Kinisla Operations Graduate 2027

Kinisla; Listowel; On-site; EUR 26,000 - 36,000; Full time

Job summary

Kinisla invites graduates to join a permanent, full-time two-year Leadership Programme designed to fast-track careers into senior roles. From day one you’ll gain hands-on operations experience, mentoring, and cross-functional exposure across the business.

The programme commences September 2027 with an in-person assessment in the week of 18 January 2027. On this “Engine room” pathway you’ll build leadership, commercial and operational capabilities through structured learning, real projects and

Qualifications

• Must have a degree with at least a 2:1.
• Degree related to operations, food science, or supply chain is helpful but not essential.
• Demonstrate interest in a career in FMCG/food manufacturing.
• Be curious, open to learning and actively seek feedback.

Responsibilities

• Support plant operations to meet production targets.
• Lead or assist with projects for new product introductions and process improvements.
• Collaborate with supply chain, quality, finance, health and safety, and commercial teams.
• Participate in Lean Manufacturing and HACCP training.
• Demonstrate learning by seeking feedback and building cross-functional relationships.
• Develop understanding of Kinisla’s product portfolio and its applications across channels.

Skills

Self-starter

Ambitious

Curious learner

Collaborative

Adaptable

Stakeholder management

Education

Bachelor's degree (2:1)

Degree related to operations / supply chain / food science

Job description

Start Your Career with Kinisla!

Join the Kinisla Graduate Programme in a permanent, full-time role designed for ambitious graduates who aspire to become future senior leaders in our business. This is more than an entry-level graduate job: it is a structured two-year leadership development programme commencing September 2027. It combines formal learning, hands‑on operational experience, meaningful projects, mentoring across the business. From day one, you will be challenged to build the commercial, operational and leadership capabilities needed to grow your career with Kinisla.

Assessment centres will take place during the week commencing 18 January 2027. As part of the selection process, you must be available to attend in person during that week.

Working in Operations at Kinisla:

Operations is the engine room of Kinisla. From the arrival of materials and ingredients on site to final product dispatch, our operations teams ensure processes run safely, efficiently and sustainably, delivering high-quality dairy products to customers and consumers.

On our two-year programme, you will have the opportunity to build experience across the Kinisla business, gaining exposure to different areas and developing a broader understanding of how we operate. Your responsibilities may include:

• Supporting plant operations and contributing to the delivery of production targets.
• Leading or assisting with projects related to new product introductions, process optimisation and continuous improvement.
• Collaborating with supply chain, quality, finance, health and safety, and commercial teams to deliver cross‑functional solutions.
• Participating in Lean Manufacturing and HACCP training to build your technical and compliance capabilities.
• Taking ownership of your learning by asking questions, seeking feedback and building relationships across functions.
• Building a strong understanding of Kinisla’s product portfolio and its application across retail and foodservice channels.

Developing Kinisla’s Future Leaders:

Our Graduate Programme is designed to accelerate your development and prepare you for increasing responsibility and future leadership opportunities at Kinisla.

You will benefit from:

• A permanent role with structured development over two years.
• Off‑the‑job learning modules, mentoring and group projects.
• Hands‑on responsibility and meaningful project work from day one.
• Opportunities to build a broad network across Kinisla.

By the end of the programme, you will have built strong operational expertise, a broad understanding of the business and the leadership foundations to progress towards more senior roles at Kinisla.

Do You Have What It Takes?

• You are on track to achieve, or have recently completed, a degree with at least a 2:1 classification.
• A degree related to operations, food science, supply chain or a similar discipline would be helpful but is not essential.
• You can demonstrate an interest in a career in FMCG and/or food manufacturing.
• You are curious, open to learning and actively seek feedback.
• You are a self‑starter who takes ownership, prioritises effectively and adapts to changing priorities.
• You can influence, listen and build trust with internal and external stakeholders.
• You are ambitious, challenge the status quo and look for scalable ways to improve the business.
• You are flexible to work across different sites and functions.
• You are eligible to work permanently in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland

Discover Your Future with Kinisla:

Kinisla is a vertically integrated dairy, nutritional ingredients and consumer foods business, built on more than 50 years of expertise in milk processing, dairy and nutritional ingredient technology, and product innovation.

Working in close partnership with 2,600 family farms, we produce high-quality, low‑carbon‑intensity milk for dairy and nutritional ingredient solutions, alongside a strong portfolio of trusted, market‑leading consumer products and brands.

With manufacturing operations across Ireland, Northern Ireland and the UK, and a global customer reach, Kinisla is a trusted and forward‑looking supplier of high‑quality dairy products, ingredients and nutritional solutions. Our four business areas are Agribusiness, Dairy Ingredients, Nutritional Ingredients, and Consumer Foods.

Our purpose is to reimagine dairy for better food and a future worth farming for. Through expertise, innovation and responsible growth, we are helping to shape a more regenerative and climate‑conscious future for our dairy.

Rooted in the South‑West of Ireland, Kinisla combines deep heritage, global expertise and innovation to create exciting products, partnerships and careers. Our values are Together, Braver, and Further.