Graduate Rotational Programme
Our people
We work in small teams and have a very flat hierarchy. We are organised as follows:
The members of our team come from many different backgrounds. Read our profiles to find out more about who we are:
Liz
Senior Consultant
Strategy practice
I joined Javelin Group as the first person on the Graduate Rotational Programme in April 2006. I graduated in Natural Sciences from Clare College, Cambridge in 2004 and my first job was in product development at Disney Consumer Products. I was attracted to consultancy because of the variety of the work and the challenge of working across different disciplines. I also wanted to work in a smaller company where I could make a contribution within the company as well as on a project basis. Finding a consultancy that specialised in retail was a particular bonus, as it is a sector I could relate to, having always been a keen shopper!
The work I have done here has been very varied, and I can honestly say that no two weeks have been the same. I was working with a client in the first month, and proceeded to work on 11 different projects in my first year. These included retail strategy, multi-channel, due diligence, buying and merchandising and call-centres.
I have begun to develop something of a specialism in ecommerce. The firm has encouraged this, for example by sending me to Las Vegas for the annual ecommerce conference where I was able to network with many of the USA’s leading ecommerce practitioners and learn about their businesses.
The project teams are usually quite small and it’s often just a director and a consultant. This means that you get to work directly with senior colleagues, who are experts in their field, which is a great way to learn. Everyone who works here is very bright and above all enthusiastic about their work and retail in general. There is a good mixture of experience as some people come from a consulting background, but many others have years of experience working in retail. This provides a breadth of skills that differentiates us from other consultancies, and makes for an excellent training ground as a graduate.
Graduates start as consultants straight away, working directly with clients and inputting into all parts of the project. This means you get to see projects through from start to finish and you will participate in the meetings and presentations with the client. It’s not just analysis either – you will be expected to contribute your ideas and help shape the recommendations.
The work-life balance is surprisingly good for this type of job – consultancy is not well-known for allowing you to have a life! However, we are measured on the quality of our work, and not the hours we spend in the office. Most people are finished by 6.30pm and you could easily be the last person in if you’re still in the office at 7pm. Obviously there are times when you have to work longer as deadlines approach, but the best thing is that you manage your time yourself and there is no culture of face-time.
The company has a very flat structure, with little hierarchy. This is helped by the fact that we all sit in one large open-plan office, with all the different service lines together. We don’t tend to work on client site (other than the odd day), so everyone is on hand to answer questions, including directors, rather than being hidden away in offices or away with a client for days on end and therefore less approachable. It also means that you get to know everyone quickly, and we have a good social calendar, ranging from Friday nights in the local pub, to events like bowling and paintball, and the now-annual ski trip.
I would highly recommend Javelin Group if you want real responsibility from the beginning, interesting and challenging work in an exciting sector, and a great team environment. I feel lucky that I really enjoy what I do - and that I can count shopping as research!
Joe
Senior consultant
Operations practice
I joined Javelin Group in 2006 after completing my MSc at Imperial College Business School. Prior to this I had worked for three years at Arcadia Group in merchandising and for one year at Aldi on its graduate training scheme. My first degree was in Law from Newcastle University.
The main thing I enjoy about Javelin Group is the variety of work. Every project is different and every client is different. My projects have covered buying and merchandising, multi-channel, retail strategy and due diligence. My clients have ranged from Marks & Spencer to Sainsbury’s to Ekornes (a small Norwegian furniture manufacturer). By coincidence, several of my clients have been based in Copenhagen.
My role within these projects has also been varied. My core expertise is buying and merchandising and as such I have advised a number of retailers on best practice in this area. However, you are encouraged to work outside of your ‘sweet spot’, so I have also built up my knowledge of multi-channel retail and retail strategy.
The project teams at Javelin Group are typically small (2-3 people) which means you are expected to make a significant contribution. You are actively encouraged to voice your opinion and seek additional responsibility. The free flow of ideas and varied mix of people means you are always learning, making the company a stimulating place to work.
Mark
Consulting Manager
Operations practice
Following four years at an outsourced fulfilment provider and six months at Screwfix Direct as operations and development manager, I joined Javelin Group in October 2001. I was attracted by the challenge and the opportunity to work on a wide variety of projects dealing with multiple clients in many different environments.
My work is very varied and includes process mapping and re-engineering requirements capture, call centre and warehouse benchmarking, implementation of new warehouses and call centres and defining the multi channel fulfilment strategy for clients. I also work on projects to improve the efficiency of operations and reduce unnecessary tasks by utilising technology more effectively. I meet and work with people across all levels – from directors to end-users.
I enjoy visiting different operations (call centres and warehouses) and seeing how they are structured, managed and operated, trying to take best practices from the experience and then being challenged to come up with practical solutions knowing that these are likely to be used and to make a different to numerous users. At Javelin Group I have the opportunity to learn from true industry experts, across different practice areas, and work both independently and as part of a small team.
Andrew
Associate Director
Locations practice
After I graduated from Durham University with a degree in French and Spanish, I spent two years on the WHSmith graduate trainee programme before moving to Management Horizons Europe where I spent five years working in the Shopping Centre Evaluation practice area.
I joined Javelin Group in March 2004, having been attracted by Javelin Group’s exciting growth and the opportunities this offers for career development. Since joining I have been promoted to Associate Director, focusing on delivering shopping centre projects to our developer/owner clients. Our work has taken me to many different places, not only in the UK but also various interesting places around Europe. Typically, our projects include tenant mix strategy for shopping centres and assessing the sales and rental potential for retail-led schemes.
At Javelin Group, the people are down to earth, easy to get on with and take great pride in the work that they do. Everybody seems to be working together with the common goal of making the company better and more successful. I find that working here is a rewarding experience. Whilst inevitably there are times when the workload gets extremely heavy, there is a feeling that this effort will be rewarded and recognised.