About us
We’re more than just the largest global paints and coatings company and a major producer of specialty chemicals. We supply industries worldwide with quality ingredients for life’s essentials. We think about the future, but act in the present. We’re passionate about developing sustainable answers for our customers. With Head Office in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, we are a Fortune 500 company and are consistently ranked as one of the leaders on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index. Recognised in the Guardian’s UK 300 survey as a top graduate employer, we have operations in more than 80 countries, and employ more than 50,000 people, who are committed to excellence and delivering Tomorrow’s Answers Today™.

Our Decorative Paints division is the world leader in decorative coatings and we have
some of the best-known brands in the world – Dulux, Cuprinol, Glidden, Hammerite, Polyfilla and Sikkens. Our ‘Let’s Color’ campaign to bring the regenerative power of colour to world has been recognised by the Marketing Society’s Awards for Excellence Our focus on delivering Tomorrow’s Answers Today™ drives innovation within our business and both Cuprinol and Dulux have won gold awards in DIY Week’s prestigious Product of the Year Awards.

AkzoNobel is committed to Sustainability and has an active programme working across the entire business. Amongst our improvements we recently reduced the carbon footprint of our retail mainline products by up to 30%. We have also launched award-winning products, such as Dulux Trade Ecosure Light & Space, which won Green Business Awards Product of the Year 2009, were finalists in Green Building Council Sustainable Manufacturer of the Year 2009 and have achieved the Carbon Trust Standard in the UK. We work closely with Forum for the Future, the leading Sustainability NGO, to ensure our plans are stretching and focussed.

Our graduate programme
Your development is as important to AkzoNobel as it is to you. We have designed a high quality development programme for high potential university graduates which delivers extensive in-house training and, where appropriate, the opportunity to gain external qualifications. From day one you’ll be fully integrated into the business and working on real-life company issues  - providing the training, support and challenging experiences that will enable you to develop into a business leader of the future. Supported by a mentor, buddy and graduate network scheme, you will enjoy five training modules that have been created to develop your competences and business skills within your first two years of joining us. These will provide you with an understanding of AkzoNobel, a network of contacts throughout the company and the leadership skills and commercial awareness to challenge the norm and use your talent to develop and bring to market world class products and services.

What we want
We want tomorrow’s leaders – the next generation of high-fliers. If you’ve got talent, ambition and determination, AkzoNobel can offer you a career that both challenges, rewards and will encourage an entrepreneurial approach to business. For more details see our website.

Fast Facts

Jobs available
Graduate, industrial
placement and
summer internship
opportunities in:
customer business
development/sales, engineering for
manufacturing, finance, HR, IT, marketing, purchasing,
R&D and supply chain.

Degree disciplines/
degree class required
See specific requirements
on our website

Number of employees
55,000 worldwide

Work locations
Slough, Altrincham Stowmarket and Prudhoe

Salary and benefits
£25,500 - £27,500pa + joining bonus

Application procedure
Apply online at
www.akzonobel.com/graduates

Contact details
AkzoNobel
Graduate Recruitment
Wexham Road
Slough
Berkshire SL2 5DS
E-mail: grad.recruitment@ akzonobel.com
www.akzonobel.com/graduates