Supply Chain Graduate AB Agri Ltd

Job description

At AB Agri you will be on a eighteen month Supply Chain graduate programme. The Supply Chain Graduate scheme is the most flexible and reactive of the schemes, and as such includes a variety of placements as the business adapts to changes within the marketplace, giving you great breadth of exposure and experience within AB Agri.

Our programme centres on Supply Chain management consisting of Manufacturing, Logistics and Engineering. Areas where Graduates will find themselves working include; raw material control, Health & Safety, production scheduling and people management and operations management (customer care, strategy development, continuous improvement and performance management and budget control)Logistics include transport planning, management of fleet operations , Engineering working with the site based and central teams to deliver capital projects and enhancement of current maintenance systems– a mixture of theory and practice. You will need to apply your intellect as well as a hands-on approach. For the right candidate we hope this will be part of the attraction.

The variety of placement opportunities, both up and down the country and between businesses and positions allows for not only the broadest accumulation of knowledge within a short space of time, but also ensures that each graduate is given a taste of every aspect of the business.

Whilst the placements focus upon the Production, Transport and Engineering sectors of the business, the Supply Chain Graduate programme with AB Agri provides a superb opportunity to gain sought after technical skills, hands on management, and leadership experience in a challenging manufacturing environment.

Learning and Development
At AB Agri we welcome new talent, the fresh ideas they bring and their ability to challenge the way we do things. Our training scheme is not the end of the training experience, but the first part of a career-long development process.

Our programme begins with a comprehensive induction to the business, our manufacturing process, market nature and structures and the business issues that confront us. This induction is followed by core training modules spread throughout your scheme, providing an insight into general business topics and management skills.

Our programme offers an intensive yet flexible development framework with clearly defined goals. You’ll be tackling live business issues, taking on a high level of responsibility from the outset and gaining significant on-the-job experience, which will be complemented by ongoing training. You can of course expect plenty of support, including a personally assigned mentor and graduate buddy. On farm placements available to gain essential knowledge and understanding of agriculture. However the responsibility will be on you to drive your own development. This means you must be able to manoeuvre independently and that you will have some say in what you do. You will of course also have the chance to make a real impact.

After your training programme, you should have the knowledge, skills and credibility to take on a role with significant management responsibility at one of our manufacturing sites.

Recruitment process
Applications will be shortlisted, and those shortlisted will be invited to undertake a competency based face to face interview. The final stage involves an Assessment Centre involving a range of exercises including presentations, group exercises, interviews, case studies, and an opportunity to take our online numerical and verbal reasoning tests.

If you get short-listed during the selection process we will get in touch with you through email.

Person requirements

In order to succeed within the scheme, a background in agriculture is not a necessity but the graduate needs to be passionate about the jobs they are doing and enthusiastic about the fantastic opportunity that the company is offering.

It is a very fast, steep learning curve, but for the right Graduate, it will also be the most enjoyable and fulfilling job on offer.

The right Graduate will have enthusiasm to learn new things and travel to new places, and will have the ability to creatively interact and learn from everybody they meet, from customers, drivers, mill and office workers to management and MDs on a daily basis.

You’ll need to be geographically mobile to take up opportunities that the programme presents and have a full clean driving licence.

• Ability to work in different types of working environment (as opposed to solely office based)
• Speed and accurate working ethos as well as calm when under pressure,
• Open to new opportunities
• Reliable and owning the responsibility the role holds
• Team player with good communication skills
• Quick to adapt when faced with difficult situations
• Organised, able to multi-task, with good time management
• Innovative to deliver improvements for future benefit
• Take a strategic position where both the long-term and short-term goals are taken into consideration
• Focus on the big picture whilst have good attention to detail
• Willingness to learn a wide variety of information

The benefits
The benefits of a career with AB Agri are an appealing mix:

• Moving assistance
• Formal and informal mentoring schemes
• Opportunities for cross-functional moves
• Contributory pension scheme
• 25 days holiday plus 8 days’ statutory public holidays

Company information

AB Agri, the agricultural division of Associated British Foods plc., operates at the heart of the agri food and drink industry with activities that stretch from ‘plough to plate’.

It supplies technology-based products and services to farmers, feed and food manufacturers, processors and retailers. It also buys grain from farmers and supplies crop inputs through its joint venture arable operation; Frontier.

Through a number of business divisions operating right across the supply chain, AB Agri manufactures high performance compound feeds, provides world leading analytical capability, nutritional advice, sustainable business solutions and poultry marketing services for customers. It helps food, drink and bioethanol companies internationally to reduce their environmental footprint by marketing their co-products as animal feed and also supplies premix, enzymes and other technical products to the livestock and pet industries. AB Agri’s proposition can influence profitability at every stage of the food supply chain.

The business directly employs over 2,000 people in the UK and overseas, and markets products and services through circa 20 businesses in 60 countries worldwide. Sustained investment, customer focus, the recruitment of talented people and innovation in nutrition have all been major factors in establishing AB Agri as a market leader in the sectors within which it operates.

ABF is an international agriculture, food, ingredients and retail business with 102,000 employees in 46 countries. Listed on the London Stock Exchange, ABF is a FTSE 100 company and the fifth largest food business in Europe.

As a highly commercial and respected business, AB Agri is looking for graduates with the skills, initiative and personality to play an integral part in our continuing growth and success. Positions with us suit graduates hungry for accountability and career development. From day one you’ll be treated as part of the team and rewarded with real responsibility.

Qualification and experience requirements

You’ll need a minimum 2.1 degree in any discipline and a minimum of 300 UCAS points or equivalent.

Accepted degree subjects

Any