Unilever Future Leaders Programme - Research & Development NL

Unilever Future Leaders Programme – Research & Development – Netherlands

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 Research & Development UFLP?

By joining the Unilever Future Leaders Research and Development Programme, we want to show you how in a business whose purpose is to make sustainable living commonplace and create a brighter future, that future begins in R&D. And we are delivering this future in our Foods business through the recent bold new ‘Future Foods’ ambition Unilever set itself: 

• Deliver fewer, bigger, science-powered innovations that are globally scalable to drive real impact across our Foods portfolio.
• Improve nutrition and sustainability by upgrading recipes, reducing waste, and lowering our environmental footprint.
• Build of a Future-fit R&D Model, driven by pioneering people and powered by cutting edge Digital and AI technology.

R&D forms an integrated part and enabler in achieving this ambition. To this extent Unilever invested in the new Foods Innovation Center – called ‘Hive’ – located at the ‘Silicon Valley of Food’ at Wageningen the Netherlands, to help formulate the next generation of food including meat and dairy alternatives – using criteria such as affordability, sustainability, and taste. Since 2019 ‘Hive’ is the hotbed of ideas for brands, products, packaging, manufacturing, and technology innovation.

As an R&D UFL you participate in and lead global innovations for our famous Foods brands. You develop products from concept ideas to full-scale production – with a heavy emphasis on feasibility and understanding consumer needs. You develop technologies and science for specific food products to make them healthier, more appealing, more efficient, and more environmentally friendly. You make sure that our products are able to run in the production lines of our factories. On top of that, you work together with more than 35 different nationalities in a highly educative environment.

Unilever R&D is on a journey of transforming our organization to adopt agile ways of working, through tools, practices, and principles – as well as a flexible mindset and culture. Using agile methodologies enable us to continuously plan and prioritize and collaborate across teams/squads and functions.

You are part of the Innovation Ecosystem in which you could be working with one of our technology partners, driving the delivery of a Global Programme or working with universities, scientific institutions, start-ups, and industry innovators to solve business challenges.

The limitless opportunities at Unilever create fully engaging innovative entrepreneurship. Our people have and take the opportunity to make a big impact every day. The Unilever Future Leaders Programme R&D is about having a big impact, right from the start. Unilever has a culture where growth means positive change, impact, and influence as well as market share.

What do we look for?

If you are ambitious, determined, and excited by the most recent technological developments in food and making the global food system healthier and more sustainable whilst liking to think strategically about how their value could be harnessed on a global scale, then this is the career path for you.

Ask yourself the following questions: And if you can answer these affirmatively, we are looking for you!

• Are you currently conducting a master’s degree in areas such as Chemical Engineering, Applied Physics, Life Science & Technology, Process Engineering, Food Technology, Data Science, Consumer Science, or any other relevant degree?
• Are you a scientist/engineer with a genuine business interest?
• Do you have an external focus and always searching for collaboration with others?
• Are you motivated to continuously develop yourself and to have a steep learning curve?
• Do you have a great passion for Foods and Research & Development?
• Do you act in a pro-active and responsible way?
• Do you have a growth mindset and feel like a true leader?
• Do you want to work on products which have impact on two billion people every day and are sold in 190 countries?
   

What will the programme involve?

You will develop your individual leadership skills by working on projects which offer you the experience you need to be ready for your first management role. Over 3 years, you will take on a variety of roles across our businesses.

• Career possibilities: Thereafter you take on up to four R&D rotations within 3 years and may get the opportunity to work internationally. You have the opportunity for one rotation outside of R&D (based on business demand), to help you understand the full scope of our business. You work in cross functional and global teams. You get hands-on experience with real projects in which you can make a genuine business impact, for growth, for people, for brands and for sustainability.
• The programme is packed with variety and challenge, designed to lead you through to your first managerial position.
• Support and empowerment: We will support you every step of the way to senior management but much of your progress will be up to you. You will need to be focused and ambitious to get where you want, identifying opportunities and taking responsibility for your own development. Next to this, each UFL is assigned a mentor to guide you through the 3-year programme.
• Professional training: during the programme there will be a wide range of internal and external training programmes available to build specific R&D skills and knowledge as well as leadership skills. You will get all the support you need to build your personal development plan.
• We have a proven tradition of developing our own purpose driven leaders and encourage innovative thinking. Future focused feedback and challenging goals drives innovation and ambition within a performance culture and an inclusive and informal environment.

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.
• Intermediate level of Dutch is preferred but not required. (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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