Business Operations & Improvement Development Programme - People

Good things this way

If you're ambitious, curious and enjoy working with people, our Business Operations & Improvement Development Programme, People provides a structured route into a rewarding career in HR.

Help create a great colleague experience while developing the commercial, people and problem-solving skills needed for a future HR career.

You'll gain broad exposure across our People function, building an understanding of how different HR specialisms work together to help colleagues perform at their best and support Nationwide's business goals.

Whether you're a graduate ready to make an impact, or a career changer looking for a new challenge, you'll gain hands-on experience, develop future-ready skills, and contribute to projects that deliver banking that's fairer, more rewarding, and for the good of society.

We'll support your development through structured learning, personalised development and hands-on experience, helping you grow with confidence.

Looking for a rewarding career in banking? Good things this way.

Where you’ll be working

You'll join our People function, where teams work together to create a great colleague experience and help Nationwide and its people thrive.

The programme provides broad exposure across the function, with opportunities to experience areas such as Talent Management & Inclusion, Development, Learning & Skills, People & Culture, People Chief Operating Office and Business Operations.

Much of your work will connect to priorities shaping the future of Nationwide, including business transformation, integration, technology, digital enablement, learning and skills.

Working across different teams will also help you build relationships with experienced HR professionals and understand how people practices support business performance.

Location 

At Nationwide we offer hybrid working wherever possible. More rewarding relationships are supported through our hybrid approach, bringing colleagues together across our UK wide estate, whilst also supporting generous access to home working. We value our time in the office to solve problems, to learn, and to feel connected.

For this job you'll spend at least two days per week, based at our Swindon office.

If we receive a high volume of relevant applications, we may close the advert earlier than the advertised date, so please apply as soon as you can. 
 

What you'll be doing on our Business Operations & Improvement Development Programme, People

Our Business Operations & Improvement Development Programme begins on 6th September 2027.

Over two years, you'll complete rotations across different teams within our People function. Each placement will introduce new HR disciplines, business challenges and ways of working.

As your experience grows, you'll take on increasingly complex work and greater responsibility. Regular feedback and development conversations will help you understand your strengths, build new skills and take ownership of your development.

Alongside your placements, you'll benefit from role-specific technical training and structured development experiences. There will also be opportunities to attend external conferences and events and receive support towards a CIPD qualification.

People are at the heart of Nationwide's success. Through this programme, you'll gain first-hand experience of how HR helps colleagues develop their careers, perform at their best and deliver great outcomes for customers.

No two days are the same. One day could involve analysing people data and preparing insight for a leadership discussion. Another could see you meeting stakeholders, supporting a People initiative or working on a project designed to improve the colleague experience.

You'll also gain exposure to the technologies changing HR. This could include Microsoft 365, collaboration platforms, People systems, reporting tools and emerging technologies such as AI.

Throughout the programme, you'll develop skills in:

• Business and commercial awareness

• Stakeholder engagement and relationship management

• Consulting and influencing

• Critical thinking and problem solving

• Data literacy and insight generation

• Project and change management

• Ethics and professional judgement

• Digital working and emerging technology

The breadth of the programme means you'll encounter unfamiliar topics, new stakeholders and changing priorities. You'll learn how to work through ambiguity, balance competing demands and build confidence where there isn't always a straightforward answer.

This isn't a programme spent watching from the sidelines. You'll work on meaningful projects, contribute to decisions that affect colleagues across Nationwide and build practical experience from the start.

Who we’re looking for on our Business Operations & Improvement Development Programme, People

We're looking for driven, curious people with high standards and a genuine interest in building a career in HR.

You don't need previous HR experience or an HR-related degree. What matters more is your curiosity about people and organisations, your willingness to learn and your motivation to make a positive difference.

To succeed on our Business Operations & Improvement Development Programme, you'll need to show:

• Curiosity about how people, culture and HR contribute to business success.

• Confidence analysing information and using insight to support decisions

• An interest in solving people and business challenges through practical solutions

• The ambition to keep growing, take on new challenges and build towards your next career step

• A logical, methodical approach, with the ability to understand both the detail and the bigger picture 

• The confidence to build relationships and work with colleagues across the business 

• Drive, high performance and a commitment to learning from feedback and setbacks 

• A determination to push for better and put customers first in the decisions you make

Our customer first behaviours put customers and members at the heart of how we work together. They are the set of behaviours that every colleague needs to display, in every role:

• Feel what customers feel - We step into our customers’ shoes, using their feedback and insights to empathise with them and to understand their needs, so that every decision we make starts and finishes with our customers in mind
• Say it straight - We are brave in speaking out and saying what we think – we’re honest and direct with good intent, openly sharing diverse perspectives to reach the best conclusions and using language everyone can understand
• Push for better - We don’t settle for mediocrity, we challenge the status quo, taking responsibility for continuous improvement and personal development
• Get it done - We prioritise what will have the greatest impact, we are decisive, and we take accountability for delivering brilliant customer outcomes.

The extras you’ll get

High performing and purpose-driven colleagues deserve a rewarding career and competitive benefits to match. We offer you:

• Structured learning, personalised development and hands-on experience to help you build future-ready skills and progress your career in banking
• 25 days holiday each year, which increases over time to 30. Plus, you can ‘buy’ up to 10 extra days 
• The opportunity to earn an annual bonus based on your performance
• Private medical insurance to help you access additional healthcare when you need it
• Wellhub access to a range of free and paid fitness and wellbeing options, plus free on-site gyms at selected locations
• A highly competitive pension to help you start building your financial future 
• A great selection of additional benefits through our salary sacrifice scheme
• Up to 14 paid hours each year to volunteer for a cause that matters to you
• Life assurance to provide additional peace of mind for you and the people who matter to you

Banking – but fairer, more rewarding, and for the good of society

We forge our own path at Nationwide.

As a mutual, we’re owned by our members - those customers who bank, save or have a mortgage with us. We challenge the financial sector status quo. We don’t see customers as the engine of our own profit. We share our profits with them and put their needs first. Always there when they need us. Supporting them and their lives.

If you’re inspired by fairer finances, passionate about making a meaningful impact, and truly care about our customers, you’re one of us.

At Nationwide, you are challenged to grow and rewarded for doing so. Valued. Recognised. Inspired to be your best. As a community we want our working lives to count. As a team, we celebrate what we achieve. As a standard-setter, we work for the good of customers, communities, and broader society.

We are purpose-driven. Uncompromisingly customer. Unstoppably Nationwide.

What to do next 

If this role is for you, please click the ‘Apply Now’ button, where you’ll be asked to answer a few quick questions for us.  

 We’ll send you our online assessments to complete and there will also be a short video interview to find out more about you. If you are successful, you could be selected to attend one of our assessment centres which run from January 2027.

Visa sponsorship information 

As a UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) approved sponsor, we have a responsibility to comply with the applicable Immigration Rules and guidance (which are subject to change). The Skilled Worker route has specific requirements relating to skill level of the role and minimum salary expectations. As such, our ability to employ individuals who require sponsorship for immigration purposes is limited or may not be possible for some programmes.  

VISA Sponsorship cannot be offered on this programme.  

All successful applicants with need to demonstrate their right to work in the UK on commencement of employment and for the duration of the programme applied for without requiring sponsorship.  

If you have any further questions, please contact us at [email protected]