Undergraduate Technical Placement - Yeo Valley

Yeo Valley Organic; Paignton; On-site; GBP 18,000 - 24,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Holiday allowance

Pension scheme

Life cover

Healthcare plan

Cycle to work

Product subsidies

Job summary

Yeo Valley Organic invites applications for a 12‑month Technical placement across our Quality, Laboratory and Compliance teams at our four South West sites. Start dates in July 2027 with a dedicated mentor and hands-on experience in a distinctive, independent food business.

You will gain exposure to site manufacturing in a fast-paced factory, perform GAP analyses, and support customer visits and complaint investigations while developing practical industry skills.

Qualifications

• Must be studying a relevant food-based degree.
• Demonstrable passion for food and the food industry.
• Great organisational and communication skills.
• Ability to think on your feet and solve problems.
• Good eye for detail and ability to liaise with people at all levels.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to multiple ongoing site projects and initiatives, with opportunity to lead a project.
• Gain exposure to site manufacturing in a fast-paced factory.
• Carry out GAP analysis and audit compliance levels of factory documentation.
• Assist with customer visits and inquiries.
• Hone investigative skills to resolve customer complaints.
• Participate in tasting panels.

Skills

Food industry passion

Organisational skills

Communication skills

Problem solving

Attention to detail

Teamwork

Stakeholder liaison

Education

Relevant food-based degree

Job description

So, what will I be doing?

Thinking of a career in food? Looking for an exciting industry placement in 2027?

We have an opportunity to join the Technical teams at each of our 4 production sites in the beautiful South West, on a 12-month placement. Our placements start in July 2027 for a 12 month contract.

Choose from…

Blagdon, Somerset- yogurt & yogurt based desserts

Cannington, Somerset- yogurt, yogurt drinks, yogurt pouches, nut yogurts

Crewkerne, Somerset- fruit conserves, chilled soups, strained yogurt

Newton Abbot, Devon- high care desserts & ice cream

Technical is made up of Quality, Laboratory and Compliance, who all ensure the safety and legality of our delicious products, from super thick yogurt to vegan and vegetarian soups, enjoyed by over 9 million households a year. Working closely with your dedicated mentor, you’ll gain invaluable experience and insight into a distinctive, proudly independent food business.

From our farming roots, we know first‑hand the impact climate change is having on our planet. At Yeo Valley, we want to nurture and nourish people and planet. This is why we’re committed to reducing our carbon emissions, tackling food waste and increasing the sustainability of our packaging. We’re passionate about regenerative farming practices and continually investing in green energy sources (such as our 10,000 solar panels across our sites).

During your Technical placement with us, here are some of the things you’ll be doing:

• Contributing to multiple ongoing key site projects and initiatives with an opportunity to lead a project of your own
• Gaining exposure to site manufacturing in a fast‑paced factory
• Carrying out GAP analysis and auditing compliance levels of factory documentation
• Assisting with customer visits
• Honing your investigative skills to resolve customer complaints
• Taking part in tasting panels – yum!

Sounds interesting, what do I need?

• You’ll be studying a relevant food‑based degree
• A demonstrable passion for food and the food industry
• Great organisational skills and communication skills
• Ability to think on your feet and solve problems
• A good eye for detail
• Confidence to liaise with people at all levels
• Ability to work collaboratively as part of a team

Why should I join the family?

We’re independent, British and proud to be making the highest quality yogurts, desserts and ice cream under the Yeo Valley brand and for many of the UK’s major retailers. Operating from four dairies and two logistics centres in Somerset and Devon, we employ over 2000 staff and produce more than 25% of the UK’s packaged yogurt.

We’re sure you don’t need convincing, but there’s a whole host of benefits that we offer including:

• competitive holiday allowance
• non‑contributory pension scheme
• life cover
• healthcare cash back plan
• cycle to work scheme
• subsidised Yeo Valley products and services
• preferential rates with our partners
• learning and development opportunities; we’re committed to ensuring all of our employees have the chance to grow

Our closing dates are a guide for when the application window should close, although we may close the advert sooner if we can.

Unfortunately, we’re not able to provide employment sponsorship to candidates at this moment in time.

Please note that Yeo Valley do not accept speculative agency applications; we will only accept applications from preferred suppliers that have been submitted to us via our recruitment portal at the point of instruction.