Are you looking for something different?
Two years. Real rotations. Real responsibility. At Diploma, you’ll find the freedom to lead, the support to grow, and the chance to make a difference from day one.
We’re a FTSE 100 group of specialist businesses that make the everyday world work. We provide the bolts that hold planes and race cars together, design the seals that make wind turbines work and help surgeons find the best solutions to deliver better patient outcomes.
Our programme, your future
See what two years at Diploma looks like, the businesses you'll work across, the skills you'll build, and the future you'll be growing into.
Curious
Fast learners who love a challenge
Entrepreneurial
Fresh ideas and the motivation to make it happen
Team player
Ready to roll up your sleeves and join in when needed
Relationship builder
Create long lasting customer relationships
Year 1
Rotation one
Learn the business fundamentals, embedded in one of our operating companies with real day-to-day responsibility.
Year 2
Rotation two
A second rotation broadens your commercial experience and builds the relationships you need across the Group.
Sales excellence & customer relationship management
Learn to build and manage relationships that last, and understand what excellent customer service really looks like.
Commercial awareness & financial management
Get to grips with the commercial fundamentals that drive decision-making across our businesses.
Teamwork & operations
Work alongside experienced teams to understand how our operations run day to day.
Delivering Value Responsibly
Understand what it means to do business the right way, for our people, our communities and the planet.
A line manager for day-to-day guidance
Quarterly reviews to help you develop
A mentor for broader career support
A graduate peer group to learn and grow alongside
One programme. Different experiences.
You could be working across marketing, business operations and market research at VSP Technologies, creating content, supporting company communications and helping identify new growth opportunities in emerging industries.
You could be generating new sales leads in our motorsport sales team at Clarendon Specialty Fasteners in Swindon
You could be analysing business performance, market trends, customer data, and financial information for R&G, turning data into insights that help the business grow, improve profitability and make better decisions.
You could be managing a portfolio of inactive customers and building it from scratch; researching their needs, making first contact, preparing quotes and winning their business back for Shoal Group.
You could be working with the Pricing Manager in our Hercules Aftermarket business, researching business needs and helping to develop the most effective pricing strategy.
You could be managing a key customer account in our aerospace portfolio at ISG.
You could be evaluating the customer journey, supporting digital merchandising and product initiatives, and delivering measurable improvements to customer experience in our Hercules Aftermarket business.
Phoenix Seymour
University
University of Leicester
First rotation
Clarendon, Leicestershire
The option to have rotations, learning in two different businesses and different roles, was really interesting for me because it gives me the opportunity to learn more about what I actually want to do long term. The international exposure has been a huge bonus too. I’m only four weeks in and I’ve already spent two weeks learning from our team in Germany.
Emma Murphy
University
University of Georgia
First rotation
Windy City Wire, Bolingbrook, Illinois
Meeting the other graduates has made me even more excited to get started. Knowing I’ll be learning, growing and navigating new experiences alongside a cohort of peers gives me confidence and makes the programme feel incredibly supportive.
Aixia Chen
University
University at Buffalo
First rotation
Clarendon, Irvine, California
What excites me most about the Diploma graduate programme is the opportunity to step outside my comfort zone and explore different parts of the business. It’s okay not to know everything because you’re learning every day.
Jamie Walford
University
University of Reading
First rotation
ISG, Swindon
The biggest thing I learned from the application process was not to overthink it. The assessment centre was far less stressful than I’d built it up to be in my head.
Charles Agresti
University
Pennsylvania State University
First rotation
Hercules Aftermarket, Clearwater, Florida
What’s stood out most to me is the breadth of Diploma’s businesses. You see the company names on the website, but it’s not until you join that you realise the scale of the portfolio, the variety of markets, and how global the business really is. Having the opportunity to learn from so many different companies, products and geographies is what makes the graduate programme unique.
Nicky Coursey
University
University of North Carolina
First rotation
VSP, Prince George, Virginia
You don't need to have everything figured out. Diploma is a place where you can learn, grow, and discover what kind of career you want to build.
Sean Doyle
University
University of Massachusetts
First rotation
TIE Industrial, La Vergne, Tennessee
If you're applying for this program, you're going to be someone who's adaptable, definitely eager to learn new things and be driven. If you have those things, it'd be a good match for you.
Aimah Laezoh
University
Imperial College London
First rotation
Shoal Group, Luton
Researching the businesses opened my eyes to how critical they are to their customers. Being part of a growing group and learning what makes these businesses so successful is something I'm really excited about.
Frequently asked questions
We’re not after one “type” of person – we’re after all types. Our team’s a mix of backgrounds, cultures, genders, and life experiences and that’s exactly how we like it. Yes, you’ll need a degree (any subject, any classification), but what really makes you stand out is:
Drive and grit – you have the determination to make things happen
Entrepreneur spirit – one day you want to run the show
Fast learner – you can pick things up quickly
Thrives in a fast-paced environment – change doesn’t scare you
Low ego, high impact – you’re grounded but ambitious
Here’s the journey from “I’m interested” to “I’m in”:
Applications open: 4-30 January 2027
Stage 1: Online aptitude and psychometric tests
Stage 2: Video (recorded) interview
Stage 3: Virtual 1:1 interview with one of the Diploma team (February/March 2027)
Stage 4: Final assessment | UK: Assessment Day (w/c 5 April 2027) / US: Virtual interviews with one of our Business Leaders (March 2027)
Stage 5: September 2026*
Start: September 2027*
*If you'd prefer to start earlier, you can join us from June 2027.
The programme officially starts in September 2027, but you can join us during the summer before if you prefer to start earlier.
This is not a "corporate" job based in Head Office, you'll be working at the heart of our business, in one of our small to medium-sized enterprises across the UK and US. You'll rotate through different roles, so you get a 360° view of our business. Think variety, challenge and a steep learning curve. Stuff like working in our sales teams to generate new customer leads, figuring out how to improve our technology to make us more agile, researching new markets and products to expand our business and working in our distribution centres to drive operational efficiency.
We’re an international group but you will be based in the UK or the US – your home location. Your rotations will take you to different businesses in your home country, so, yes, relocation might be part of the deal (don’t worry, we’ll help with costs).
UK locations include – Swindon, Luton, Warwickshire, Leicestershire, West Sussex, County Durham, Lancashire
US locations include – Clearwater, Florida; Irvine, California; Farmingdale, New York; New Jersey; Nashville (La Vergne), Tennessee; Richmond (Prince George), Virginia; Naperville, Illinois; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Cincinnati, Ohio
Because it’s a rotational programme, you’ll need to be open to being based at any of our locations during your rotations.
Yep. Some rotations might mean travel within your country, and once a year we all come together for a big development event – alternating between the US and UK. That means at least one international trip during the programme.
Right now, you’ll need to already have the unrestricted right to work in either the US or UK for the full duration of the programme and beyond.
In the UK, the starting salary is £38,000 and, in the US, the starting salary is $75,000. We will also support you relocating to join our businesses with £5,000 in the UK and $5,000 in the US. Plus, some great benefits on top.
You’ll get:
A full orientation
On-the-job learning that actually matters
Structured training (in both the US and UK) to get you the right skills in sales, finance and leadership
You won’t be thrown in the deep end. You’ll have:
A supportive line manager
A mentor from within the business
The graduate programme lead
A community of other grads going through it with you
The goal is simple: to turn you into one of our future leaders. If you ace it, there’s a clear pathway to stay and grow into senior roles.
