Who is it for?

Successful candidates will be resilient self-starters with a proven record of self-motivation and self-discipline. In addition, they will demonstrate the below competencies:

• A strong passion for pursuing a career in the Food & Drink industry.
• Strong oral and written communication skills, including effective presentation skills.
• The ability to quickly establish effective internal and external working relationships with key people across different services/functions.
• Strong commercial acumen - the ability to identify opportunities and to follow these through to completion by working with others and discovering to the best way to achieve results.
• Project management skills – the ability to schedule and manage time and resources; maintaining a project management plan for communication and review at all times;

What does being a fellow entail?

• Working alongside Irish Food & Drink clients overseas, you will represent the industry in a wide range of market development activities.
• You will be given unique, extensive overseas experience in the areas of sales, business development, brand & digital marketing, consumer insights, entrepreneurship and leadership etc. (but not limited to)
• On your learning assignment placement, you will manage projects for 2 or 3 of Bord Bia’s Irish Food, Drink and Horticulture clients with a view to increase it's presence in that market.
• Delivering results for clients on specific in-market business development assignments, in line with defined project objectives and target outcomes.
• Developing sector/product/market intelligence for the benefit of clients, for Bord Bia and the sector/market in which they operate
• Acting as an Ambassador for Bord Bia & the Irish Food Industry through effective performance as a Fellow
• Attend site visits, exhibitions,  trade shows with possible opportunities to travel to other overseas markets

Other considerations

• It is a requirement that the Fellows are willing/able to live in a foreign country, and travel in-market at short notice and sometimes where public transport may be limited.
  • Potential learning assignment market locations for this intake are; London, San Francisco, Chicago, New York, Madrid, Paris, Milan, Dusseldorf, Stockholm, Shanghai, Tokyo, Singapore, Dubai, Amsterdam, Australia, India and Nigeria. Note: these are subject to change
• This programme offers executives with approximately 2-4 years previous professional experience an amazing opportunity with a minimum 2:1 degree. Participants learn and develop across a broad range of professional competence and knowledge requirements that equip them for a future career with the Irish food industry.
• Candidates who already have significant more years previous professional experience have less opportunity to learn from the programme's activities and are encouraged to contact UCD Smurfit Executive Development to discuss other more suitable programmes.
• When on the programme, successful applicants cannot earn income outside of their bursary payments from UCD/ Bord Bia.
• UCD/ Bord Bia cannot commit to securing visas for candidates.
• UCD/ Bord Bia cannot provide financial support to members of family or partners who may be accompanying successful candidates going on placement.

Information Webinar 2024

Check out our recent webinar and get an insight from our current and past participants on their experience on the programme and the career opportunities upon completion of the programme.

Follow our LinkedIn page "Food Industry Talent Smurfit" where you'll get insights into what our current programme participants get up to while in their respective markets. Click the below LinkedIn icon for more information.