Kepak Food Safety (Technical) Graduate Programme 2026 - Wales

Kepak Group; Merthyr Tydfil; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading meat processing company in Wales is offering a Graduate Programme aimed at developing future leaders within the industry. This role involves rotations through various technical departments, focusing on Quality Control and food safety compliance. Candidates with a degree in relevant fields are encouraged to apply. The programme presents a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience with a starting salary of £28,000, increasing to £29,500 in the second year, alongside career development opportunities.

Benefits

Employee Discount Scheme

Service-Related Annual Leave

Discounted Health Insurance

Educational Assistance

Discounted Meat Products

Cycle to work scheme

Employee assistance programme

Qualifications

• Ability to perform repetitive tasks consistently with high accuracy.
• Strong analytical skills to grasp complex concepts quickly.
• Manage daily tasks efficiently within designated timeframes.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Willingness to learn and adapt within various roles.

Responsibilities

• Participate in rotational placements across technical departments.
• Conduct hygiene checks and product quality assessments.
• Identify and escalate quality issues during inspections.
• Analyze quality control data to maintain product standards.
• Build relationships with internal stakeholders while addressing quality concerns.
• Ensure adherence to food safety laws and internal standards.

Skills

Attention to Detail

Problem-Solving

Time Management

Communication

Adaptability

Education

Degree in Food Science, Technology, Agriculture, or related field

Job description

Kepak Food Safety (Technical) Graduate Programme 2026 - Wales

Role Purpose

The Graduate Scheme is designed to develop technical expertise within the meat processing industry, with a focus on Quality Control (QC). The role offers an opportunity to gain hands‑on experience through rotations in various technical departments before specialising in QC. Graduates will be trained to ensure the highest standards of food safety, hygiene, and product quality, preparing them for 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, which includes abattoir environments. 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 pathway to roles such as Site Technical Manager within 5–6 years.
• Location: The role is based in Wales, 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 & UK’s leading meat businesses. The programme lasts 2 years.

You can expect:

• To be fully immersed into our Culture from day 1, working alongside key industry experts and Kepak leaders
• An opportunity to work in various departments across the business with a rotation plan tailored to your development, the rotations plan will vary by site
• Gain an in depth understanding of our brands and products, and our relationships with customers and consumers
• To learn key aspects of our business, whilst you develop your skills and knowledge
• The opportunity to develop personally and professionally through exposure to key projects, tasks and development activities that challenge you, all supported by a detailed learner journey and training plan
• A dedicated mentor and development program to support you both on the programme and into a role that best fits your skills

Start date: September 7th 2026

Starting Salary: £28,000 with an up to £1,500 increase at the start of Year 2 to £29,500

Role Location: Kepak Merthyr, Merthyr Tydfil, Wales

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 analyse information, solve problems, and summarise 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

• Employee Discount Scheme
• Service‑Related Annual Leave
• Discounted Health Insurance
• Educational Assistance/ L&D
• Discounted Meat Products
• Cycle to work scheme
• Employee assistance programme