Operations Graduate
Job Title: Operations Graduate
Location: Port of Leith, with travel to other Scottish ports
Compensation: £32,000
Start Date: August 2026
FIND YOUR FUTURE AT FORTH PORTS
At Forth Ports, we keep trade, logistics, and infrastructure moving. Our emerging talent roles are central to this mission, developing the skills that power our economy and connect communities across the country.
Joining our Graduate Programme means gaining valuable experience in a dynamic, forward-thinking environment, while developing the capabilities that will support long-term career growth. You’ll have the opportunity to make a meaningful impact—helping businesses thrive, supporting the smooth operation of our ports, and contributing to projects that shape the UK’s infrastructure and renewable energy future. With our commitment to reach carbon neutrality by 2032 and Net Zero by 2042, we’re investing heavily in sustainable and digital technologies, including major growth in offshore wind and greener port operations. For you, this means joining a business that’s evolving, ambitious, and making a real difference.
At Forth Ports, our people are at the heart of everything we do and we are proud of our Gold accredited membership of The 5% Club, a milestone recognising our long-term commitment to developing emerging talent across the business. As we continue to invest in high-quality development opportunities, whether you’re starting your career, changing direction, or returning after time away, we’d love to hear from you.
We’re offering individuals the opportunity to develop their skills and progress their careers through our 2026 Graduate Programme. Throughout this two-year programme, you’ll take part in structured training and development designed to accelerate your growth, supported by dedicated mentors and clear progression pathways. You’ll have the chance to work toward relevant professional qualifications, gain hands-on experience on impactful projects, and build specialist knowledge in your chosen area. As part of the 2026 graduate cohort, you’ll learn alongside peers, connect with leaders from across Forth Ports and develop the capabilities you need for a successful long term career with us.
We will hold our assessment day for this role in April at one of our ports, where you will have the chance to meet some of the team and find out more about the role and the Graduate Programme. We will be in touch before then to let you know if you have been selected to attend.
About the role
What you will learn:
As a Graduate within the Operations team, you will join a two-year programme designed to build a strong foundation in port operations through structured rotations across our Scottish ports. You will begin your journey at the Port of Leith, where you will gain an in-depth understanding of the local operation and support key initiatives alongside the Forth Projects team.
Over the course of the programme, you will work across the Ports of Dundee, Grangemouth and Rosyth to broaden your operational knowledge and experience a variety of environments. The programme offers hands-on exposure, real responsibility and the opportunity to contribute to high-impact projects while developing the skills and insight needed for a long-term career in port operations.
A comprehensive understanding of cargo handling operations, including plant and equipment, resourcing requirements and productivity targets
An understanding of Health and Safety practices across complex operational environments, with involvement in projects supporting key H&S initiatives
Experience supporting and delivering operational improvement projects, including research into terminal optimisation, infrastructure and performance
Exposure to performance analysis through collaboration with IT, Business Intelligence and Commercial teams
Experience preparing management reports using Integrated Port Operations Systems and business analytics tools
Involvement in external audits and compliance reviews, supporting the implementation of resulting actions
An understanding of effective employee relations, including working with Port Operators and gaining insight into HR processes, occupational health, absence management and overtime planning
What can we offer you?
Structured learning and development pathway linked to your personal and professional growth, supporting long-term career progression
Competitive starting salary with regular reviews to recognise your performance and development
Discretionary group bonus
Generous annual leave entitlement of 34 days including bank holidays
Defined contribution pension scheme with up to 16.5% joint contribution plus life assurance at 4x salary
Health promotion events and employee wellbeing initiatives to support your physical and mental wellbeing
Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) providing free, confidential 24/7 telephone support for you and your family
On-site Occupational Health Team with access to professional support and referrals to services such as counselling, physiotherapy and free flu jabs
An annual Christmas thank you gift of a complimentary turkey or meat-free alternative for all employees
GymFlex health club memberships offering discounted access to gyms including Nuffield Health, PureGym, Anytime Fitness, The Gym Group, and selected local gyms
Cycle to Work scheme to support affordable, sustainable commuting
On-site free parking available for all employees
Attractive family-friendly policies, including enhanced maternity cover
Employee discount platform providing savings on UK-wide restaurants, retail, car rentals, days out, and holidays
What are we looking for?
We want to build on our success and to do this we know that we must continue to invest in our future business leaders. We are looking for someone who is curious and motivated to build a career in operations. You will be proactive in your approach to learning and confident building relationships with a wide range of stakeholders. We’d love someone who is as passionate as we are about creating a working environment that supports our values; Safe, Progressive, Collaborative, Genuine and Dependable. We are also looking for the following:
A business management related degree with a focus on logistics/supply chain management/business process optimisation with a minimum 2:1 achieved / expected
Flexibility to travel between sites is essential and, upon successful completion of the programme, you will be allocated a substantive role at one of our Scottish ports
Collaborative and keen to share information, knowledge and skill
Ability to plan, prioritise and work under pressure
Willing to take responsibility for your own learning
Full UK driving licence due to travel across our Ports
The successful candidate must by the start of their employment have permanent permission to work in the UK
We value diversity & inclusivity and we are an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds and will consider all applications for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or disability status.
What is the Application Process?
Application: Apply via the link on our vacancies page with your updated CV and cover letter detailing your interest in the position. Please note the deadline for applications is Monday 23rd February. We may close this vacancy earlier than advertised if we receive a large number of applications, so please apply early to avoid missing out.
Screening call: If your application is of interest, our Talent Acquisition team will be in touch for an initial discussion, answer any questions that you may have and invite you to the assessment centre.
Online Assessment: We will share a personal profiling assessment for you to complete ahead of the assessment day via email.
Confirmation email: We will share an email to confirm what to expect at the assessment centre, anything that you need to prepare and what to bring on the day.
Assessment Day: You meet the team and get a great feel for why Forth Ports is for you! This will take place in April.
We recognise that assessment centres may not be the best fit for everyone, so we are committed to offering alternative recruitment methods to ensure a fair and accessible process for all candidates.
What you will need
Required criteria
- A business management related degree with a focus on logistics/supply chain management/business process optimisation with a minimum 2:1 achieved / expected
- Flexibility to travel between sites is essential and, upon successful completion of the programme, you will be allocated a substantive role at one of our Scottish ports
- Full UK driving licence due to travel across our Ports
- The successful candidate must by the start of their employment have permanent permission to work in the UK
Forth Ports Group
Over our 50 years of experience we have witnessed our ports grow to become important assets to support and deliver growth both for the UK and local economies. The growth impact has been achieved due to the continued investments in our infrastructure, making sure that our ports are able to continually develop their services and support the growth of many industries. Our people have played a significant role. They have delivered the highest quality of service through their expertise, loyalty and flexibility and, without them, we could not have built the strong reputation and the long term agreements with many customers that we have today.
Welcome to Forth Ports Careers. As a leading port operator, we employ over 1,100 people across our ports in Scotland and the Port of Tilbury in London. A career in a port business is very rewarding. There is real variety within each role and significant opportunities for promotion and career development. Don’t just take our word for it; view the “Some of our People” section and the video below to gain insight into the kinds of jobs our employees do, how they’ve grown with us, and what motivates them each day. The port business can be seen as a barometer for the economy and this drives us to be adaptable and fast paced as we identify new business opportunities.
Our benefits
We are committed to creating a positive working culture for all employees, as well as a good work-life balance. Here are just some of the benefits of working for Forth Ports.