S&I Graduate

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About Us

Established in 1985, Dawn Farms is a family-owned company and the largest dedicated supplier of cooked meat and plant-based ingredients and fermented and dried sausage products outside of the US. The company currently supplies world-leading food brands across more than 44 markets, including the UK, Europe, Asia and Africa. With over 1,000 employees we are committed to meeting the needs of our customers in a safe, innovative and sustainable way, all while strengthening the communities where they live and work.

Job Purpose

Dawn Farms is currently seeking an S&I Graduate to join our Science & Innovation Department to be based in our state of the art production facilities in Naas, Co. Kildare. Our S&I Graduate will be responsible for delivering the experimental design and industrial trial phases of projects and other team support activities contributing to the continued growth of the business in its chosen innovation platforms and related markets. This is an opportunity for growth with exposure to state-of-the-art food research and manufacturing environment and diverse protein product development and applications. The successful candidate will be self-motivated, thriving in a team environment, has a passion for science and technology and a working knowledge within the areas of Chemistry, Nutrition, Process Engineering and Food Science. The position will be part of multidisciplinary S&I team and the candidate is expected to learn new techniques and have the flexibility to carry out multiple assignments.

Positions: Full-Time, Fixed Term 2 years.

Location: Naas, Co. Kildare, Ireland.

Salary: DOE

Working Hours: 39 hours per week, Mon. - Fri. (some flexibility required)

Role Responsibilities & Duties

• Plan and execute practical experiments and trials, designing and testing new or improved methods and products in the S&I Pure Culinary Science kitchen, pilot plant, or factories.
• Collaborate closely with experienced Project Managers, advising on trial design, timelines, potential hurdles, and improvements to achieve technical advances.
• Generate and interpret data, maintain SharePoint databases, and document results in OneNote and other Microsoft suite applications.
• Present data and results effectively to the S&I team to drive decisions during the experimental and prototype testing phase.
• Evaluate new ingredients, materials, products, or processes to build S&I capabilities.
• Develop expertise in process and analytical methodologies, preparing and updating specifications and SOPs.
• Capture key learnings and feedback to share within internal communications, improving our innovation process.
• Coordinate trial planning and knowledge transfer within the team.
• Work with cross-functional departments to execute collaborative project tasks.
• Provide scientific and technical guidance to other team members and departments as needed.
• Ensure food safety and adhere to health and safety policies, standard operating procedures, and good hygiene practices.
• Execution of practical trials, ensuring they are completed in a timely manner and based on the given brief.

Key Skills & Competencies

• Degree in Food Science, Nutrition, Chemistry, Food Fermentation, or related field.
• General understanding of food applications and processing.
• Ability to read, collect data, analyse, and interpret technical information.
• Ability to work with mathematical concepts such as percent, ppm and basic algebraic equations.
• Ability to apply principles of logical/scientific thinking to a wide range of problems.
• Ability to operate a variety of standard laboratory and pilot equipment and instrumentation (such as food production equipment, pH meters, balances, etc.).
• Excellent record keeping and organisational skills with attention to detail.
• Project management skills with ability to prioritize multiple activities simultaneously.
• Troubleshooting skills are key to this role, and the candidate should be highly motivated and eager to learn.
• Ability to distinguish colours.
• Ability to taste and distinguish flavours.
• Candidate should be highly motivated and eager to learn.
• Understanding of GMP and Food Safety concepts.
• Logical and scientific thinking applied to a wide range of problems.
• Good verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to build constructive relationships with internal clients and outside suppliers.
• Good working knowledge of Microsoft Office programs.

Why Dawn Farms?

We can offer an excellent opportunity to be part of a world-class team, equipping our teams with the knowledge and the necessary skills to achieve their full potential. Innovation is a key ingredient of our success in protecting our market position and keeping our competitive edge. To be truly innovative, we invest in recruiting and developing a highly skilled, ambitious and talented team.

What we can offer you?

• 22 Days Annual Leave.
• Health Insurance Contribution.
• Pension Plan.
• Subsided Canteen.
• Training and Development Opportunities for further career progression.
• Employee Assistance Programme (Free access/support to Life Coach’s, Dietitians, Work Relocation advice etc.)
• Bike to Work Scheme.
• Christmas savings scheme.

'Dawn Farm Foods Ltd. is an equal opprtunities employer'