Fashion, Buying and Merchandising Graduates

Ultimate Products are a multi-million-pound international business, and we are looking for talented Fashion, Buying & Merchandising graduates to join our development programme in 2024. Graduates from this background gain a deep understanding of trends, styles and consumer behaviour which is essential to help develop products for our household brands!

What makes our graduate programme unique?

Ultimate Products offers a comprehensive training programme with regular reviews, mentoring and tailored development plans to ensure a successful start on the career ladder.  In our 2023 New Starter Survey, 100% of respondents believed they had the knowledge & skills they need to succeed at UP. With a dedicated Training Manager and uncapped opportunities for progression. We believe in empowering our graduates to truly fulfilling their highest potential!

It is fast paced here, but with the ongoing support from your team and mentors, you will seize the chance to create meaningful change and drive both the business and your career forward.

Join our vibrant community of passionate graduates in our modern office and discover firsthand how working alongside our cutting-edge teams can drive your career. Immerse yourself in an atmosphere where hard work is celebrated and enjoy the rewards including perks like complimentary lunches and engaging activities such as regular football training and weekly fitness sessions.

Available Roles

As a Fashion, Buying and Merchandising Graduate, you will have strong commercial and analytical skills which will be suitable for different departments at Ultimate Products.

We are offering various positions, and these include:

• Buying and Product Development
• Merchandising and Project Management
• E-Commerce

Your key responsibilities could include:

• Market Research in the form of instore comp shops and online research, identifying trends and gaps in our ranges.
• Leading Internal departments to work together to meet key customer requirements.
• Attending and leading key meetings within our supply chain including our China team, factories, customers and internal departments to ensure on time delivery and successful completion of each project.
• Being reactive to identifying trends from the current sales data, making decisions on key strong and poor sellers in relation to secured stock.
• Analyse historic sales data against forecasted rates of sale to determine accuracy and adjust where necessary.

The UP story

Beginning with a small spark of success in Oldham, we have grown to become a global success story. We’re the cogs in the retail machine, designing, manufacturing, and distributing innovative branded products at the best prices to a mass market. Our brand portfolio includes Salter, Beldray and Progress. Each has a reputation for high quality and on trend design, and they’re faithful household names – some that even your grandparents love.

Since 1997, Ultimate Products has provided top-of-the-line kitchen and laundry products to consumers across 38 countries. We have since become a public limited company, achieving an annual turnover that surpasses £165 million each year. UP has strong business connections with Internationally renowned retailers such as Tesco, Asda, and Primark, and we are dedicated to giving back to the community that helped build us.

Our people are a key driver to our success, and we are proud of creating an environment that enables our colleagues to thrive both professionally and personally, which is why we recently invested £1.6M in a brand-new office at our Oldham headquarters. With thriving employee wellbeing and environmental committees, we are dedicated to empowering our people to have a voice and share their views.

We recognise how important it is to recharge, which is why we’ve also introduced complimentary yoga and boxing sessions this year, and most recently, a 3pm finish every Friday so that our employees can make the most of their weekends!

What we look for

Candidates must be ambitious, driven and enthusiastic, with an interest in pursuing a career in a leading international business. Application requirements:

• A degree essential at 2:1 or above. All specialisms considered.
• Minimum 6-12 months experience either full time or part time
• The most important bit is your talent, determination and drive, bring that with you and we can provide you with the tools to succeed.
• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal
• Excellent organisational skills with a keen eye for detail
• Assertive and confident with a proactive approach to work
• Local to Greater Manchester

What is in it for you?

We care about your progression:

• Access to comprehensive structured training and a personal development plan to help you grow and reach your goals.
• Ongoing salary reviews with increasing levels of responsibility as you further your career.
• Free External Training Courses from Recognised Providers.
• Secondment and Travel Opportunities.
• Employee Save As You Earn share save scheme.
• Option of a salary sacrifice pension contribution of up to 10% in addition to your standard pension contribution.

We invest in our people:

• New £1.6M state of the art office in Oldham.
• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays after your first 12 months.
• Wellness sessions.
• 24-hour access to wellbeing support through our Employee Assistance Helpline.
• Babylon GP – 24/7 access to a doctor through video or phone consultation.
• Community, Environmental and ESG committees, created to encourage positive change within the company and our wider community.
• One full day paid to take part in charity work.
• One of the North West’s Top 100 companies to work for.
• High levels of employee satisfaction - Glassdoor rating of 4* and above.
• Free minibus to and from the local tram stop.
• Prayer room and prayer friendly working hours.
• 3pm finishes on a Friday.
• Company football team.

We celebrate in style:

• Annual Summer and Christmas parties paid for by the company.
• £250 towards a wedding cake.
• Complimentary team lunches.
• Colleague of the Year awards.
• Christmas Retail Vouchers.
• £250 retail credit when you buy your first home.