Product Team Assistant (Placement Year 2024/25)

Product Team Assistant

(Undergraduate Internship/Placement Year – 12 months)

Welcome to Kia UK!

About Us

Kia UK is a leading automotive brand offering one of the industry’s largest range of models across multiple vehicle segments, and is the fourth most popular UK car brand in 2023. With more than 190 Kia dealerships across the country, Kia is now widely known for its advanced electrified products offering the technology of tomorrow, today. Spearheading this charge are award-winning products including the fully electric EV6 – Kia’s first dedicated electric vehicle – and the pioneering EV9.

Kia UK has consistently grown for over 30 years, supported by bold design, quality products and ever-evolving customer service. By 2027, the brand aims to offer no less than nine fully electric vehicles in the UK, a positive step towards becoming a leading global sustainable mobility solutions provider.

The Role

The Product Team Placement Student will support the Product Team with analysis and insightful reporting on Kia’s model and future portfolio, focussing on activities linked to the new model launch process. This includes competitor analysis, measurement of Kia’s individual model performance and ad hoc projects to help the Product Team bring new cars to market.

Working closely with the wider Marketing team the Product Team Placement Student will support the generation and maintain the accuracy of Kia product data and product-related assets that are shared within KUK, the dealer network and utilised in Marketing materials to the public, in line with Kia’s overall strategy.

Responsibilities include:

• Review and appraise the latest trends in the automotive industry

• Regular reporting and insightful analysis: e.g. sales volumes & mixes, profitability

• Manage process of regular reporting to European head office

• Research into and completion of market surveys

• In-depth checking of Communications materials / assets prior to publication

• Assist the Product Specialists in developing product and pricing proposals

• Collaborate with key stakeholders to provide innovative solutions to optimize internal and external processes

• Identify process gaps and process implementation planning

• May progress to own responsibility of a product

The Team

The Marketing team is run with a high-performance culture, operating with genuine collaboration, clear communication, setting high standards and leading by example. We invest heavily in our employees, and you will be fully supported throughout your internship with us. You will gain a huge amount of experience, knowledge and technical skill to set you up for a successful career, and we pride ourselves on retaining great talent – in fact, we have hired several previous interns after they have completed the final year of their degree.

About You

The ideal candidate will be:

• Studying a relevant degree (e.g. a Business or Marketing related subject)

• Able to work effectively within a team and independently.

• Passionate and hard-working, open to developing knowledge and skills.

• Proactive, taking the initiative to develop fresh approaches and new solutions.

The ideal candidate will have:

• A high level of attention to detail.

• A positive, can-do attitude.

• Effective written and verbal communication skills.

• Good organisation skills.

• Full driving licence (requirement for Product Marketing role)

The Benefits

• £20,000 salary

• 24 days annual leave + Bank Holidays

• Hybrid working (2 days a week remote working)

• Employee car scheme

• Onsite chef (free lunch every day)

• Private medical care & annual health check

• Private dental care

• Income protection, critical illness protection & life assurance

• Pension with significant employer contribution

• Social events (Spring Ball, Christmas events, social activities) and weekly sports clubs

• Opportunity to get involved with our charity partners

The Location

The Kia UK Head Office is based in Walton-on-Thames, just a 5 minute walk from the station. We also have plenty of on-site parking for drivers, including EV charging ports.

There is step-free access throughout the building, but please let us know if you require any additional accessibility support and we will cater to your needs as best we can.

The Process

Step 1: Apply using the link below

Step 2: Attend a remote video interview

Step 3: Attend an in-person assessment centre at our Head Office

At Kia, we are committed to employing the best-qualified people and provide equal opportunity for the advancement of employees including promotion and training and thereby not discriminating against any person because of gender, race, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, religion, belief, or disability.