Central to brand development
So how do you go beyond the huge figures associated with multi-billion pound brands and get to the heart of what they mean? And how would you transform a product that’s already doing impressively into something that’s truly astounding?
Finance at Unilever is absolutely central to the development of the products, the growth of the business, and the success of our teams in every part of the company. When major brands like Dove or Pot Noodle or Comfort need to be developed, people will turn to you. Equally, when we need a new pricing strategy, you’ll be in the thick of it. The challenge for you will be to see past the figures and help the company make vital decisions, every day. For people who are interested in the financial workings of big business – and who want to get more fully involved – it’s a fantastic experience. The pace is high, and because you’re so deeply involved in what is a large, multinational corporation, your impact could be very large indeed.
What will you do?
Our Finance Foundation Programme involves studying for the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) qualification, with a range of other courses available. Three nine-month placements in your first 27 months will give you a thorough grounding in our business, teaching you all you need to know about our operations, processes and risks. You’ll have exposure to a wide variety of business areas, working with Marketing, Supply Chain and Customer Management, and you’ll get involved in activities like financial accounting, management reporting and analysis.
Studying for CIMA
By studying for the CIMA, you’ll quickly develop technical skills to use in your job while gaining an internationally recognised qualification. It involves taking exams every six months – and combining work and study isn’t always easy. But you won’t be without support – we’ll help you through the exams both financially and by giving you study leave. You’ll also find it’s invaluable in enabling you to learn about finance in Unilever and business in general – as well as being intellectually stimulating.
What have recent trainees done?
- Worked on a number of projects to make Unilever fully compliant with new US financial accounting standards since the fall of Enron, ensuring we remain listed on the US Stock Exchange.
- Used financial data to shape strategies on pricing and calculated the cost of special promotions in our Out of Home Ice Cream sector.
- Managed a project to set up transfer pricing and establish supply contracts for Unilever Bestfoods UK.
- Worked on global Unilever year-end data collection procedures.
- Analysed the performance of our Comfort brand, forecasting sales and preparing financial projections for new product launches and promotional activities.
Who is it for?
People who want to get to grips with the inner workings of a vast business need to be more than just analytically sound. It’s about commitment, real people skills and a deep-seated interest in the business as a whole. Could it be you?
Meet us
We always encourage our people not to take our word for things, but to find out for themselves. So, here's your chance to discover more about what it's actually like working for us, what's most challenging about the programme, and what makes our people tick.
To find out more about our people click on their names to be shown a detailed profile.
Could this be you?
- Are you comfortable delivering a message that others might not want to hear?
- Can you communicate complex, detailed information in a way that’s engaging to a non-financial audience?
- Are you comfortable sticking to your own opinions, even when challenged?
- Are you able to move comfortably between taking a strategic overview and getting deep into the detail?
- Could you work with a wide range of people across the business, as well as make important decisions by yourself?
If your answer was yes to the above, then click on the link to apply!
