Food Safety & Quality Graduate Programme
Kepak Group
Food Safety & Quality Graduate Programme
Kepak Group
European meat processor with global reach
Kepak Group · Portlethen, United Kingdom · Full-time · Posted 2026-10-06
Salary: GBP 29,500–29,500
Workplace: on_site
Department: Graduate Technical
We are seeking to recruit for the 2027 Food Safety & Quality Graduate Programme at our location in McIntosh Donald, Portlethen, Scotland.
Role Purpose
The Graduate Scheme is designed to develop technical expertise within the meat processing industry, with a focus on Food Safety & Quality Control (QC). The role offers an opportunity to gain hands-on experience, Graduates will be trained to ensure the highest standards of food safety, hygiene, and product quality, preparing them for potential future leadership roles such as a Site Technical Manager.
Key Responsibilities
•Rotational Training: Participate in rotational placements across various technical departments, including Hygiene, Quality Control, and Production.
•Quality Control: Conduct daily hygiene checks, product quality assessments, and equipment inspections to ensure compliance with company and regulatory standards.
•Issue Identification & Escalation: Identify potential quality issues during inspections and escalate them to the Line Manager (LM) or Technical Manager as required.
•Data Analysis: Analyse quality control data to identify trends and implement corrective actions to maintain product standards.
•Communication: Effectively communicate quality issues and resolutions within the QC team and with other stakeholders such as production supervisors and line workers.
•Stakeholder Management: Build strong relationships with internal stakeholders, maintaining assertiveness when addressing quality concerns while fostering a collaborative working environment.
•Compliance: Ensure the implementation and adherence to food safety laws, customer requirements, and internal standards, communicating these effectively to all levels within the company.
Key Competencies
•Attention to Detail: Ability to perform repetitive tasks consistently while maintaining high levels of accuracy.
•Problem-Solving: Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to quickly grasp complex concepts.
•Time Management: Efficiently manage daily tasks to ensure all duties are completed within designated timeframes.
•Communication: Strong verbal and written communication skills; able to work cross-functionally and at various levels of the organization.
•Adaptability: Willingness to learn and adapt to various roles within the technical team, with the potential to manage people in the future.
Other Role Information
•Work Environment: This role is based in a meat processing facility. Candidates should be comfortable working in such settings.
•Career Development: This scheme is designed to develop graduates into future leaders within the company, with a clear potential pathways to roles such as Site Technical Manager.
•Location: The role is based in Scotland, but candidates should be willing to travel to other Kepak, and external, locations as required.
Our Graduate programme allows dynamic, motivated, hardworking, and passionate Graduates an opportunity start their career with one of Ireland & UKs leading meat businesses. The programme lasts 2 years.
You can expect:
Start date: September 6th 2027
Starting Salary - £29,500 with an up to £1,500 increase at the start of Year 2 to £31,000
Read more about our programme and hear from some of our Graduates:https://www.kepak.com/careers/graduates/
Who are we looking for?
We are looking for hardworking and ambitious Graduates, who want to learn and grow in a challenging and fast paced environment, by performing real roles as part of your rotations.
You must be mobile and willing to travel throughout the programme to undertake development activities at any of our sites in the UK and Ireland.
Knowledge, Skills, and Experience
•Educational Background: A degree in Food Science, Technology, Agriculture, Agricultural Science, or a related field. Candidates with a general science degree and a demonstrated interest in the agri-sector are also considered.
•Skills: Understanding of the agricultural sector, particularly within the red meat industry, is beneficial. Ability to analyze information, solve problems, and summarize conclusions.
•Experience: Previous work experience in the food industry is not required but is considered an advantage. Preference is given to candidates with experience gained through internships, placements, or self-initiated work within operations or technical roles.
Personal Attributes
•Enthusiasm & Willingness to Learn: Open to new experiences and eager to acquire knowledge in the meat processing industry.
•Confidence & Assertiveness: Able to communicate assertively and stand their ground when addressing quality issues while maintaining amicable relationships with colleagues.
•Resilience: Comfortable working in a challenging environment, including exposure to abattoirs and carcass locations.
We will be looking for alignment with our Core Values:
Responsibility – Ability to work on your own initiative and take accountability for your actions
Ambition – You will have the willingness and confidence to challenge yourself to be the best you can be and be driven to succeed
Passion for Food – this is at the heart of everything we do, you must be passionate about every aspect of our industry
Teamwork – ability to build positive relationships quickly with people from all cultures and career stages is pivotal
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European meat processor with global reach
Kepak Group is a large meat processor based in Ireland with 14 facilities across Ireland and the UK and sales offices worldwide. It produces and markets a wide range of fresh and value-added meat products for international foodservice and retail markets, guided by consumer insight and ongoing R&D. The company combines scale with a family-owned culture, offering a broad portfolio of brands and a strong focus on sustainable production, being a founding member of Origin Green. Its goal is to grow the business and its people, expanding its international footprint while maintaining high quality, sustainability, and value for customers.
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