Launch Your Career. Build Your Future. Lead the Business.
Are you ready to kickstart your career with a global leader?
The Sherwin-Williams Sales Graduate Programme is an exciting 18-month development journey designed for ambitious graduates who want to build a successful commercial career and become the future sales leaders of our business.
Based in Birmingham, you'll gain hands-on experience within our General Industrial Division, learning how to develop customer relationships, drive business growth, and deliver commercial success. Throughout the programme, you'll receive structured training, dedicated mentorship, leadership exposure, and personalised development support to help accelerate your career.
This is more than a job. It's a pathway to a long-term career with opportunities to progress into field sales, account management, business development, and future sales leadership positions.
What you will gain...
- A structured 18-month graduate development programme
- Comprehensive sales, product and leadership training
- Dedicated support from experienced managers and mentors
- Regular coaching, feedback and career development conversations
- Exposure to senior leaders across the business
- Opportunities to build commercial, technical and relationship management skills
- Real responsibility from day one, contributing directly to business growth
- A clear pathway toward future sales leadership opportunities
As a Graduate Inside Sales Representative you will develop a deep understanding of our products, customers and commercial strategy while supporting sales growth across the UK.
Working closely with customers, technical experts, and sales teams, you will learn how to identify opportunities, build lasting relationships, and deliver value-driven solutions.
Customer engagement will primarily be through telephone, email, Microsoft Teams and digital channels, with occasional customer visits to help broaden your commercial experience.
What you will be doing...
Sales Development:
- Support the delivery of sales growth and new business development targets.
- Learn to identify and pursue new commercial opportunities within your territory.
- Develop expert knowledge of Sherwin-Williams products, brands and solutions.
- Assist in driving revenue growth while maintaining healthy profit margins.
- Participate in strategic sales initiatives and campaigns.
Customer Relationship Management
- Build strong relationships with existing and prospective customers.
- Develop effective consultative selling skills through regular customer interactions.
- Work collaboratively with internal sales, customer service and technical teams.
- Utilise Salesforce and other business systems to manage customer activity and opportunities.
- Plan and prioritise customer engagement activities effectively.
Business and Commercial Development
- Gain exposure to account management and business planning activities.
- Analyse customer data and market trends to identify growth opportunities.
- Learn how commercial decisions impact business performance.
- Participate in projects and initiatives that support wider business objectives.
Professional Development
- Complete structured training modules throughout the programme.
- Attend workshops, networking events and development sessions.
- Receive ongoing coaching and mentorship from experienced leaders.
- Build the skills and confidence required for future leadership roles.
We're seeking curious, motivated graduates who are eager to learn and passionate about building a commercial career.
- Degree educated (or graduating soon) in Business, Marketing, Sales, Economics or a related discipline.
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
- Commercial curiosity and a desire to understand how businesses grow.
- Resilient, self-motivated and results-oriented mindset.
- Strong organisational and time management skills.
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively within a team.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications.
- Full UK driving licence
- Previous customer-facing, retail, hospitality or sales experience.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
- Experience using CRM systems (ideally Salesforce).
- Leadership experience through university projects, societies, sports teams or voluntary work.
Why Sherwin-Williams?
At Sherwin-Williams, we invest in our people. You'll join a collaborative and supportive environment where your development is a priority. We provide the training, guidance, tools and opportunities needed to help you build a rewarding long-term career and achieve your full potential.
If you're ambitious, eager to learn and motivated to become a future business leader, we'd love to hear from you.
Start your journey. Build your career. Become a future sales leader with Sherwin-Williams.
What we can offer...
- The established salary range for this position is £30,000-£35,000
- Sales bonus scheme (10%)
- Company pension scheme
- 25 days annual leave (with the option to purchase 5 additional)
- Work-life balance
- Career development
- Ongoing training and support
Next steps:
- Closing date: 12th September
- Interviews - September and October
- Start date - November / December
#LI-JR1
About UsAt Sherwin-Williams, our purpose is to inspire and improve the world by coloring and protecting what matters. Our paints, coatings and innovative solutions make the places and spaces in our world brighter and stronger. Your skills, talent and passion make it possible to live this purpose, and for customers and our business to achieve great results. Sherwin-Williams is a place that takes its stability, growth and momentum and translates it to possibility for our people. Our people are behind the strength of our success, and we invest and support you in:
Life … with rewards, benefits and the flexibility to enhance your health and well-being
Career … with opportunities to learn, develop new skills and grow your contribution
Connection … with an inclusive team and commitment to our own and broader communities
It's all here for you... let's Create Your Possible
Eligibility to Work
You will need to provide proof of right to work. It is a condition of any offer of employment we make to you that you have the permission to work in the country for the role for which you are applying for.
Equal Opportunity Employer
An equal opportunity employer, all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against based on race, colour, religion or belief, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, ethnic or national origin, disability, age pregnancy or maternity, marital or civil partner status, or any other protected characteristic prohibited by law.
Please be aware, Sherwin-Williams recruiting team members will never request a candidate to provide a payment, ask for financial information, or sensitive personal information like national identification numbers, date of birth, or bank account numbers during the application process.
Skills Required
- Degree educated (or graduating soon) in Business, Marketing, Sales, Economics or related discipline.
- Proof of right to work in the country.
- Full UK driving licence.
- Experience using CRM systems.
- Experience with Salesforce.
- Previous customer-facing, retail, hospitality or sales experience.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications.
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
- Strong organisational and time management skills.
- Resilient, self-motivated and results-oriented mindset.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively within a team.
- Leadership experience through university projects, societies, sports teams or voluntary work.
Sherwin-Williams Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Sherwin-Williams and has not been reviewed or approved by Sherwin-Williams.
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Healthcare Strength — Health coverage breadth is described as comprehensive across medical, dental, vision and related protections, with options like HSA/FSA, life, and disability included. Plan specifics are centralized in a dedicated benefits portal for clarity by role and location.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Time away is positioned as a meaningful component of total rewards, including PTO, vacation, holidays and leave programs (such as parental leave). Schedules and accruals are outlined in plan summaries and can be strong for many full-time roles.
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Wellbeing & Lifestyle Benefits — Education assistance via a Guild partnership and tuition reimbursement provide tangible upskilling pathways within the benefits package. Additional perks such as product discounts, wellness resources, and adoption assistance add lifestyle value.
Sherwin-Williams Insights
What We Do
Our mission began more than 150 years ago in 1866 when Henry Sherwin and Edward Williams founded the company in Cleveland, Ohio. The duo went on to shape an industry and create a global legacy. That legacy continues on today as we look ahead and continue to innovate our future. With stores, distribution centers and facilities spanning the globe, we're able to deliver the best in paints, coatings and related products to the world. From our headquarters to our 130 distribution centers and more than 4,000 retail locations, we continue to grow in new and exciting ways.
