2026 Commercial Graduate Programme - Kerry Dairy Ireland

Operations Graduate

Start Date: September 2026

Locations: Staines, GB 

Contract: full time; permanent

At Kerry Dairy Ireland, we’re proud of our heritage and passionate about our future. As a leading provider of dairy solutions across Ireland and Europe, we’re committed to nourishing lives through quality, sustainability, and innovation. We’re looking for ambitious graduates who want to make a real impact in a business that blends tradition with transformation. 

This is a permanent, full-time role that begins with a two-year graduate programme combining structured off-the-job learning with hands-on experience. From day one, you’ll contribute to real projects in one of our core business areas. Throughout the programme, you’ll build deep functional expertise in your chosen field, supported by experienced mentors and a close-knit graduate community.

If you’re curious, collaborative, and ready to grow your career in a purpose-driven environment, Kerry Dairy Ireland is the place to start. 

Our Commercial Programme 

Are you ready to kick-start your career in FMCG by getting some broad experience in our commercial functions?   Join us and help grow beloved dairy brands such as Cheestrings, Attak-A-Snak or our new SMUG range, while developing your commercial career in a fast-paced environment.  This is a full-time role as part of a structured KDI Graduate Programme, with a blend of off the job training modules, mentoring, group projects and on the job development with hands on responsibility from day one.

What You Might Be Doing

On our Commercial Graduate Programme, you’ll rotate through two x 12 month distinct rotations across Marketing, Sales, Supply Chain or our Category teams — gaining end-to-end experience and a breadth of experience to give you strong roots for your FMCG career.  Your journey might include:

• Supporting our brand teams with consumer-led marketing briefs, product launches, budget management and media mix decision making.
• Collaborating with national account teams to drive sales with retailers  
• Turning data into actions using market, shopper and performance data to inform growth choices, and turn these insights into compelling recommendations for retailers
• Working alongside customer supply teams to ensure best in class alignment and execution of our plans

Do you have what it takes?

 

• You’re on track or recently completed a degree, holding at least a 2:1 classification
• Whilst a business-related degree would be helpful, it is not essential -  we are more interested to see evidence of your interest in a career in FMCG and/or commercial disciplines such as marketing or sales
• You will possess strong numerical, analytical, and presentation skills, (proficiency in both Excel and PowerPoint) – and while comfortable with spreadsheets, charts, and trends; you can use them to make recommendations and tell the story behind the numbers in clear presentations
• You will be curious & open to learn — you ask great questions, seek feedback and turn insight into better decisions
• “Making it happen” – you will need to be a self‑starter & take ownership of your workload — you take accountability, prioritize well, whilst being agile to changing priorities
• You will be strong in building relationships – for us this means you can influence, listen and build trust with internal and external stakeholders
• You will be ambitious for yourself and your team, think bigger and challenge the status quo — you test ideas, propose improvements and look for scalable ways of improving the business function you work in
• Roles will be based in Staines on a hybrid working basis however semi-regular travel to customers / agencies / manufacturing sites / training will be required

Submit your application only for the program of your interest. Any multiple applications will be withdrawn.

Discover Your Future with Kerry Dairy Ireland 

Kerry Dairy Ireland is a vertically integrated farm-to-fork business with a very substantial retail presence and a leading nutritional and dairy ingredients division, delivering high-quality dairy solutions with a focus on sustainability and innovation. From partnering with local family farms to producing world-class dairy products, we ensure every step of our value chain reflects our commitment to excellence. 

With over 50 years’ experience in milk processing, dairy and nutritional technology advancement, and product innovation, we are a key stakeholder in the global food industry and creators of a strong portfolio of market leading dairy brands including Cheestrings, Charleville and Coleraine Cheese, Dairygold, Golden Cow and our new SMUG range. Our from food, for food culture and deep-rooted connection to our 2,800 milk suppliers differentiates our business and offers captivating opportunities for our customers and consumers.   

Our dairy comes from some of the world’s richest grazing land and is produced by a network of Irish family farms that have one of the lowest carbon footprints in the world. Through a combination of expertise, innovation, and sustainability, Kerry Dairy Ireland is proud to shape the future of dairy while meeting the diverse needs of our farmers, customers, and communities.  

Headquartered in Tralee, Co. Kerry, we operate multiple manufacturing facilities in the southwest of Ireland, including Listowel, Charleville, Newmarket, and Farranfore. Additionally, we manage 28 Farm & Home stores throughout the region, ensuring comprehensive coverage and service. In Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom, our presence extends to key locations in Portadown, Coleraine, and Ossett. 

Globally, Kerry Dairy Ireland employs over 1,600 dedicated professionals across Ireland, Northern Ireland, the UK, USA, Netherlands, Spain, Germany, and China. In 2024, we achieved a turnover of approximately €1.3 billion, reflecting our commitment to excellence and growth.