This is a fantastic opportunity to establish yourself at the heart of our UK business – our branch network. We know you’re just starting out so even if you don’t know exactly which career route you want to take, we’ll make sure you develop the experience, the skills and the knowledge you need to make an informed decision about where you want to be.

Some graduates opt to progress through specialist sales routes, while others choose particular product areas. Many decide to develop more generally as a Team Leader, Branch Manager or even Regional Manager. It’s up to you: whatever inspires you the most and wherever you’re most likely to put your talents to the best use. On the Retail Branch Programme, all doors are open.

Location

This programme takes two years to complete, and progress here depends on individual performance. The training takes place within the branch network predominantly, and to ensure you gain the right kind and amount of experience, you’ll move from branch to branch. This means you’ll need to relocate within your region, and possibly even nationwide.

What we look for in you

We accept applications from graduates who have or expect to gain a 2:1 in all degree disciplines. Your specific degree discipline is less important to us than your ability to communicate with people in a helpful and reassuring manner. We’ll also be particularly interested in hearing from people who collaborate well with others, enjoy working in customer-facing environments and are motivated by challenging targets.

This is a two year programme and in your first year, you’ll come to understand how a branch operates, as well as experiencing first hand many of our key customer sales and service roles.

During this time, you'll be given structured training and will acquire the accreditations you'll need to advise customers about our products and services. You’ll learn how to give the guidance they need in line with financial services requirements. In doing so, you'll use all your communication skills and make them even stronger.

As an accredited Personal Banking Advisor, you'll start to gain more specialist knowledge of either mortgages or savings & investment products, before moving on to a first team-leading role as a Service and Control Manager.

Once in this role, you'll focus on ensuring that Santander delivers the best customer experience on the high street. This will involve training, directing and motivating branch staff and making sure that we meet our regulatory and financial security obligations. You'll oversee everything from the appearance of the branch through to merchandising and queue management.

Assuming that you excel in these development roles, you can expect to become a Branch Manager when you complete the programme. This is a very challenging role with a high level of responsibility. You’ll be accountable for every aspect of your branch – meeting budgets, sales targets and quality standards, applying control procedures, and managing your team's performance. It's quite an achievement after such a relatively short time in our organisation.

Like all other graduates at Santander, you'll start by attending our very thorough induction programme. This will introduce you to Santander and to the global Santander Group, and it's a great introduction to graduates in other parts of the business who could become valuable contacts later in your career.

During the retail development training programme, you will receive a significant amount of support, including structured training periods involving set work experiences, written and online learning packages, face-to-face training courses, and study for relevant qualifications.

After the initial training, you’ll also embark on a series of personal development modules, which will help you to focus on developing people and team skills – these will prove to be invaluable in your later career.

Finally, as you near the end of your programme, you could have the chance to attend a career development course which will help you to identify your strengths and any areas for development, and help you to plan your next steps forward.