Boost your career!
Join our International Management Trainee Program
Hey cosmopolitan! Thrilled you’re here and interested to get to know us and our program. You are looking for a trainee program, with the opportunity to work on your intercultural competence whilst being involved in country-specific projects? Then we have the right program for you!
KEY FIGURES
- Annual start in September - next program start: 01.09.2024
- Duration of program: 16 months
- Application period 2024: approx. 4 months before program start in spring
- Number of trainees per year: 6
- Position after completion: Not predefined; entry possible in all business units or retail companies of REWE International
- Involved countries:
OUR PROGRAM AT A GLANCE
Elements in Detail:
- Core Business: Discover our core business in our stores in your country of employment, enjoying extensive basic training to handle your first management responsibilities (3 months) and get get further insights in the supply chain in your country of employment (3 months).
- International Project: Join an exciting project abroad to get to know our international business in a foreign business unit.
- Rotation: Take active roles via job rotation in selected departments in a central division of your country of employment.
- Headquarter Project: Join a comprehensive project in our Austrian or German headquarters.
- Focus:Get to know the local interfaces of your future position in the company via quick rotations.
You can choose one of two areas where your main interests are predominantly included! The chosen area will then serve as focal point for projects, rotations, and your position after completion. 6 new trainees will be enrolled in the program per year (3 per area).
AREA 1:
- Digital, Analytics & CRM
- Corporate Communication
- Marketing & Product Management
- Purchasing & Category Management
- Strategy & Consulting
- Sustainability
AREA 2:
- Finance & Controlling
- HR
- IT
- Legal & Compliance
- Logistics & Transport
- Real Estate & Expansion
You are interested in a trainee program specific in sales? Therefore, we offer other trainee programs in the countries - look at our local career sites!
WHAT WE OFFER
- Individual program: Your path through the program will be customized according to your profile and interest.
- Mentoring and Networking: You will benefit from a personal mentor on a high management level e.g., CEO or CFO, a buddy from trainee side and group-wide networking.
- Professional and personal development: You will receive special professional and personal development training courses and coaching.
- International career opportunities: You will profit from your established network by choosing out of different exciting offers your position after completion.
- Modern working environment & country specific benefits: You will get your own company mobile phone and laptop enabling maximum flexibility enjoying flexible working hours and home office. Furthermore, you will receive benefits of your home country.
WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD AFTER THE TRAINEE PROGRAM?
An appropriate and challenging position after completion of the program forms the basis for a future career in the group. Our trainee program also offers a great deal of flexibility after the program in the sense that the position after completion is not prefixed but develops over the course of the trainee program.
Career steps are as individual as persons and our goal is to make our high potentials ready for future leadership positions with priority number one having a management career in the intermediate future. Of course, the graduate himself/herself is the main driver for his/her career development.
CURIOUS TO HEAR OR READ MORE? WE ASKED OUR TRAINEES AND GRADUATES TO SHARE THEIR IMPRESSIONS AND EXPERIENCES.
The first round of our trainee program started in 2001. Since then, over 70 people have already completed the program successfully, with Marcel Haraszti, one of REWE International’s executive board members, as one of the first graduates. Over the years, the program grew and adjusted to young talents and our company`s requirements since we want to remain attractive as well as competitive. In 2020 the very successful Austrian “Management Trainee Program” was promoted to be REWE International’s “International Management Trainee Program”. And we are more than proud that for almost three years young, motivated potentials are sourced in all REWE International countries to become part of the REWE International family.
We asked some of our trainees and graduates to give you some insight of what it’s like to be part of this program and what their most remarkable experiences were so far. You find their stories below.
Gaia Fiordispini
International Management Trainee at PENNY Italy
Completion of the program 12/2023
“I have always been very curious and passionate for travelling. After my graduation in Marketing Management, retail was very attractive field for me, where I could combine my interest for various aspects in a dynamic setting. Thus, the International Management Trainee Program perfectly fit my desire to grow professionally through different experiences in an international environment.
During my path, the Store Phase was very involving: it was fascinating to work directly with the products and with the final customers, learning every day from a variety of processes and tasks. I also find very motivating meeting and working with many professionals, because they all convey their passion and knowledge.
Looking ahead in the trainee program, I wish to continue discovering new aspects of the retail industry. The great advantage of this program is having the opportunity to observe closely different departments and to understand all the processes of the business. After completion, I look forward to having a comprehensive overview and being able to make a meaningful contribution to the company.”
Jana Šípková
Project Lead Strategy at BILLA CEE/IKI in Austria
Completion of the program 08/2022
“After completing my degree in Management and gaining my first work experience in consulting in Prague and Vienna, I was searching for the ideal career path. The International Management Trainee Program was a great opportunity to step into the world of retail, join a well-known international company and explore my future career options.
Every phase of the program and involvement in projects in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Germany enabled me to learn from experts in various areas (such as Marketing, Private Label Management, Sustainability, E-Commerce, and Project Management) and gain an overview of operational but also strategic topics within different business units.
As the end of the program approached, it was clear to me that I wanted to continue working in the international environment and work on diverse challenging topics. I have decided to join the Strategy department of BILLA CEE / IKI where I can work on strategically relevant projects, support our local units in the CEE region, help them develop in this dynamic environment and leverage synergies.”
Alex Judt
Lead Purchasing Controlling at BILLA in Austria
Completion of the program 01/2014
“Towards the end of my studies in Economics and Business Administration, it was clear to me that I wanted to choose a trainee program to explore my many interests in practice. The REWE Int. Management Trainee Program clearly stood out due to its multifaceted and well-thought-out process.
Ultimately, the most formative experience for me was the time abroad and the store phase. My project in Croatia and the independent collaboration with German, Croatian and Austrian colleagues helped me to develop personally and gave me an insight into Group collaboration right from the start. In retrospect, it was the store phase that proved to be the most helpful, as this is where you get to know retail in its fullest form.
After completion, I chose the path towards category management and then changed to my current position in purchasing controlling, still benefitting from the trainee program experience. Even today, I still look back fondly on the experiences I had at the checkout, in the delicatessen, stocking shelves and working with the computer systems.”
“Internationality, flexibility and a challenging position after graduation are the essential building blocks of our International Management Trainee Program. With its generalist focus, our program offers many advantages for future trainees. What makes it unique is the opportunity to get to know and work in a wide variety of departments. The generalist training makes the view of interrelationships and the complexity of the Group structures comprehensible. The resulting network is the basis for good networking within the company.
The program offers enormous advantages for the trainees as well as for the company. Of course, we also see the program as a talent pool for later top management positions. Many of our managers and even one board member once started as trainees in the company. The advantage with a company as large as ours is that many doors are open, and our talents can develop in all directions. It offers an optimal opportunity to better understand a wide variety of processes in a large corporation. This enables effective cross-departmental work and promotes entrepreneurial thinking overall.
Our program provides young high potentials with the right mix not to only shape the career successfully, but also drive change and meet challenges and thus shape the future of retail business – together with us!”
RECRUITING PROCESS
WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR
- Academic degree preferably with focus on business
- Practical or international experience – either through internships or studies abroad – are a further advantage, but we also address young professionals
- Enthusiastic and curious about the retail industry
- Ambitious team player with high personal commitment as well as strong communication, project management and analytical skills
- Fluent in the respective local language & fluent in English
- Keen to travel and openness to take advantage of our international career opportunities
We also welcome internal applicants!
STAGES OF OUR APPLICATION PROCESS 2023
STAGES IN DETAIL
- Online Application: You will apply in your home country at the respective REWE International business unit – please follow the instruction in the respective job advertisements.
- Phone Interview: A phone interview with the respective country and business unit you have applied for will be conducted. The focus lies on you – your competencies, your motivation, your interests, and your personal fit with the trainee program. A short presentation of the trainee program will also be included.
- Recorded Video Interview: You receive an invitation to a time-shifted and recorded video interview, where you answer five predefined questions within a given time and you receive a program presentation by the program manager.
- Virtual/ Personal Interview with Recruiting Team REWE International: You will briefly introduce yourself and confirm your preferred interests. Following you have the opportunity to ask in-depth questions.
- Assessment Center: You will dial in to the hybrid AC from the offices of the country organizations. We have the opportunity to get to know each other in more depth and we will assess your fit to the program and vice versa.
- Decision & Offer: We are happy to have you on board! Your contract will be delivered as quickly as possible.
- Program Start: New opportunities – your journey begins!
APPLY NOW AND BECOME AN INTERNATIONAL MANAGEMENT TRAINEE!
To the vacancies in Austria To the vacancies in Bulgaria.To the vacancies in Lithuania.To the vacancies in Czech Republic (PENNY and BILLA)To the vacancies in Hungary.To the vacancies in Italy. To the vacancies in Romania.To the vacancies in Slovakia.To the vacancies in Croatia.Contact person for candidates in Austria
Applicants from other countries please contact the designated HR contact stated in the job advertisement.
Melanie Kral
Talent Relationship Senior Specialist
Phone Number: +43 664 8899 2439