Kinisla Research & Development Graduate 2027

Kinisla Group; Charleville; On-site; EUR 28,000 - 32,000; Full time

Job summary

Kinisla Group in Ireland offers a permanent, full-time two-year Graduate Programme designed to fast-track future leaders. You will engage in hands-on projects across R&D, operations, quality and commercial teams from day one, with mentoring and structured development throughout.

Successful candidates will have a 2:1 degree in Chemistry, Biochemistry, Microbiology, Biotechnology or Biology and a strong desire to build a career in FMCG and food manufacturing.

Qualifications

• Degree with at least a 2:1 in Chemistry, Biochemistry, Microbiology, Biotechnology, Biology or related discipline.
• Strong interest in pursuing a career in Research & Development within FMCG/food manufacturing.

Responsibilities

• Support development and optimisation of dairy products from concept to commercialisation.
• Collaborate with operations, quality and supply chain for feasibility and readiness.
• Conduct bench-scale and pilot trials to improve performance, shelf life and nutrition.
• Document formulations and support product launches and improvements.

Skills

Curious learner

Adaptable

Self-starter

Stakeholder communication

Education

2:1 degree in Chemistry or related field

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 Research & Development at Kinisla:

At Kinisla, our Research & Development function is rooted in the practical application of dairy science and innovation. As a graduate, you will join a team that combines scientific expertise with commercial insight to develop and improve products that make a real impact. You will contribute to live projects from day one whether enhancing functionality, improving nutrition or supporting customer innovation through tailored dairy applications while collaborating with teams across operations, supply chain, quality and commercial.

Your responsibilities may include:

• Supporting the development and optimisation of dairy products from concept through to commercialisation across categories such as cheese, spreads and fermented dairy.

• Collaborating with operations, quality and supply chain teams to ensure product feasibility and manufacturing readiness.
• Conducting bench-scale and pilot trials to improve product performance, shelf life and sensory attributes, with a focus on nutrition and sustainability.
• Applying food science principles to enhance functionality and meet evolving customer and regulatory requirements.
• Participating in customer projects and technical requests, including troubleshooting, reformulation and scale-up activities.
• Maintaining accurate technical documentation and formulation records to support product launches and continuous improvement.
• Engaging with commercial teams to understand market needs and translate them into viable product solutions.
• 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 Research & Development 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 in Chemistry, Biochemistry, Microbiology, Biotechnology, Biology or a related discipline.
• You can demonstrate an interest in building a career in Research & Development within an FMCG and/or food manufacturing environment.
• 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.