Ares Holdings SETA Graduate Internship Programme 2027

Description

Ares Holdings SETA Graduate Internship Programme 2027 is a 12-month Project & Operations Coordinator placement for graduates who want practical experience in project management, retail operations and executive administration. The intern supports live operational projects across Ares Holdings’ retail business, helping teams keep plans, milestones, actions and reporting on track while also providing structured administrative support to the Operations Project Manager and Operations Leadership team. This makes the internship broader than a basic office-administration role. The successful candidate can work with project trackers, dashboards, status reports, meeting packs, risks, dependencies and process-improvement activity while gaining exposure to stores, distribution centres, support-office departments and external partners. It suits someone who wants an early-career route into project coordination or operations and is comfortable handling both analytical project information and the practical organisation needed to keep meetings, documentation and follow-up actions moving.

The Ares Holdings SETA Graduate Internship Programme 2027 is based in Cape Town and the official vacancy confirms a 12-month contract. It was posted on 11 August 2026 and closes on 25 August 2026. Ares accepts candidates who have completed or are in the process of completing qualifications across several business and operations fields, so applicants should connect their own academic background to the specific project, reporting or coordination work described in the vacancy.

Available Position

📌 Project & Operations Coordinator Graduate — 12 Months Contract

About Ares Holdings

Ares Holdings is a South African retail and distribution company that manages a portfolio of international footwear, apparel and accessories brands across owned stores, wholesale networks and e-commerce channels. Its current portfolio includes brands such as Crocs, Birkenstock, Under Armour, Vans, Hey Dude, Ted Baker and Oakley. The internship therefore sits inside a multi-brand retail environment where operational projects can involve stores, distribution, support teams, systems and external partners.

Project Coordination Responsibilities

• Support daily coordination of operational projects and help keep plans, milestones and timelines on track.
• Maintain project plans, trackers, action logs and dashboards using Excel, Monday.com and other project-management tools.
• Collect and consolidate operational project data for progress and KPI reporting.
• Prepare status reports, presentations, meeting packs and progress updates.
• Capture meeting minutes, actions, risks, issues, dependencies and project decisions.
• Coordinate meetings, workshops, store visits and stakeholder engagements.
• Support cross-functional initiatives involving stores, distribution centres, support-office teams and external partners.
• Track project deliverables and maintain accurate documentation across the project lifecycle.
• Support change-management communication, training coordination and implementation tracking.
• Contribute ideas that improve project templates, reporting tools and operational ways of working.

Executive and Administrative Support

The internship also includes direct support for the Operations Project Manager and Operations Leadership team. Tasks can include diary and meeting coordination, travel arrangements, agendas, presentations, reports, electronic filing, correspondence, meeting invitations, monthly operational reporting, event coordination, procurement requests, purchase orders, invoice tracking and supplier administration. The role therefore requires discretion and careful handling of confidential information as well as normal project-coordination ability.

Qualifications

Applicants should have completed or be in the process of completing a qualification in Project Management, Business Management, Operations Management, Supply Chain Management, Industrial Engineering, Commerce, Office Administration or a related field. The vacancy also asks for a genuine interest in project management, retail operations, business improvement and executive support.

Experience

Previous internship, vacation work or administrative/project-coordination experience is advantageous rather than mandatory. Exposure to retail operations, reporting, administration or cross-functional environments can also help. Candidates without formal experience should use academic projects or student responsibilities to show that they can plan work, maintain records, manage deadlines and coordinate with other people.

Skills

• Microsoft Office, particularly Excel.
• Accurate work with data, trackers and reports.
• Organisation and time management.
• Written and verbal communication.
• Ability to manage several tasks and changing priorities with guidance.
• Attention to detail and a structured approach to work.
• Willingness to learn digital collaboration and project-management systems.
• Basic awareness of tasks, timelines, risks and dependencies.
• Accountability, initiative, confidentiality and professional judgement.

What You Can Gain From This Internship

A 12-month placement gives enough time to build more than introductory workplace exposure. The intern can learn how project information is maintained from meeting notes through dashboards and status reports, how cross-functional work is coordinated across retail operations, and how administrative discipline supports senior operational leaders. Those examples can later support applications for junior project coordinator, operations coordinator, PMO support or business-administration roles.

How to Apply

Apply through Ares Holdings’ official Simplify.hr application page. The official vacancy closes on 25 August 2026, so applications should be submitted before the stated deadline.

Final Summary

This SETA graduate internship is a practical route for graduates interested in project coordination and retail operations. The role combines reporting, trackers, stakeholder coordination and process improvement with executive administration, giving the intern a broad view of how operational projects are managed inside a multi-brand retail company.