Connect and collaborate with peers and leaders around the world to develop personal connections and a truly global mindset. Broadening your capabilities and understanding of the transformative role of HR and the impact it has across the business. Whether in Talent Acquisition, People Analytics, Employer Branding or other HR placements, you’ll work in an inspiring, inclusive and supportive environment that truly values what you bring to the table.

Our Human Resources (HR) Graduate Programme is designed to identify individuals with the potential to develop the skills and experience our next generation of HR leaders need to succeed. We are looking for future leaders who are:

• Keen to develop an understanding of how business operates, and how HR contributes to its success through the development of individual talent and organisation-wide people strategies
• Excited by opportunities to analyze and interpret data to generate insights and actions that address business challenges and improve organisational performance
• Motivated to explore advances in new and emerging technology, and identify the opportunities technology offers to advance HR’s impact on the business
• Believe that actions, behaviours, values and ideas can influence others and help promote a positive, inclusive culture.

• How does the programme work? 

  The programme will help you identify and build on your natural strengths, skills and passions, and support your development as an HR professional.

  A key element of this three-year programme is leadership development. The first two years of the programme will include three individual, eight-month placements, each of which will provide invaluable experience and insight into how HR influences decisions, helps set strategy, and makes an impact across AstraZeneca.

  The programme is designed to help build your professional HR skills, understanding of different cultures, develop a global mindset, and broaden your experience of our business. You will join the programme in Shanghai (China) or Gaithersburg (US) but the programme includes an opportunity to live and work abroad, and to gain experience enabling you to understand the challenges and impact of an HRBP within a business unit.

HR Graduate Programme

Locations: China (Shanghai) and US (Gaithersburg)

Salary: Competitive

Applications Open: Applications for our 2022 intake are now closed.

Our Human Resources (HR) Graduate Programme is designed to identify individuals with the potential to develop the skills and experience our next generation of HR leaders need to succeed. We are looking for future leaders who are:

• Keen to develop an understanding of how business operates, and how HR contributes to its success through the development of individual talent and organisation-wide people strategies
• Excited by opportunities to analyze and interpret data to generate insights and actions that address business challenges and improve organisational performance
• Motivated to explore advances in new and emerging technology, and identify the opportunities technology offers to advance HR’s impact on the business
• Believe that actions, behaviours, values and ideas can influence others and help promote a positive, inclusive culture.

How does the programme work? 

The programme will help you identify and build on your natural strengths, skills and passions, and support your development as an HR professional.

A key element of this three-year programme is leadership development. The first two years of the programme will include three individual, eight-month placements, each of which will provide invaluable experience and insight into how HR influences decisions, helps set strategy, and makes an impact across AstraZeneca.

The programme is designed to help build your professional HR skills, understanding of different cultures, develop a global mindset, and broaden your experience of our business. You will join the programme in Shanghai (China) or Gaithersburg (US) but the programme includes an opportunity to live and work abroad, and to gain experience enabling you to understand the challenges and impact of an HRBP within a business unit.

Placements could be available across our HR function:

• Talent Acquisition
• Employer Branding
• Talent & Development
• People Analytics
• Employee Relations
• Payroll
• HR Services
• Reward

Development opportunities

To fulfil your potential and build a lasting career, we will help you in any way we can, including:

• Providing an encouraging line manager and personal mentor
• Giving you the chance to network and socialise
• Offering professional and in-house training schemes and qualifications
• Giving you the chance to work as part of a successful team
• Providing the opportunity to work across countries and cultures

Essential requirements

The HR Graduate Programme is open to graduates in any discipline who have completed their bachelor’s degree with a minimum of a 2:1 (or equivalent), or master’s degree in 2022, or are due to graduate by September 2022.

You should also be:

• Passionate about working in HR and the pharmaceutical industry, with a real ambition to make a difference to patients and our business
• Curious and open to new experiences, with the flexibility to work anywhere within HR
• Driven to take personal responsibility for your own development
• Open to feedback and eager to develop
• Confident challenging existing ways of working
• Proactive and keen to apply digital solutions to business challenges
• Fluent in English (written & spoken)