We are looking for outstanding Finance and Business graduates to join our Finance graduate programme, beginning in September 2026. The programme offers a fantastic opportunity to become a member of our global, professional finance community; contributing to business operations, sustainability, and influential projects to provide exciting opportunities for your future career, as well as completing an accountancy accreditation along the way. We aim to recruit and build a strong pool of agile talent, supporting business growth and transformation with adaptable resources, who have the potential to become future leaders.
Who are DS Smith?
You might not have heard of us before, but you will likely have handled our products on a daily basis. We are the leading provider of sustainable packaging solutions, paper products and recycling services. We’ve been around for over eighty years and operate across the UK, Europe and Africa. From food and beverage packaging in your local supermarket to every Amazon parcel which arrives at your door, DS Smith has created packaging, which is innovative, secure and kinder to our planet.
About the programme
You will undertake three 12-month placements across the Group, giving you the chance to understand the varying areas of finance. Your first year will take place at our Shared Service Centre in Caerphilly, South Wales, where you will learn the transactional side of finance. In your second and third years, you’ll have exposure to production sites and/or a regional or divisional office, where you’ll be exposed to strategic finance. All placements will be determined by factors including your development, capabilities and business needs. Due to the nature of the programme, we will require all candidates to be completely mobile to get the best out of the scheme.
Over the course of the programme, you will gain broad financial experience and exposure to senior stakeholders in a commercially focused environment, as well as the chance to work on career enhancing projects. In addition, you will complete an accountancy accreditation with CIMA by the end of your final year.
Placements
Your first placement will take place in Caerphilly (near Cardiff, South Wales, UK) within our Business Service Centre where you will learn the end-to-end lifecycle of finance and accountancy. Business Services provides the foundations of our finance and accounting function and are dedicated to delivering exceptional support to the entire company.
As part of the programme, one of your placements will take place in a country outside of the one you are contracted to. Giving you the opportunity to understand our broader business and the varying cultures we work within.
Development
Alongside your CIMA accreditation studies, you will go on the DS Smith Graduate Journey where you will have a roadmap of development to support your career. The development path offers a hybrid of online and in-person classes.
In year one, you will learn about Self Leadership and Personal Effectiveness, while in year two, you will learn about leadership, stakeholder management influencing. Finally, when the programme ends, you will deliver a presentation about your learnings, celebrate your success with a graduation dinner and work with your Talent Lead to find the best permanent home for you.
But do not worry, you will not be doing this alone. You will have a network of graduates to bounce ideas off, be provided a mentor and a former graduate will be there for guidance and support throughout your journey.
About you
To be considered for this role you must have as a minimum:
Benefits
So, what is in it for you?