Retail Excellence Trainee: In-Store Activation & Ops

At Arla Foods, we are looking for an energetic and detail-oriented In-Store Excellence Trainee to support the execution of retail excellence initiatives across the market.

The In-Store Excellence Trainee supports the execution of retail excellence programs across all channels, ensuring compliance with brand guidelines, merchandising standards, and operational processes. This role offers recent graduates the opportunity to develop hands‑on experience in trade activation, retail operations, and cross‑functional collaboration to deliver exceptional in‑store execution.

• Ensure Perfect Store compliance through continuous monitoring and enforcement of visual merchandising, operational standards, and execution across all retail formats.
• Conduct regular store audits to ensure adherence to brand guidelines and contractual obligations (including BDA and short-term contracts from the CD team).
• Track and manage asset deployment, ensuring correct placement, maintenance, and compliance with standard operating procedures (SOPs).

• Assist in the implementation of seasonal campaigns, product launches, and ad‑hoc activation projects.
• Coordinate with agencies and second‑party partners to guarantee timely delivery, compliance, and high-quality execution.
• Provide on‑ground support during key retail events and campaigns (e.g., Ramadan, Back‑to‑School), ensuring effective execution and post‑activity evaluation.
• Collaborate closely with Sales, Merchandising, and Operations teams to monitor project progress, ensure process alignment, and drive timely follow‑up for seamless delivery.
• Work with warehouse logistics and agency partners to manage asset distribution, track inventory, and ensure consistent availability across depots.

• Assist in developing, manage, and maintain category planograms, ensuring alignment with category strategies and execution standards.
• Consolidate contracts, project timelines, and reports to enhance visibility, accountability, and progress tracking for ongoing initiatives.

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, Marketing, Management, or a related field.
• Strong interest in retail operations, merchandising, or trade marketing.
• Excellent organizational and analytical skills, with proficiency in Excel and reporting tools.
• Strong communication and teamwork abilities.
• Willingness to travel frequently to retail locations for monitoring and audits.