Dawn Meats is the supplier of choice to a range of leading supermarket, food service and restaurant businesses, exporting to more than 50 countries. As a family-owned business, Dawn Meats remains true to its farming heritage through the close relationships it has forged with over 15,000 Irish farmers from whom it directly sources grass-fed cattle and lamb for processing at its 10 Irish plants.

Established in Co. Waterford, Ireland in 1980, Dawn Meats has grown to a business with over €2.5bn in annual revenue, employing 8,000 staff in twelve countries. The company works with some of the world’s leading food companies who are attracted by a commitment to sustainability and quality.

Our team members are a diverse and inclusive community of passionate people striving to make a difference. We make every effort to ensure they feel a valued part of the business and that they in turn value the opportunities that arise from working with Dawn Meats.

Dawn Meats is one of Europe’s leading food processing companies, providing consistent quality meat products from sustainable sources to support our rural communities, human health and nature’s ecosystem. Plan Four Zero is our blueprint for building a more sustainable food system, working together for a better future. The plan seeks to accelerate our emissions reduction in the period to 2030 with a €100m investment committed initially to achieve our 2030 targets. Read more in our brochure below:

We are committed to developing and retaining our talent to help us continue to innovate and be pioneers in our industry. Between 2021 and 2023, we invested €11.5m on learning and talent development, supporting employees to complete 644,000 hours of training. We offer learning and development opportunities across all our departments, no matter what stage you are in your career. Our programmes include, but are not limited to, apprenticeships, student placements, graduate programme, leadership development programmes.

We offer talented, ambitious and hard-working individuals a huge range of careers in a fast paced, dynamic business environment. We have opportunities across a wide range of functions including:

• Operations & Production
• Finance
• Sales
• Marketing
• Human Resources
• Health & Safety
• Food Safety & Quality
• Planning
• Purchasing
• Livestock Procurement
• Engineering
• IT

Dawn Meats operate production and support facilities throughout Ireland, the UK and Europe:

• Grannagh, Co. Waterford
• Carroll’s Cross, Co. Waterford
• Ballyhaunis, Co. Mayo
• Charleville, Co. Cork
• Kilbeggan, Co. Westmeath
• Slane, Co. Meath
• Rathdowney, Co. Laois
• Kildare Chilling, Kildare
• Plus 13 sites across the UK

Dawn Meats Recruitment Process

Dawn Meats Recruitment Process typically involves a 3 step process aimed at identifying, attracting, and selecting the best candidates to join our friendly diverse teams.

Vacancies consist of Apprenticeships, Graduate Opportunities, as well as Entry - Senior Level positions.

Here's an overview of the typical steps involved in our Recruitment Process:

Candidates can apply online through various platforms including:

• Dawn Meats Careers page Careers - Dawn Meats
• Indeed
• LinkedIn
• Generation Apprenticeship
• Grad Ireland

Entry Requirements vary depending on what level of role you are applying for:

Graduate Programme:

The ideal candidate will:

• Have an appropriate qualification,
• Possess strong interpersonal skills,
• Be flexible, mobile and stimulated by new challenges,
• Be keen to take on responsibility,
• Be self-motivated.

And Preferably:

• Full clean drivers licence
• European or another International language.

Apprenticeships

The requirements vary depending on what position you are applying for, however in most cases the ideal candidate will possess:

• H7/O6 or above in five leaving certificate (or equivalent) subjects. A minimum of grade O6 must be obtained in English. A minimum of grade O6 or a B2 or above in Foundation level must be obtained in mathematics

Candidates can apply online or by email to [email protected]

Stage 2. Interview Process

• Shortlisted candidates are invited for initial interviews, which may be conducted over the phone, via video conferencing, or in-person.
• Shortlisted candidates may be invited for additional interviews or assessments to evaluate their suitability for the role in more detail.
• Shortlisted candidates undergo additional rounds of interviews, which may involve meeting with multiple interviewers or panels.
• Depending on the role, candidates may be asked to complete assessments, tests, or exercises to evaluate their skills, knowledge, and abilities.

Stage 3: Offer stage and Onboarding

• Successful candidates will receive a job offer prior to completing a interview.
• After the candidate accepts the offer, the onboarding process begins, including reference checks, induction, and training.

At Dawn Meats our people are our strength and the Brighter Futures Graduate Programme is a key element in building a top class team. We seek graduates with the potential to succeed in a fast-paced business environment and with continuous investment in our Programme, we welcome and encourage the fresh ideas, enthusiasm and energy new graduates bring to the company.

The Brighter Futures Programme provides quality training with hands-on involvement across key areas of the business, investing in our people to develop skills necessary to become the future managers of Dawn Meats.

Click here for full details on our 2024 Graduate Programme.

Experience is the best teacher, which is why at Dawn Meats, you are given real responsibility from the start. Combined with formal training, you will work with passionate, talented people who will provide invaluable training on the job plus:

• Dedicated mentors;
• First class coaching;
• Direct access to senior leaders;
• Opportunities to undertake assignments, secondments and innovative project work across the business;
• Investment in blue chip residential offsite training.

With no pre-conceived ideas and no limit on your career path, your skills and experiences can be uniquely tailored to the multitude of career opportunities within Dawn Meats. We recognise the importance of continuous development and work closely with recognised Management Development Institutes in Ireland and the UK to develop our Graduates as managers of the future.

We recruit Graduates primarily in the areas of:

• Operations and Production
• Commercial and Planning
• Environmental
• Food Safety and Quality
• Accounting & Finance
• Engineering
• Health and Safety
• HR & Marketing
• Supply Chain

Your role will see you tackle a wide range of business challenges in a busy Production environment.The ideal Candidate will have or demonstrate:

• A relevant third level qualification
• Communication & presentation skills
• Excellent attention to detail
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office
• Good inter-personal skills
• Excellent time management
• Ability to deal with challenges systematically
• Good forward thinking and planning ability

What we offer: 

• Competitive salary
• Paid Holidays (Starting at 21 days + Bank Holidays)
• Pension Scheme with Employer contribution
• Company phone & laptop
• Training & Development on the Graduate Development Programme
• Mentoring support & Performance Management
• Cycle to work scheme
• Free Parking

The ideal candidate will:

• Have an appropriate qualification,
• Possess strong interpersonal skills,
• Be flexible, mobile and stimulated by new challenges,
• Be keen to take on responsibility,
• Be self-motivated.

And Preferably:

• Full clean drivers licence
• European or another International language.

Click here for our Graduate Programme FAQs.

There are opportunities for those who would like to undertake an apprenticeship; i.e. New Generation Apprenticeships in Transport & Logistics, Operations, Sales, Accounting, Engineering and Craft Apprenticeships in Electrical and Mechanical and Maintenace fitters.

The ideal apprenticeship candidate will possess:

H7/O6 or above in five leaving certificate (or equivalent) subjects. A minimum of grade O6 must be obtained in English. A minimum of grade O6 or a F2 or above in Foundation level must be obtained in mathematics

Hear all about our Apprenticeship Programme here at Dawn Meats from our apprentices and Head of Learning & Development, Sylvia Gaudino. Our employees are a diverse and talented team of individuals, making a difference through their work every day. Apprentices form an integral part of the Dawn Meats talent strategy as we strive to respect, empower and engage with our people.

If you would like to follow in our apprentices’ footsteps and join our Apprenticeship Programme, follow the link below ➞ Apply to become an apprentice at Dawn Meats.

At  Dawn Meats we offer work placement opportunities in Operations, Commercial, Accounting and Finance and Food Safey Quality.