Early Careers Specialist

Kepak Group; Ireland; On-site; EUR 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading food company in Europe is looking for an Early Careers Specialist to manage and innovate their Early Careers programmes. Responsibilities include program delivery, stakeholder engagement, and budget management. The ideal candidate will have proven experience in similar roles and a passion for nurturing talent in the food industry. This role offers competitive benefits including pension support and employee discounts.

Benefits

Company Pension

Further Education support

Employee Discount Platform

Cycle to Work Scheme

Long Service Awards

GroceryAid Employee Assistance Programme

Qualifications

• Proven experience in designing, managing, and evaluating Early Careers programmes.
• In‑depth knowledge of best practices in graduate, apprenticeship, and placement schemes.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and relationship‑building capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Support development and implementation of Early Careers strategy.
• Lead delivery of graduate, apprenticeship, and placement programmes.
• Design and deliver structured training plans.

Skills

Designing and managing Early Careers programmes

Stakeholder engagement

Learning content development

Understanding of safeguarding responsibilities

Tools

Learning Management Systems (LMS)

HR platforms

Job description

Early Careers Specialist

Kepak is one of Europe's leading food companies with manufacturing sites across Ireland and the UK. Kepak's vision is to be a successful, sustainable, future‑ready Food Business, with differentiation at its core, and we are a great place to work. This vision is underpinned by our values of Responsibility, Ambition, Passion for Food, and Teamwork.

Are you passionate about giving opportunities to and nurturing the next generation of talent in the food industry? At Kepak, we are on a mission to innovate, sustain and grow our business, and our Early Careers programmes are vital to that ambition. We are now recruiting an Early Careers Specialist to help us take it to the next step.

As Early Careers Specialist, you will be the driving force behind our placement, apprentice and graduate programmes, attracting top talent from diverse backgrounds and equipping them with the hands‑on skills, knowledge and behaviours they need to thrive during, and after, our programmes as they progress their careers with us.

This role will involve collaborating with senior leaders, education institutions and industry partners to build best‑in‑class programmes, fill critical skills gaps and foster a culture of innovation, inclusion and long‑term retention. This is your opportunity to make a real impact in an essential sector – the food industry – while advancing your own career in a supportive, forward‑thinking environment.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Impact: support the development and drive the implementation of a business‑aligned Early Careers strategy that supports workforce planning and talent pipelines.
• Programme Delivery: lead the end‑to‑end delivery of graduate, apprenticeship, and placement programmes, ensuring consistency, quality, and impact.
• Learning & Development: design and deliver structured training plans and learner journeys tailored to each Early Careers pathway.
• Recruitment & Selection: collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to design and execute recruitment campaigns, assessment centres, and interviews.
• External Engagement: build and maintain strategic partnerships with schools, colleges, universities, training providers, and skills bodies.
• Pastoral & Manager Support: provide pastoral care to early talent cohorts and guidance to their managers and mentors to ensure a supportive learning environment.
• Advocacy & Influence: act as an internal ambassador for Early Careers, influencing stakeholders and promoting the value of early talent across the business.
• Budget Management: own and manage the Early Careers budget, ensuring effective use of resources and value for money.
• Data & Insights: maintain programme databases and produce regular reports and insights to monitor retention, progression, and overall programme effectiveness.

Travel: Regular travel within the UK and Ireland.

Requirements

• Proven experience in designing, managing, and evaluating Early Careers programmes.
• In‑depth knowledge of best practices in graduate, apprenticeship, and placement schemes.
• Skilled in developing learning content across multiple formats to support the goals of EC programmes.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and relationship‑building capabilities.
• Understanding of safeguarding responsibilities and pastoral support.
• Experience with Learning Management Systems (LMS) & HR platforms.

Benefits

• Company Pension.
• Further Education support.
• Employee Discount Platform – All Kepak employees are entitled to access the WrkIt platform, which offers significant discounts and cashback with hundreds of brands.
• Cycle to Work Scheme – Buy a bike and safety equipment through a salary‑sacrifice scheme, reducing your taxable income and saving on tax.
• Long Service Awards – Recognise, acknowledge, and award the dedication and valuable contribution of long‑serving employees.
• GroceryAid Employee Assistance Programme – help with a wide range of topics, including mental health and wellbeing support, family and relationship advice, debt management, back‑to‑work support, and counselling for all Kepak colleagues and their families.