Start date: 15th June, 2026

Salary: £26,000 per annum + excellent benefits

Location: York, North Yorkshire

Joining this Graphic Design Placement Scheme will see you embark on an exciting 12 months journey working in our Front-End Innovation team at our Nestlé Product Technology Centre Confectionery (NPTC). You will be a motivated and collaborative individual who will support all elements of design; from understanding consumers, to exploring new trends, to mapping out new and marvellous confectionery creations.

A little bit about us

NPTC Confectionery, York is Nestlé’s leading centre for confectionery Research & Development (R&D), working in partnership with 3 development centres in Chile, China, and Ivory Coast. In York we are a team of 170 amazing people from over 30 nationalities and a variety of academic backgrounds.

What will you do?

We will support you to further develop your graphic design capabilities by providing varied experiences across a range of projects and briefs. You will work with iconic brands such as KitKat, Nestle, Milo & Nesquik, to name just a few, bringing ideas to life with stunning visualisation via digital mock-ups and artworks. Acting as our content creator to design and edit internal marketing communications whilst getting hands on with prototyping, think print media, 3-D printing, and packaging. You will also design and deliver outstanding presentations, videos, and infographics, all whilst exploring new trends, understanding consumers, and contributing to idea generation in workshops.

What makes this graphic design placement scheme exciting?

• • Hands-on experience: You’ll continue to expand on your Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere Pro & After Effects) and MS Office 365 experience, working across a range of projects and briefs. Having an interest to explore the latest generative AI tools to compliment your creative output is also key.
  • Mentorship opportunities: Work alongside experienced professionals who will provide valuable insights and guidance to help you grow your capabilities.  
  • Impactful contributions: Bring your passion, curiosity, and creativity to turn your ideas into meaningful outcomes.
  • Networking: Build lasting relationships with colleagues across a range of teams and locations, opening doors for collaborative opportunities.  

What will you learn? 

• • Technical capabilities: Learn how to navigate the complexities of a fast-paced R&D environment, where your ideas and decisions will have impact, all whilst developing your graphic design skills further.   

• • Problem-solving: Utilise the skills you develop during the scheme to respond to challenges of varying types and scales, while identifying opportunities and implementing solutions for sustainable success.  

• • Adaptability: Embrace the opportunity to collaborate with diverse teams, cultures, and navigate different briefs and processes.  

• • Stakeholder management: Balance the needs of cross-functional stakeholders, honing your interpersonal skills and building your unique professional brand in the process.  

• • Continuous Learning: Gain firsthand experience of industry trends and external factors that influence Nestlé as you progress through the 12 months placement.  

Our commitment to you… 

We will support you every step of the way, the following are just some of our offerings to enable you to thrive with us- 

• • Flexible working options 

• • Inclusive culture, join our variety of employee run networks! 

• • Comprehensive benefits 

• • Pastoral support 

• • Employee Assistance Programme 

• • Potential relocation support (£2,000) 

• • Pets at work – bring your dog to work 

• • Prayer rooms 

• • Various rewards and recognition opportunities 

*Availability dependent upon site 

Eligibility requirements 

You will need to have the right to work in the UK that is not time-limited and does not require sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route either at the start of the scheme or on completion.  You will also be in your penultimate or final year of university studying towards a Graphic Design or related degree.  

The recruitment journey 

After you click “apply” you’ll be prompted to answer a few questions to determine your eligibility for the scheme. If you qualify, we will invite you to complete an online assessment, which you can practice here. Please do not upload a CV, instead we ask you to upload your design portfolio or a link to it, this will be reviewed as part of the selection process. We are particularly interested to see you showcase your Photoshop & Illustrator skills throughout your portfolio.

Once you have completed this stage, we will notify you if you are selected to attend an assessment day which will be in April or May 2026. It may take a little bit of time between assessment stages to get back to you, we really appreciate your patience.    

Adjustments 

We recognise that each candidate has unique needs, and we are committed to ensuring an inclusive application process. You will have the opportunity to discuss any specific requirements or adjustments you may need as you navigate through our recruitment process.