the next generation of blockbuster technologies in Science & Technology, running consumer studies for global scale launches, creating new formulation designs in our advanced labs & Pilot Plants, or working hand-in-hand with our marketers to delight our consumers. The opportunities are endless!
 

Creative minds that can balance both deep technical expertise and commercial

astuteness.
 

What could your day-to-day role include (depending on your role)?

Every day you will be understanding what consumers want and need, developing the science and technology to bring new innovations to life. You’ll be helping to make our products more desirable, more inclusive, more efficacious, and kinder to the planet.
 

Some of the R&D areas that you could be allocated to working in include:
 

• Consumer Technical Insights

• Science & Technology

• Out-of-function roles in Marketing (brand manager)
 

Skills required include:
 

• Technical Communication

• Agile Delivery

• Data Analytics

• Organisational Awareness

• Microsoft Office skills (Excel, Outlook, Word, PowerPoint)
 

Please note, that at Unilever, we have development programmes, the skills above are skills that would be good to have at the beginning however you will develop them throughout the programme.
 

Our application process involves:
 

Step 1: Online Application:

Complete the online application form. It is a simple and easy application process with the option of filling out your details using your LinkedIn profile. You may apply to one function in your application.
 

Step 2: Profile Assessment:

Complete two stages of profile assessment; a portrait personality test and an online assessment. These are designed to look at different elements of your cognitive, emotional, and social traits. You will receive personalised feedback after completing each stage.
 

Step 3: Digital Interview:

The digital interview will consist of 3 short questions followed by a business case. You will be asked to solve real-world problems using Unilever scenarios. You’ll be able to record and complete your interview anytime and anywhere.
 

*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*
 

Step 4: Discovery Centre:

You will be invited to a ‘day in the life’ of a Future Leader at Unilever. You will get to experience a face-to-face day filled with several exciting activities including project meetings, business challenges, a team meeting with Unilever colleagues, and an interview.
 

What Can Unilever offer YOU?
 

• A Competitive Salary of £35,000

• A Benefits Envelope of 25% of your base salary

• A pension Scheme

• Annual Bonus

• A discounted staff shop

• Subsidised Gym Memberships

• Shares

• Relocation support through a £5000 tax free loan

• 25 days of holiday allowance
 

Diversity at Unilever is about championing inclusion, embracing differences, creating possibilities, and growing together for better business performance. To celebrate this, we have internal networks and communities created to raise awareness for a cause, which work to create change within the business. These networks include Proud, Empower, Enable and Unity and our communities iclude Thriving Parents, Carers, and All Inclusion Club.
 

We give full and fair consideration to all applicants, regardless of age, disability,

gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy and maternity.
 

We are a key advocate of well-being and offer a variety of support for our people

including hubs, programmes, and development opportunities. We strive to achieve a family-friendly and inclusive workplace and to, above all, create possibilities for all.
 

What support will you receive?
 

• A dedicated buddy to help you onboard and learn about the business.

• A dedicated Career Sponsor, who can support you with your growth &

development throughout the total duration of your programme.

• An experienced Line Manager for each of your functional rotations, allowing

you to gain a breadth of experience.

• A bespoke Learning & Development Plan, designed to help you build your

leadership skills.

• Opportunities to gain leadership experience outside of your functional

rotations.
 

Do you require any adjustments in the application or assessment process?

If you do need any adjustments, please inform the Talent Acquisition team who

will contact you to discuss the accessibility options available. E.g., If required

extending time spent in any ‘timebound’ assessments/interviews.
 

*We also provide accessibility options such as magnifying glass, decrease/increase the font size, change font & colour, screen ruler, and screen mask for everyone who would require support.
 

Please contact the Talent Acquisition team at futurecareers.recruitment@unilever.com
 

To find out more about Unilever, including more information about our Employee

Resource Groups, please click here.  
 

Location:

We offer a 3-year programme consisting of a variety of roles across the UK with

rotations ranging from 3 to 12 months. We require all applicants to be geographically mobile throughout the programme as we have opportunities across the UK and the programme is designed this way to excel your experience and leadership skills.
 

Travel Required:

Approximately 10-25% of your time, depending on your functional rotation.
 

Discovery Centre:

W/C 12th January 2026 at our Port Sunlight office.
 

Closing date:

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

Recruitment Fraud:

Cyber-criminals advertise fake job adverts with prestigious employers as a way of stealing information or even defrauding individuals out of money. In the most

sophisticated cases, they will set up fake websites, which have a similar address to companies like Unilever. They even conduct fake telephone interviews and then offer candidates a role with the proviso they pay a fee for background checks or to cover work visa costs. These types of attacks are becoming more common as more people are looking for employment in the economic climate.
 

How is Unilever tackling this?

Many of Unilever’s recruitment sites publish a warning to candidates about

recruitment fraud. The Cyber Security team also proactively scans for signs of people setting up fake Unilever sites and acts to close them down.
 

What can I do?

If you become aware of potential recruitment fraud, spot fake Unilever recruitment adverts or fake LinkedIn profiles, report them via Una Live Chat.
 

Unilever does not accept responsibility or liability for any candidates who are

financially impacted by recruitment fraud. Your vigilance is key!

Unilever is an organisation 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.

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