Finance Graduate Programme

Start date: September 2025

Salary: £34,000 per annum, with increases as you progress and pass your professional exams

Location: Dunstable - Whitbread Court (LU5 5XE), Hybrid, minimum 3 days per week in the office

Application closing date:  15th November 2024 with Assessment Day to take place in January 2025. Please note we may close the advert earlier than the listed date depending on the number of applications we receive. Therefore, it is encouraged to apply as soon as possible. 

Whitbread is a leading British FTSE 100 company and is the name behind the UK's favourite budget hotel chain Premier Inn, and beloved restaurant brands like Beefeater and Brewers Fayre. We continue to innovate and have big growth plans in the UK and internationally, including Germany & the UAE.

About the Role: 

Our Finance Graduate Programme is designed to develop your finance expertise and commercial acumen.  From day one, you’ll work in a business-critical role at our offices in Dunstable and throughout the programme you’ll experience three different rotations across our Finance function, enabling you to gain a breadth of experience and a deep understanding of our business. 

Alongside your practical work, we’ll sponsor your study towards a professional accounting qualification (you’ll have a choice of either CIMA/ACCA/ACA) and support your personal growth with mentoring, peer support, and leadership training.  You’ll be part of a wider graduate community, developing strong working relationships and supporting each other as you navigate the start of your career. Once you have finished your rotations and exams on our Graduate Programme you can expect to be a fully qualified accountant progressing into a junior leadership role in Whitbread.

At Whitbread, we believe in a collaborative and inclusive culture where everyone can thrive. Whether you’re getting involved in our inclusion networks, organising team events, or playing a key role in one of our workstreams, you’ll have the chance to make a real difference to both our business and our customers.

Who We’re Looking For: 

We're looking for graduates who want to be future Finance leaders in our business. You’ll need to be analytical, highly numerical, and able to dive into data and draw insights that will impact our commercial success. Strong communication and relationship-building skills are essential, as you’ll work closely with teams across the business to influence and support decision-making. 

You’ll be:

•    A recent or current graduate who is passionate about building a Finance career and looking to make an impact at the UK’s largest hospitality company where you’ll use your commercial acumen to drive guest satisfaction and support our ambitious growth plans.
•    Confident in communicating and with the ability to influence others including senior stakeholders.
•    Comfortable with numerical and analytical work, you’ll be able to look beyond the surface and dive into the detail, drawing out data driven analysis and conclusions. You will make an impact on the commercial success of the business from the very start of your career with us.
•    Whitbread welcomes applications from candidates who have the right to work in the UK. For our roles, you'll be asked to provide evidence of your right to work during the application process, and you must maintain and be able to demonstrate your right to work throughout the period of employment. Please note that Whitbread is unable to provide sponsorship for our graduate roles, as they do not meet the eligibility requirements imposed by the Home Office.

What We Offer:

•    Starting salary of £34,000 per annum, with salary increases as you progress and pass your professional exams.
•    Rotations across various Finance roles to broaden your knowledge and experience.
•    Study support for CIMA/ACCA/ACA qualifications, including funded exams and revision leave.
•    A range of benefits, including up to 10% annual bonus, BUPA healthcare, pension, and 25 days holiday plus bank holidays.
•    Discounts of up to 60% on Premier Inn stays and 25% off at our restaurant brands.
•    Access to our Sharesave scheme with a 20% discount on Whitbread shares.
•    Hybrid working with a minimum of three days expected to be in the office. 
•    Mentoring, peer support and leadership training.