Marketing Graduate - Marketing

This vacancy has now expired, and is not accepting any new applications.

Role types
Grad Scheme
Role description

The Marketing function at Heinz is looking to hire candidates with the potential to become the future leaders of the marketing function and Organisation. Heinz believes it is critical to have a robust leadership pipeline and that graduates joining the Marketing programme have the ability, hunger, ambition and passion to achieve. It is also essential that they are commercially savvy and have the ability to work with all functions within Heinz.

Marketing shapes where the business is going and in recent years has undergone a lot of change. There is an increasing focus on understanding consumer needs, making healthier products and producing more “home-made” foods whilst also running more campaigns. Whilst there is still a focus on the core products, they invest heavily in NPD and recent innovations include ‘Fridge Pack Beanz’ and Salad Cream variants.  They have successfully increased the Marketing investment year on year, producing new and groundbreaking campaigns, with an emphasis on the rise in digital media. In the past couple of years we’ve seen the launch of the latest, biggest campaign ever, “It Has to Be Heinz” which featured the full product range and called to mind those times when ‘ONLY Heinz will do’. As a result, Heinz has performed solidly during the economic downturn due to the strength of the brand.

The Marketing department is divided by category and these include the following: Beans and Kids Meals, Soups, Sauces (including HP and Lea & Perrins), Infant Feeding, Frozen (Aunt Bessie’s Potatoes, Weight Watchers from Heinz) and Amoy oriental cuisine. The consumer insights team also sits within Marketing.

Marketing encompasses consumer insights, brand management, product and packaging development, advertising, new product development, and promotions. Therefore there is a large amount of interaction with other functions such as R&D, Supply Chain, Finance and Sales, particularly when working on new products.

The Marketing department is a fast paced, energetic function and there is an entrepreneurial feeling within the team. Decisions affecting the department are made largely in the UK and this means marketers are able to act on their ideas more quickly. The UK functions act relatively autonomously and without a lot of input or direction from the global group, which means local marketers have more freedom to manage their brands and implement their ideas.

The 60-strong Marketing department is based in Hayes Park, and graduates will be based here. Graduates will be expected to work closely with other teams and may be dealing with factories in a variety of countries from the Netherlands to China.

Marketing Graduate Role

The two-year programme will see graduates complete two rotations, each in a different category. The types of projects might include the review of all competitive products in a category, managing the process of a packaging re-design, or being the Project Manager for a new product launch.

Graduates will be in ‘real jobs’ and be given a large amount of responsibility. It will be up to the individual to shine and make use of all of the opportunities provided as the approach will not be to ‘spoon-feed’ information. Mentors will be appointed for the full duration of the scheme to support them further in this journey.

Training & Support

On joining Heinz, Marketing graduates will join graduates from across other functions in a one-week induction programme. This will allow them to gain an understanding into the Organisation as well as each of the functions. This induction programme will include business presentations, time in the office, at a factory and in the field doing consumer research, and visits to retail trade. Following the initial training week, they will start their roles within the Marketing function.

As well as on the job training, graduates will access further development opportunities such as participating in the Heinz Marketing Academy. After the two-year programme, the graduates can expect to progress to an ABM role. Further to that, graduates can progress to Brand Manager and on to Senior Brand Manager level in as early as 5 years from the time they joined Heinz. There is the potential for strong performers to move at an accelerated pace and be fast-tracked to increasingly challenging roles.

Throughout the scheme, the Marketing graduates will also join graduates from other functions in group workshops to further the development of core interpersonal skills and support the business and specific marketing skills gained.

Graduates will receive formal feedback semi-annually as part of the Heinz performance management process and a development review at the end of the first year. This will be held before new category assignments are made.

In addition to all of the above, Graduates can expect to get a considerable amount of exposure to Dave Woodward and his UK&I Executive (senior management team) who will take an active role in identifying potential leadership. Specific time will be allocated for graduates to give presentations to Dave Woodward and the Chief Marketing Officer.


Background

Requirements
• A clear passion for FMCG companies and great brands
• Degree: Minimum 2:1 in any discipline
• Preferred discipline: Business Studies, Marketing and food related degrees
• A Levels: A’s and B’s a preference (300 UCAS points minimum)
• Culture fit/Personality is the most important aspect
• Work experience such as an internship or placement year is highly desirable

Preferred Skills
• Consumer and Marketing orientation – curiosity, the ability to provide insights and translate trends, a creative mindset
• Entrepreneurial spirit – show initiative and drive
• Confident and robust
• Resilient but down to earth
• Ambition and a Self Starter who is able to hit the ground running
• Effective relationship building with other functions in the business
• Leadership skills
• Commercially savvy


 

This vacancy has now expired, and is not accepting any new applications.

Marketing Graduate