Graduate Sales & Business Development Programme

The Zeus Sales Flywheel Graduate Programme is a structured pathway designed to develop high-potential graduates into exceptional Sales and Business Development professionals and future leaders within Zeus.

Over three years, you’ll rotate through key commercial and operational functions, before taking full ownership of a sales territory and customer portfolio.

You’ll learn how Zeus grows – more customers, more products, more countries – and how you can play an active role in driving that growth.

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Who Is It For?

We’re looking for graduates who:

Hold a Bachelor’s degree – ideally in Business, Marketing, Engineering or a related discipline.
Are passionate about a career in professional sales, business development and customer relationship management.
Are ambitious, resilient and commercially minded with strong communication skills.
Show curiosity, learning agility and an entrepreneurial mindset aligned to Zeus values of integrity, agility and ownership.

What You’ll Experience:

During the first 9-18 months you will build a deep understanding of Zeus, our customers and the packaging industry through a series of structured modules

Business & Functional Induction

Introduction to Zeus History, Culture and Global Footprint
Time with HR, IT and other support functions to understand how the business operates

Customer Service

Front-line experience handling customer enquiries, managing orders and understanding the importance of service, accuracy and communication.

Operations, Warehousing & Production

Hands-on exposure to warehouse and logistics processes, stock management and KPIs.
Insight into end-to-end manufacturing, from design and raw materials to quality, efficiency and dispatch.

Procurement & Supply Chain

Learn how “well bought is half sold” – vendor management, negotiation, global sourcing, category ownership and stock management.

Finance & Reporting

Understand credit control, customer profitability, pricing, margins and how to read a basic P&L using tools like Power BI.

Sales Academy & Product Training

Market and competitor research, customer segmentation and product application.
Internal and external sales training, including cold calling, telesales, CRM, negotiation and formal third-party sales and Six Sigma training.

Marketing & Campaigns

Learn how branding, messaging and campaigns support sales; you’ll help set up a real campaign with Marketing, Sales and Purchasing.

Your Progression Pathway

Years 1-2: Graduate to Regional Sales Representative

0-9 Months – Foundations

- Focus: learning, rotations and commercial exposure (no formal sales target).
- Outcome: Bronze Sales Academy certification and interview for a regional sales role.

9-18 Months – Regional Sales Representative

Take ownership of a regional ledger (target around €750k at healthy margins).
Territory planning, prospecting, client visits, pipeline management, advanced CRM and data reporting.
Outcome: Silver Sales Academy certification and readiness for Business Development Manager responsibilities.

After 18 Months: Business Development Manager Pathway

Manage a portfolio starting around €2m, targeting growth to €5m.
Lead key account development, cross-selling and upselling, tenders and large contract opportunities.
Use advanced tools (Power BI, AI, account-based marketing) and process improvement skills (Lean Six Sigma) to deliver long-term growth.
Present Strategic Growth Pitches and Key Account Growth Stories to Zeus leadership, working towards Gold Sales Academy certification.

Rewards & Benefits

The programme offers:

A competitive graduate starting salary (from c. €30,000) with clear salary progression as you move into regional and business development roles.
Phone, laptop and use of/company car as you transition into field-based roles.
Structured salary and responsibility increases aligned to performance, engagement and behaviours.

(Full salary bands and progression details are available in the downloadable brochure.)

Ready to grow your career with Zeus?

If you’re ready to build a high-impact sales career in a fast-growing global business, we’d love to hear from you.

Download the full Graduate Sales & Business Development Programme brochure (PDF) here

For more information or to apply directly, contact Jobs@zeuspackaging.com