Graduates looking for careers in manufacturing and processing can find a wide variety of jobs including quality, finance, production, human resources, research and design.  

Increasingly, the manufacturing and processing sector in Ireland focuses on research and development, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, hi-tech electronics and bio-medical.  This means that graduates entering this sector must be well qualified and highly skilled as that is the nature of the roles available.

What to expect

The manufacturing and processing sector includes any or all of the stages involved in transforming a raw material into the desired end product.  Key manufacturing industries include food and drink, automotive, pharmaceuticals, hi-technology/electronics, chemicals and plastics.   Technology is one of the key factors within this industry and this sector is extremely focused on minimising costs. 

Working in this sector can be very interesting: there is ongoing development and change as there is always a requirement to optimise manufacturing performance and output.  Roles tend to be quite ‘hands on’ and dynamic and the problem-solving nature can bring a lot of job satisfaction.  There are a lot of multi-national firms in this sector and working conditions are usually very good.  Also, because these firms are large there are usually a range of directions your career can take you after joining.

This sector is particularly suited to people who have a technical qualification coupled with a longer term interest in management. The majority of entry roles are technical in nature, for example research or production, but as careers progress the emphasis often moves onto an ability to manage people and projects.  Jobs tend to be flexible and can be quite ‘hands on’, thus suiting people with a pragmatic, practical ability. 

Manufacturing and processing FAQs: everything you need to know about getting a job in manufacturing and processing.