Nestlé
1 opportunity
Australia
More than 10,000 employees
Jago
Technical & Production Graduate
Food Science
Jago never had the “what do I want to do with my life” problem. He studied food science and agriculture at university, worked in food part-time through his degree, and came out the other end looking for a graduate role inside a real food manufacturing operation. Nestlé’s NextGen program made perfect sense.
He’s five months in now, on his first rotation through Manufacturing Excellence at the company’s Wahgunyah site in regional Victoria. It’s a small town near the NSW border, and the Nestlé plant there runs 24 hours a day, five days a week. The volume of product moving through it was the first thing that caught him off guard.
What the days look like
Each morning starts on the factory floor with operational reviews. From there it’s project work, data analysis, and production support before stakeholder meetings and whatever escalations have come up by the afternoon. The hours are 8 to 5, though the site around him keeps going well past that.
Manufacturing Excellence is about keeping a large operation running as efficiently as possible: finding what can be improved, working with production, quality, and whoever else is needed, and seeing it through. For Jago, that means moving between factory floor and meeting room on the same day. Takes some adjustment, but it suits him.
The scale
Jago knew Nestlé operated at scale before he got there. What that means on the ground is harder to picture until you’re standing in it.
The Wahgunyah site is a 24-hour, five-day operation, and the product moving through it daily is, by his own description, daunting. It’s also part of what makes the work feel meaningful. When the volumes are that large, even a small process improvement has wide reach.
The people and culture
He describes himself as a people person who was quietly nervous about the culture when he started. Five months in, he didn’t need to be.
He didn’t expect that mix. Operators, engineers, quality specialists, production managers: different functions, different backgrounds, all working toward the same output. It’s become one of the things he values most about the role.
Engineering is a degree in problem-solving
Jago came in with a food-science background, not an engineering one. A few months on a factory floor has shifted how he thinks about the distinction.
Some are quick fixes, some take longer to work through. For someone who studied science because he liked figuring out how things work, that part fits.
Why the NextGen program
The rotation structure was a big part of the appeal. Two years, two factory sites, real exposure to how different parts of a large food operation work across different locations and teams. The brands moving through those sites (NESCAFÉ, KIT KAT, MILO, UNCLE TOBYS, MAGGI) give the work a tangibility that’s hard to find in a lot of graduate roles.
The training and support behind the program also caught him off guard. There’s more available than he expected, and while he admits he doesn’t always make full use of it, knowing it’s there has made a difference.
Where it goes from here
Jago knew what he wanted and went after it. Five months into a program that takes him across two factory sites over two years, he’s inside one of the world’s biggest food companies, still getting his head around the volume of it all, and building a career in food manufacturing that looks like what he had in mind, just bigger.
Find out more about Nestlé’s NextGen program here.
Sarah
Marketing Graduate
Marketing
When you think of Nestlé, your mind probably jumps straight to KitKats, Milo, or another supplier of your favourite sweet treats. However, behind those iconic products are young, passionate grads like Sarah, who conceptualise and market the next wave of Nestlé’s delicious offerings!
Currently in her second year of Nestlé’s Marketing Graduate Program, Sarah is living proof that a career in fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) is anything but boring. The program itself is a total game-changer. Over two years, grads get to rotate through three very different areas: field sales, category, and marketing. That means no two days ever look the same; one week you’re brainstorming a new flavour idea that might hit shelves, and the next you’re in-store chatting with managers about displays and stock. It’s a crash course in understanding not only how to market products, but how people interact with them in real life.
At the end of the day, Sarah believes FMCG is all about people; understanding their needs, wants, and changing lifestyles. From health-conscious shoppers to the demand for convenience and sustainable products, Nestlé is constantly evolving, and grads like Sarah are right in the middle of the action.
Brooke & Adele
Technical & Production Graduate
Mechanical Engineer
As part of the Technical and Production stream, Nestlé welcomes Engineering graduates from multiple backgrounds to come and discover how they can help them kickstart a rewarding career in the industry.
The opportunities available for engineering graduates are varied, with plenty of opportunities to apply your studies to real-world challenges and innovations!
Adele and Brooke, two current NextGen Nestlé Graduate Engineers, join us for a quick chat about their roles, the projects they’re a part of, and why choosing Nestlé was the perfect choice for them.
Matthew
Supply Chain Graduate
Business (Management) @ Western Sydney University
When Matthew first saw the opportunity to work at Nestlé, there was no hesitation: in his own words, ‘it was a no-brainer. And let’s be real, who doesn’t love a Kit-Kat?’ But it wasn’t just the sweet treats that drew him in. For Matthew, Nestlé represented something much bigger: a global company with an innovative supply chain that offered tremendous room to grow.
In our latest graduate spotlight, we caught up with Matthew, a Supply Chain Graduate currently based at Nestlé’s Arndell Park distribution centre in Western Sydney, Australia. From day one, he’s been hands-on, making sure the products we all love make it from the factory floor to store shelves across the country.
For anyone thinking about a future in supply chain (or if you’re simply a little curious about how the world’s biggest food and beverage company keeps things moving), Matthew’s story offers real insights, useful advice for young job seekers, and a healthy dose of teamwork and grit. Tune in today and discover:
- What it’s really like working in supply chain at a global company
- How grads are empowered to lead social initiatives from day one
- The unexpected skills that make you stand out in fast-moving industries
- The role of teamwork and collaboration in tackling daily challenges
- Why Nestlé’s graduate program could be the sweet start to your career
Andrew
Technical & Production Graduate
Food Science @ UNSW
Learning the Ropes (and Roasts) at Nestlé
As part of the Nestlé Graduate Program, Andrew has been diving into all sides of food manufacturing, from production to engineering. His first rotation has him based in Gympie, where the team manufactures and packages Nescafé instant coffee for the entire country and beyond.
“It’s an incredible experience,” Andrew says. “Working at Nestlé gives you the chance to see how everything fits together, from the ingredients and machinery to the people and systems that keep production running smoothly.”
Why Nestlé?
For Andrew, joining Nestlé was an easy choice.
“I’ve always been fascinated by food manufacturing, how food products are developed, the purpose of each ingredient, and how everything comes together on a larger scale,” he explains. “Nestlé is a global leader in that space, so getting to learn here straight out of uni is pretty special.”
The Next Gen Graduate Program gives participants hands-on experience in different factories and departments, building both technical knowledge and leadership skills. “The chance to move around and see how things operate across the country is incredibly valuable,” Andrew says.
A Day in the Life
Right now, Andrew is working on a project to replace non-compliant air conditioning units around the factory, a task that has been a crash course in project management.
“It’s a lot more complex than you’d think,” he laughs. “I’m responsible for coordinating contractors, scheduling site visits, reviewing quotes, and making sure everything aligns with Nestlé’s strict safety procedures.”
Along the way, he’s learning how to navigate Nestlé’s systems, from ordering products and managing bids to keeping on top of safety permits and training requirements.
“I’ve also been learning how to spot potential hazards and chat with people about how they can make their work safer,” Andrew adds. “It’s one of those skills that’s really valuable no matter where you go.”
What’s Next?
With each rotation, Andrew is broadening his skills and seeing new sides of the business. He regularly attends quality and production meetings to stay across what’s happening around the factory and contribute to improvements where he can.
“There’s always something new going on,” he says. “You learn so much just by being around different teams and seeing how they solve problems.”
For anyone thinking about a career in food science or manufacturing, Andrew has one piece of advice: get curious. “If you’re passionate about food and love figuring out how things work, Nestlé is one of the best places to start.”