Carbery Graduate Programme

We accept students from lots of different academic backgrounds. You can apply if you will attain at least a 2.1 Level 8 Honours degree in:

Food Science

Nutrition

Process Engineering

Industrial Biochemistry

If you are interested in Carbery but have a different background to those listed above, come and talk to us anyway. We’ll let you know if you can be a good fit.

Applications for the 2023 Graduate Programme open on 28 October 2022.

Applications close on 18 November 2022.

The Programme begins in September 2023.

The Graduate Programme is two years.

Apply online via our website

CVs are screened by our HR function.

Complete online assessments (including aptitude / ability tests and personality questionnaire).

Successful candidates will attend a 1st interview.

Successful candidates will attend the final recruitment event in November/December. This stage will include an interview and presentation.

Offers will be made to successful candidates in December 2022.

Unfortunately, there is only one such recruitment event for the Graduate Programme each year.

We offer a blended approach to training and development providing our graduates with a comprehensive experience of our business and so helping prepare them to fill future, challenging leadership roles.

Elements of this programme will include:

Initial Induction;
On the job training;
Job Rotation;
Formal courses (providing skills development in communications, teamwork, problem-solving and business excellence)
Mentoring.

Apart from academic achievement, Carbery is interested in graduates who are focused and self-motivated with a can-do attitude and a questioning mind. Those who succeed with us demonstrate sound problem-solving skills, effective communication skills and an ability to succeed in a strong team environment.

We are looking for people at Carbery who like to jump straight in, put their hand up to try new things, and aren’t intimidated by having some responsibility and making an impact in their roles from day 1.

We know that, as a graduate joining our business, you won’t have all the answers and that’s OK with us. Our Graduate Programme is designed to provide you with the skills (both behavioural and technical) and supports needed to help you flourish at Carbery.

You will have an opportunity to have a real impact on our business. Check out our graduates stories to find out more about the opportunities available.

Carbery is an expanding business with a strong global presence in the food ingredients, flavours and cheese sectors. We take time to recruit and develop our people in keeping with our value of nurturing talent. Those who succeed on our graduate programme and demonstrate values and behaviours which are important to us will be well prepared to take advantage of the regular job opportunities that arise and the challenging leadership roles our business needs.

Carbery Group is a global company with almost 900 employees working across 8 different countries around the world. We are a co-operative, meaning that we were established by the farmers of West Cork to provide the best possible return for them and their families on the milk they produce. We have been operating for over 50 years and are wholly owned today by the four West Cork co-ops – Bandon, Barryroe, Drinagh and Lisavaird.

Our heritage and our co-operative ethos mean that we are clear on our purpose – to ensure a stable and sustainable future for Irish family dairy farms. Everything we do, from the scientists who develop our new products, the cheese graders and quality teams who ensure the highest standard of our products, the workers that manufacture our whey protein, flavours and cheese, to the commercial teams who find new markets and sectors for our products, is done with the aim of ensuring that food production and agriculture can continue to be a viable way of life for the farming families of Ireland.

We are located in the heart of the farming communities we work with, and so this purpose is always top of mind for us. We take our role as a major employer in the area seriously. Carbery has always been progressive; willing to try something new (be that technology, products or marketplaces). Sustainability sits at the very heart of our business, ensuring our approach to our business and the communities in which we operate, are mutually beneficial for each other from a social, economic, and environmental perspective.

West Cork, the start of the Wild Atlantic Way and home to some of the most beautiful scenery, beaches and coastline in the world. Not to mention a world class food culture, and a pace of life driven by the local fishing, farming and business communities. There is no better part of Ireland to spend some time in. Our location means you have the best of West Cork at your doorstep, and we are also a very manageable 45-minute commute (going in the opposite direction to the traffic!) from Cork City.

For graduates, people starting out on their careers, the experience you will get at Carbery will set you on a successful and versatile career path. Our company is growing and expanding, with a wealth of opportunities for graduates who are interested, engaged and ready to contribute. However, despite the range of experiences available, Carbery is not a place you will get lost or overlooked. We favour providing people with hands-on, direct on the job experience, and so you will contribute immediately in a meaningful and interesting way to the goals and objectives of the organisation. We offer a programme that’s interactive and hands-on with a global dimension that gives graduates a broad perspective of our business.

It’s an exciting time to join our company, we are just completing a €78m expansion project to diversify what we produce, expand our export markets and our customer base. Food industry and agribusiness has never been more important, as we have seen with the emphasis placed on ensuring continuing functioning of the food supply chain throughout Brexit and now Covid. People who are passionate about food production, agriculture, sustainability and supporting Irish farming and who want to spend their time with busy, varied and meaningful work – that’s who we are looking for.