Our Future Leaders Programme will ignite the leader in you. This unique programme is designed to develop Unilever’s Future Leaders (UFL) by providing challenging and purposeful opportunities that accelerate their readiness to take on business leadership roles.
The Unilever Future Leaders Programme, or as we call it “UFLP”, is a 3-year traineeship programme that gives you the opportunity to develop yourself into an experienced future-fit professional. Bring your enthusiasm, curiosity and innovative ideas to the table and start your learning journey at Unilever as a UFLP.
Please find more information about the application process, requirements and why you should apply on our UFLP Netherlands website.
About Unilever
Unilever is one of the world’s largest Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) businesses. We reach 3.4 billion consumers a day and we have 128.000 employees globally.
We make products that people love – and that make a difference, Nutritious foods, Household care essentials, Luxurious shampoos... and many more. Shoppers buy them in more than 190 countries. That means you’ll find at least one of our products in seven out of ten households on the planet. And we want every one of those products to make a positive impact on the lives of the people through our brands, our commercial operations and relationships, through voluntary contributions, and through the various other ways in which we engage with society.
*As we receive a high volume of applications, please make sure to read the job descriptions on our website carefully and apply for the role you are most interested in.
Your application will be considered for one track, the first you have applied for.
What will you be doing as a Marketing UFLP?
By joining the Unilever Future Leaders Programme for Marketing, you will be equipped with the skills and tools to become a strong marketing leader for the future. Through 3 one-year rotations across different marketing roles, such as brand management, product innovation, digital marketing, media, channel marketing, consumer insights or category management, you will gain valuable job experience. In addition, you will receive our best marketing, digital and personal development trainings, to provide you with the opportunity to develop yourself for the future.
For example, in one job rotation, you will lead the development on new product innovations. You will work closely together with R&D, supply chain, finance, and our internal marketing research teams to ensure we will bring the best products to the market.
In another job rotation, you will be working on getting the optimal communication & media strategy in place, track results and execute evidence-based optimisations. You will work closely together with media and D-commerce teams and agencies, to ensure that consumers choose our brands over competitors.
What do we look for?
It might come as a surprise, but you do not need a specific educational background – this is a programme in which your personality will set you apart. It takes a special blend of ambition, resilience, pro activeness, people skills and Commercial acumen. You will need creative business thinking and growth mindset to succeed and get the best out of every situation. You will need to be credible and confident in front of people, a critical thinker, have a digital mindset, and a passion for shoppers, consumers, brands, communication and media
You also have a passion for sustainability, and you believe that businesses with purpose last. Finally, we expect you to demonstrate the Unilever Behaviours: care deeply, focus on what counts, stay three steps ahead, and deliver with excellence. These behaviours guide how we collaborate, make decisions and drive impact, they reflect the culture we uphold across Unilever.
What will the programme involve?
The programme is designed to give you the opportunity to develop into a future marketing leader, through hands-on learning alongside world-class experts. You will develop your individual leadership skills by working on real jobs from the start. You will have at least three rotations within the programme; these will give you a wide range of experiences in a broad range of dynamic and exciting areas of the business:
The UFLP Marketing traineeship is a combination of rotations across teams in different fields of marketing.
During the programme, you receive on-going development through a learning plan to build your personal skills and leadership but also functional learning opportunities through our sales and marketing academies. Next to this, each UFLP marketing trainee is assigned a marketing coach and personal mentor to guide you through the 3-year programme.
During the 3 years of the programme, you will have real responsibilities and you will get the opportunity to make an impact. Your development is supported with a leadership journey of internal and external training focused on developing your leadership, marketing, and digital skills.
First-hand experience – it’s the fastest way to learn. The Unilever culture encourages innovative thinking. We will push and support you to achieve your potential, whilst giving you the chance to shape your career path according to your interests, strengths, and ambitions.
Requirements for application
Eligibility to work in the Netherlands is a must before the employment start date of the UFLP programme on the 1st of September 2026.
A Master’s/Bachelor’s degree, WO (university) degree (or international equivalent), is a must at the start date of the UFLP programme on the 1st of September 2026.
You can also apply with a completed HBO (applied sciences)
Intermediate level of Dutch is preferred but not required. Fluency in English is required as well, (Note: Please complete your SOVA digital interview in English).
We recommend that you only apply with a maximum of 5 years of experience to get the best out of the traineeship.
Search year/Orientation year visa is not accepted. Unilever cannot support the request for a visa in any form (R&D talents, EU nationals, and candidates with asylum residence permits, are excepted from this requirement).
Application Process
Our online application process starts from the 2nd of March 2026 to the 21st of March 2026.
You need to finalize the Online Application, Online Assessment and Digital Interview before the 21st of March 2026 to be eligible for the UFLP.
Note: We work on a first comes, first-served basis. It will take a few days to finish all online application stages, so finish all stages as soon as possible when applications open.
The entire selection process consists of
Stage 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.
Stage 2: Online Assessment (Personality/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.
Stage 3: Digital Interview (Online)
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 complete your SOVA digital interview in English)
Stage 4: Discovery Center Day (Physically at the Rotterdam office)
You will be invited to a ‘day in the life’ 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.
Our Discovery Center Days will take place between April 13 – April 30 at our Rotterdam office. Physical attendance is mandatory.
Stage 5: Job Offer
What Can Unilever offer YOU?
A competitive starting salary of 52.700 EUR gross yearly incl. holiday allowance
30 company-paid holidays, excluding public holidays
A company pension scheme with a low pension contribution of 3%. You will see this back in your net salary.
Annual performance-based bonus
Multiple job rotations based on your track and learning needs
Personal and functional learning and support along the way
Share scheme
Home working allowance
My Fitness Plan (deduction on your Fitness Subscription)
Company laptop and mobile phone
Green mobility policy
Informal culture and being the first one trying our new products
We encourage an inclusive culture, which comes to life with interchangeable public holidays, paid paternity leave of six weeks and our transgender policy
Do you need any special requirements to complete the application process or the online assessments?
The application process consists of an online assessment and a digital interview. We automatically provide accessibility options such as decrease/increase font size, change font & colour, screen ruler, screen mask for everyone who would require support through a tool bar on the platform called 'Recite Me'.
If you need another reasonable adjustment to complete any part of the application process, please let us know in the application form (stage 1 in the process).
For any additional assistance, Please contact the Talent Acquisition team at UFLP.ApplicantsBNX@unilever.com
Please note sometimes, correspondence may end up in your spam folder. Please regularly check your spam folder during the entire recruitment process.
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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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