Kepak Commercial Graduate Programme 2027 - UK
Requirements
The programme is open to graduates from all disciplines and backgrounds; relevant food service, FMCG, or related industry experience is beneficial but not essential. Candidates should demonstrate commercial understanding, customer and account management skills, adaptability, teamwork, self-motivation, and willingness to travel across UK and Ireland sites.
Job Description
The Graduate Programme is designed to equip participants with the essential skills, knowledge, and experience needed to succeed in the meat processing industry, specifically through rotations within our sales, marketing and new-product-design teams. Graduates will start by gaining hands-on experience on the factory floor, providing a solid foundation in operations before progressing into sales and account management roles. The aim is to develop well-rounded professionals who understand the full product lifecycle, from production to customer delivery, and who can drive sales while ensuring product and price alignment.
Key Responsibilities
- Customer Engagement: Develop and maintain strong relationships with customers by understanding their specific needs and delivering bespoke solutions tailored to their requirements
- Sales & Negotiation: Lead and manage sales activities, from prospecting to closing deals, ensuring both revenue and margin targets are met
- Product Development Collaboration: Work closely with New Product Development (NPD) teams to ensure that products meet customer specifications and pricing requirements
- Market Analysis: Monitor industry trends, competitor activities, and market conditions to adapt sales strategies accordingly
- Project Management: Oversee the implementation of sales and marketing plans, ensuring timely execution and alignment with company goals
- Brand Ambassador: Represent the company at various industry events, maintaining a strong professional presence and promoting our brand values
- Continuous Improvement: Identify and implement opportunities for process improvements, both in sales and operations, to enhance efficiency and effectiveness
- Customer Orientation: Ability to understand and respond to customer needs with bespoke solutions
- Commercial Acumen: Understanding of market drivers, profitability, and competitive forces within the livestock industry
- Negotiation Skills: Capable of closing deals that are beneficial for both the customer and the company
- Analytical Thinking: Ability to analyse data and market conditions to make informed decisions
- Resilience: Handle a heavy workload and frequent travel with a positive attitude, learning from failures and continuously improving
- Project Management: Effective in planning, executing, and overseeing projects to successful completion
- Travel: This role requires travel to various customer sites and company locations, offering a dynamic and varied work environment
- Work Environment: Initial placement on the factory floor followed by office-based and client-facing roles
- Career Path: Graduates are expected to progress into more senior commercial roles, with opportunities to advance to management within five years, based on performance
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
Starting Salary - £29,500 with an up to £1,500 increase at the start of Year 2 to £31,000
Role Location - Kepak Kirkham, Kirkham, Lancashire, England
Read more about our programme and hear from some of our Graduates: https://www.kepak.com/careers/graduates/
Requirements
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.
We will consider undergraduates from all disciplines and backgrounds.
Knowledge, Skills, And Experience
- Industry Experience: Prior experience in food service, FMCG, or a related industry is beneficial, but not essential. General sales experience is less applicable unless accompanied by a strong understanding of our industry
- Skills: Strong abilities in channel and customer strategy, account management, joint business planning, and commercial analysis
- Business Acumen: Demonstrated understanding of the sales process within the food industry, including pricing, margins, and costings
- Team Player: Collaborative approach to working with colleagues across various departments
- Self-Motivation: Driven to succeed and comfortable working independently
- Confidence & Assertiveness: Able to communicate assertively and stand their ground when addressing quality issues while maintaining amicable relationships with colleagues
- Adaptability: Flexible and able to adjust to different roles, challenges, and environments
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
Skills
About Kepak Group
Kepak Group is a family-owned food company and one of Europe’s leading producers, with over 4,500 people across 14 sites in Ireland and the UK, and a global footprint across Europe, the US, Asia and Africa. We produce fresh and value-added meat products for retail and foodservice customers worldwide, supported by brands including Rustlers, Big Al’s and John Stone. Our people are at the heart of Kepak. We’re focused on building careers, developing skills and creating real opportunities to grow. Our culture is open, practical and down to earth — built on teamwork, respect and a shared focus on getting the job done well. We continue to invest in how we work, the quality of our products and the needs of our customers, while working closely with our farmer partners to produce food responsibly. Kepak is growing and evolving — and we’re looking for people who want to grow with us. Find out more at www.kepak.com Innovation and quality is the lifeblood of Kepak Group’s business ethos. Kepak continuously invest in consumer insight and innovation through research and development. As a founding member of Origin Green, the group has a strong reputation for sustainable food production and farming practices. Kepak have a portfolio of market leading brands including Rustlers, Big Al’s, Crafty Chef and John Stone. At Kepak, our ambition to grow as a business is equaled only by our ambition to grow the careers and personal satisfaction of our people. As a family-owned company, our culture is open and welcoming. For more information, please visit www.kepak.com
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