Customer & Service Excellence Industrial Placement - Retail
Nationwide Building SocietyExpected closing date: Friday, 6 November 2026
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Key Takeaways
- Gain hands-on experience in customer service and operations across three different business areas over 12 months.
- Based at Swindon or Northampton offices with a hybrid working model (at least two days in office per week).
- Must be studying towards an undergraduate degree.
- Visa sponsorship is not available for this programme.
- Applications may close early due to high volume.
About the Role
This 12-month Customer & Service Excellence Industrial Placement - Retail offers a fantastic opportunity to gain hands-on experience in the banking sector while exploring a future career. You will help create fair, positive outcomes for customers and develop valuable professional skills.
What You'll Do
This placement is designed to provide insight into customer service, customer operations, and how organisations deliver great customer experiences. You will gain practical experience and understand how data and analytics support decision-making.
Rotational Experience
You will experience three different disciplines within the Retail, Customer Operations and Product function, each lasting four months:
- Customer-facing team: Gain first-hand experience supporting customers and understanding their individual needs.
- Business support team: Learn how colleagues behind the scenes enable great customer experiences.
- Change and delivery environment: Be introduced to project activity and how customer services evolve.
Day-to-Day Activities
Activities may include speaking with customers, understanding their needs, responding to queries, collaborating with colleagues, reviewing customer feedback, and identifying opportunities for service improvement.
Skills Developed
You will develop practical customer service skills and professional capabilities, including:
- Customer-first thinking
- Active listening and effective questioning
- Building trust and strong relationships
- Supporting customers experiencing vulnerability
- Problem solving and decision making
- Managing sensitive conversations
- Collaboration and teamwork
- Customer journey understanding
- Using feedback and insight to improve services
What We're Looking For
We are seeking curious, motivated individuals who enjoy working with others, solving problems, and learning new skills. You should have a genuine interest in helping and supporting customers, empathy, patience, and confidence.
Key attributes include:
- Ambition to grow and take on new challenges
- Logical and methodical approach
- Confidence to build relationships
- Drive and commitment to learning
- Determination to push for better and put customers first
Eligibility: You must be studying towards an undergraduate degree.
Location
This role involves hybrid working, with at least two days per week based at our Swindon or Northampton offices.
Benefits
- Structured learning, personalised development, and hands-on experience
- 25 days holiday per year, increasing over time to 30, with the option to buy up to 10 extra days
- Opportunity to earn an annual bonus based on performance
- Private medical insurance
- Wellhub access for fitness and wellbeing, plus free on-site gyms at selected locations
- Highly competitive pension scheme
- Salary sacrifice scheme
- Up to 14 paid hours per year for volunteering
- Life assurance
Application Process
Applications will involve answering quick questions, online assessments, and a short video interview. Successful candidates may be invited to an assessment centre in January 2027.
Please apply as soon as you can, as the advert may close earlier than the advertised date if a high volume of applications is received.
Visa Sponsorship
VISA Sponsorship cannot be offered on this programme. All successful applicants will need to demonstrate their right to work in the UK without requiring sponsorship.