Kepak Technical 12 Month Industrial Placement Programme 2027 - UK

Cooper & Hall Limited; Kirkham; Remote; GBP 24,000 - 29,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee Discount Scheme

Educational Assistance/ L&D

Cycle to work scheme

Employee assistance programme

Job summary

Cooper & Hall Limited is offering a 12-month Technical Placement at its Kirkham site, designed to give university students hands-on exposure to Hygiene, Quality Control and Production within a fast-paced meat processing environment.

You will rotate across departments, perform daily quality checks, analyze data and escalate issues as needed, while developing strong stakeholder and communication skills under expert mentorship. July 2027 start, salary £26,500 for the year.

Qualifications

• 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.

Responsibilities

• Rotational Training across technical departments: Hygiene, Quality Control, Production.
• Quality Control: daily hygiene checks, product quality assessments, equipment inspections.
• Issue Identification & Escalation: identify quality issues and escalate to LM or Technical Manager.
• Data Analysis: analyse QC data to identify trends and implement corrective actions.
• Communication: communicate quality issues and resolutions within QC and with production staff.
• Stakeholder Management: build relationships with internal stakeholders and address quality concerns.
• Compliance: ensure food safety laws, customer requirements and internal standards are followed.

Skills

Attention to Detail

Problem-Solving

Time Management

Communication

Adaptability

Education

Degree in Food Science/Technology/Agriculture

Job description

Role Purpose

The Technical 12 Month Industrial Placement programme is designed to give university students unparalleled insight, training and support around Technical for the UKs best selling micro snacking brand, Rustlers, which we produce at our Kirkham site. We are looking for passionate and driven individuals to join the team on our 12-month Technical Placement.

Key Responsibilities

These are some of the Key Responsibilities from our Technical Graduate programme, our Placement students will be getting exposure to similar things, just not all to the same depth as the Graduates.

• 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.

Other Role Information

• Work Environment: This role is based in a food production facility. Candidates should be comfortable working in such settings.

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.

You can expect:

• To be fully immersed into our Culture from day 1, working alongside key industry experts and Kepak leaders

• 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: July 2027 for 12 Months

Salary - £26,500

Who are we looking for?

We are looking for hardworking and ambitious Students, who want to learn and grow in a challenging and fast paced environment.

We see our Placement programme as a pipeline into our business, either on the Graduate programme or for direct entry roles.

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.

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

Benefits

• Employee Discount Scheme

• Educational Assistance/ L&D

• Cycle to work scheme

• Employee assistance programme