HR Graduate Programme 2026

European Graduate Programme

Function: Human Resources

Location: London, Edinburgh or Dublin

Start Date: 1st September 2026

Closing Date: 10th November 2025

Who We are?

With over 200 brands sold in nearly 180 countries, we’re the world’s leading premium drinks company. Bring your passion and use your curiosity as you explore, collaborate, and innovate to build brands consumers love. Together with passionate people from all over the world, you’ll test new ideas, learn and grow, and unlock a brighter, more exciting future.

Join us to create a career worth celebrating.

Our Programme

Our graduate programmes put you at the heart of a global business, with hands-on experience and tailored learning for curious, driven minds. Start your journey to a career you’ll be proud of today.

With more than 30,000 talented people working across the globe for Diageo, our people remain our biggest asset. Our role in HR is to build an environment that encourages our employees to drive our business forward; ensuring an environment of engaged people, through the creation of high performing teams, analytical approach, the most inclusive culture and a continuous learning mindset. Because we are an extraordinary company, we go to extraordinary lengths to ensure that the potential we see in our people is realised.   

During the programme, you’ll gain broad experience within HR across your two rotations in key parts of our HR operating model. One rotation will be in a generalist HR field, in a team that partners one of our core business units or Markets. The other rotation will give you the chance to develop expertise in specialist HR centres of excellence such as Learning and Development, Performance and Reward, Talent Strategy, Organisation Effectiveness and Business Partnering.  

Over the two-year rotational programme, you’ll have a combination of formal training with a leadership curriculum, mentoring and coaching from respected colleagues and, most importantly, real world, on-the-job experience. From the beginning you’ll be working on projects that will develop and enhance your skills. You’ll be able to make a real contribution to the business while building a global network of relationships that will support your career, both now and long into the future.  

Who are we looking for? 

On the qualification side, you’ll need to have acquired or be expecting to obtain an academic degree and be graduating in 2026 or within the last 2 years. You must be proficient in English, and with opportunities across Europe you must be mobile and prepared to relocate geographically during the programme. 

We’re looking for curious, flexible, self-motivated team players who turn ideas into action—and who bring integrity, respect, and a passion for learning every day. As we shape the future of our Human Resources we especially welcome applicants with a passion for data and analytics.

Most importantly be you. Bring your ideas, your ambition, and your unique talent. We’ll celebrate it and empower you to reach your full potential.

To be eligible for our graduate programmes, all candidates must have the continuous right to work in the UK and IOI and any offer of employment is conditional upon this requirement being satisfied. Diageo do not provide sponsorship to undergraduates and graduates trying to obtain the right to work in the UK.

What are the rewards? 

With everything you can learn here, and the long-term opportunities we have to offer, the Human Resources Graduate Programme could just be the best decision you’ve ever made. 

Join us and you can also expect to receive a highly competitive salary (salary is dependent on the location of your rotations, as an example your year one salary based within the UK will be in the region of £38,000), along with an annual bonus opportunity and industry leading benefits package. 

Application details   

We have graduate opportunities across the business, each open for a limited time. For your best chance of success, apply early, and focus on one programme that’s right for you.

NB: Pymetrics is the first stage of the application process for all of our Early Career’s programmes at Diageo and after completion your result will be used for all applications that require it within a one-year period.  

Please note that our assessment centres this year will be held between November and February, so, you will hear from us closer to the time if you have successfully reached this final stage. We appreciate your patience. 

Celebrating our inclusive and diverse culture is core to our purpose which values everybody irrespective of background, disability, religion, gender identity, sexuality or ethnicity. We know that for our business to thrive, we depend on having diverse talent with a range of backgrounds, skills and capabilities in each of the 180 countries in which we operate and to reflect our broad consumer base. We view diversity as one of the key enablers that helps our business to grow and our values, purpose and standards set the conditions for us to respect the unique contribution each person brings.   

Join our Graduate programme and support us in delivering our Spirit of Progress Plan to help create a more inclusive and sustainable world!