Graduate Executive After Sales Operations

Type: Graduate
Region: London

Kia Graduate Programme (September 2024-2026)

Hi, welcome to Kia UK!

Kia UK is a leading automotive brand offering one of the industry’s largest range of models across multiple vehicle segments, contributing to it being the fifth most popular UK car brand in 2023. With more than 190 Kia dealerships across the country, Kia is now widely known for its advanced electrified products offering the technology of tomorrow, today. Spearheading this charge are award-winning products including the fully electric EV6 – Kia’s first dedicated electric vehicle – and the new pioneering EV9.

Kia UK has consistently grown for over 30 years, supported by bold design, quality products and ever-evolving customer service. By 2027, the brand aims to offer no less than nine fully electric vehicles in the UK, a positive step towards becoming a leading global sustainable mobility solutions provider.

People are central to Kia UK – every day is an opportunity to learn something new and to grow personally and professionally. This was recognised with Kia UK named as one of the UK’s Best Workplaces? 2024 by Great Place To Work®, and also ranked in the 2023 Best Workplaces? for Women. Kia employees reported positively on areas such as working atmosphere, trust in management, corporate strategy, pride in working for the company, benefits, facilities and much more!

As a member of our graduate scheme, you will work alongside experienced professionals and gain hands-on experience in a variety of departments. You will be involved in projects and initiatives that will have a direct impact on the success of our business.

Months 0-5: Your first 5 months will be spent at our Head Office in Walton-On-Thames. During this time, you will work on various projects and initiatives across different departments (e.g. commercial business analysis, service marketing, customer support) to get an understanding of our brand, values, and processes. We will also provide you with ample training to develop your skills and make sure you’re confident in your Kia knowledge!

Months 5-6: We will cover the costs of accommodation for you to spend one month at our dealership in Bolton. Here you will learn the ins and outs of how a Kia dealership is run in terms of operations, customer experience, sales, parts & accessories, service & quality, and more.

Months 6-18: Across the year you will shadow experienced Regional Managers to learn how they facilitate improvement across our dealerships. When you’re ready, you will then manage performance improvement at a number of dealerships yourself!

Months 18-24: For your last 6 months we will invite you back to our head office to put into practice all that you’ve learnt, share knowledge across departments, and contribute ideas to our future. After 24 months, you will officially graduate the programme and be ready to begin your career in your chosen field.

At Kia we’re all driven by different things, what matters is that are driven too. We are looking for graduates who are passionate about pursuing a successful career, eager to learn, willing to take on challenges, value innovation, feel comfortable challenging the status quo, and actively seek responsibility. Regardless of your lived experiences, if that resonates with you, we want to work with you.

To be eligible for this role you will need to have a Bachelor’s degree at a 2:1 level or above (or, if you haven’t graduated yet, performing at that level), with a full UK Driving License, and the legal right to work in the UK. We will also be looking at work experience, extra-curricular activities, and any other actions/behaviours that show your determination to succeed.

? Flexible working hours* (core hours between 10:00am-3:00pm)

? Hybrid working* (up to 2 days a week remote working pro rata)

? Employee Car Scheme (competitive car lease including insurance)

? Onsite Chef -> free lunch in the office

? Private Medical Care (Vitality) 

???? Annual Health Checks and free flu jabs offered on site

? Private Dental Care (Denplan, £0 excess)

? Relocation Support

? Pension with enhanced employer contribution

? Income Protection & life Assurance

? Critical Illness Protection

? 24 days Annual Leave + Bank Holidays

?? Wellness benefits including free eye tests, employee assistance programme, Mental Health First Aiders and more

? Financial hub providing free financial guidance and support

? Work from anywhere for one week a year

? Enhanced Maternity, Adoption and Shared Parental Leave (up to 6 months pay)

? Enhanced Paternity Leave

?? Free weekly yoga, football, and badminton clubs

? Pool tables, dart board, and massage chairs onsite

? Opportunity to get involved & give back via our charity partners

? Birthday Vouchers

? Celebrations such as our Spring Ball, Christmas events, Social Club and much more!

* These benefits are specific to your role in head office

The Kia UK Head Office is based in Walton-on-Thames, just a 5 minute walk from the station. We also have plenty of on-site parking for drivers, including EV charging ports.

There is step-free access throughout the building, but please let us know if you require any additional accessibility support and we will cater to your needs as best we can.

We are committed to providing an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. We understand that every candidate is unique, and we welcome the opportunity to make reasonable adjustments to ensure that all individuals can fully participate in our interview process. If you require any adjustments or support to facilitate your interview, please do not hesitate to reach out to () . We are happy to discuss your needs and make arrangements that support your participation to best showcase your skills and qualifications.

Stage 1: CV Review

Stage 2: Video Interview

Stage 3: Assessment Centre