Commercial Assistant - Undergraduate Placement

Commercial Assistant - Undergraduate Placement 
£24,570 plus great benefits (Work Level 6C) 
Manchester City Centre, in this role you’ll work in a hybrid way splitting your time between home, and coming into the office three times a week.

Looking for a placement that gives you real responsibility and the chance to make an impact? Join us at Co-op as a Commercial Assistant and gain hands-on experience in a fast-paced retail environment. This is your opportunity to learn, grow, and contribute to a team that shapes the products and promotions our customers see every day.

Why this role matters

Our Commercial team is at the heart of Co-op. We make sure the right products are on shelves, at the right price, and promoted in the right way. As a Commercial Assistant, you’ll play a key role in keeping everything running smoothly, managing data, supporting projects, and working with colleagues across the business. Your work will help us deliver strategies that make a real difference to our members and communities.

What you’ll do

• Keep our systems up to date with accurate product, price, and supplier data
• Support the buying team with reports, documents, and meeting preparation
• Communicate with internal and external stakeholders to keep everyone aligned
• Help load promotions and commercial terms into systems
• Resolve payment and price queries quickly and efficiently
• Track timelines and flag risks to the team
• Attend meetings and training to build your knowledge and skills
• Make sure we’re compliant with legal and regulatory requirements

What you’ll bring

• We’re not expecting you to know everything on day one, but we are looking for:
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy
• Good organisational skills and the ability to prioritise tasks
• Confidence working with data and spotting patterns
• A proactive approach and willingness to learn
• Clear communication skills and the ability to work with others
• A positive attitude and readiness to take on new challenges
• You’ll also need to be currently undergoing a business related degree and looking for a placement to start in Sept 2026.

Why Co-op?

At Co-op, we’re owned by our members. And because we’re owned by you, we can do right by you. So when you join us, you’re not just taking a job, you’re joining a movement. We’re an organisation that puts people and communities first, and we’re powered by purpose. We want this to be a place where you can thrive, so you’ll also receive:

• An annual bonus (based on personal and business performance)
• 28 days holiday (rising to 32 with service) plus bank holidays 
• A pension with up to 10% employer contributions
• Access to a subsidised onsite gym (at our Manchester HQ)
• Coaching and training to support your career development
• Wagestream app – giving you access to a percentage of your pay as you earn

Building a diverse environment

We’re actively building diverse teams and we welcome applications from everyone. If you have a disability, we can make reasonable adjustments to our recruitment process according to your needs. We're also part of the Disability Confident scheme, meaning we'll always offer an interview to disabled candidates who apply through the scheme if they meet the minimum criteria for a job.

We'll ask whether you’d like to be considered under the Disability Confident scheme when you apply.
If we invite you to take part in the recruitment process for any of our jobs, we’ll ask you if you need any reasonable adjustments to enable you to participate.

You can find out more about our recruitment process at jobs.coop.co.uk/apply-process

You can find out more about the Disability Confident scheme at Disability Confident Scheme - Co-op Colleagues and more about our commitments to diversity and inclusion at Diversity and Inclusion

Please note that we may close applications for this role early.

As part of your application, you'll need to complete an online assessment. This assessment typically takes up to 50 minutes. If you're a current Co-op colleague, this does not need to be completed.