Ornua is an Irish dairy co-operative that markets and sells dairy products on behalf of its Member Co-operatives, Ireland’s dairy processors and, in turn, Irish dairy farmers. Ornua is Ireland’s largest exporter of Irish dairy products and has annualised sales of €3.4 billion. Headquartered in Dublin, Ornua has a strong global team of 2,800 employees, operating from 10 business units worldwide, including 12 production facilities. Ornua’s core purpose is to build profitable routes to market for Irish dairy products.

The Group is structured across two divisions: Ornua Foods and Ornua Ingredients. Ornua Foods is responsible for the marketing and sales of Ornua’s consumer brands, including Ireland’s most successful food export, Kerrygold, as well as Kerrygold Dubliner, Pilgrims Choice, Forto and BEO milk powders. Markets are served by production facilities in Ireland, Germany and the UK and by in-market Sales and Marketing teams in Asia, Germany, Ireland, MEA, Poland, Spain, rest of Europe, and North and Latin America.

Ornua Ingredients is responsible for the procurement of Irish and non-Irish dairy products, for the sale of dairy ingredients to food manufacturing and foodservice customers across the world, and for managing volatility through de-risking and trading strategies. The business is supported by production facilities in the UK, Spain, the US, Saudi Arabia and Nigeria and by in-market teams in Africa and the Middle East.

You may know us by our brands Kerrygold, Dubliner, Pilgrim’s Choice, Avantage, Forto, and BEO.

Ornua’s Values

At Ornua, our Values lie at the core of everything that we do and how we behave both individually and as a business. Our five values, and their underlying behaviours, encourage us to Seek and Embrace New Ideas, Make It Happen, Be Our True Selves, Show You Care and Achieve Great Things Together.

Ornua’s Growth

At Ornua, our co-operative ethos lies at the heart of how we do business. We care passionately about driving sustainable, profitable growth, underpinned by our ambitious ‘Path to Prosper’ strategy. We have delivered significant growth in our core business and. we have ambitious plans for continued growth over the next five years.

Why This Role is Valuable

As a General Operative, your primary responsibility is to ensure the efficient and accurate filling of various products into tubs or foil. This involves a comprehensive understanding of the product range and the ability to manage machine settings using work instructions. This role requires a proactive approach to troubleshooting, a keen eye for detail, and a commitment to maintaining high-quality standards throughout production.

Key Areas of Responsibility:

• Have a working knowledge and understanding of the product range and how each reacts during the filling process in either tubs or foil.

• Have a detailed working knowledge and understanding of consul commands and screen options and take ownership for setting-up machine run parameters for the range of products through undertaking sequenced events or corrective action(s) as appropriate and in a timely manner.
• Consult Manufacturing Order for product specifications.
• Set-up ink-jet printer(s) ensuring correct positioning of the head. Enter product data to the printer consul as per the Manufacturing Order.
• Undertake X-Ray test and ensure that the metal detection system is working correctly.
• Where required for product change, physically change internal machine components machines.
• Monitor the machine while in production and physically clear blockages/spills should they arise. Clean out spills immediately where required.
• Prepare machines for cleaning as per quality schedules. Manually remove internal components for hand wash bath cleaning and follow CIP procedures for complete washing down of the machine. Complete and initial CIP documentation.
• Support the Site Health and Safety Strategy and KPIs and ensure commitment to strive for a Health & Safety culture.

Key Requirements:

• Proven manufacturing experience and leadership experience
• Proven experience in leading and facilitating Continuous Improvement
• Proven experience in training and developing teams

• Strong communication, interpersonal, organisational and administrative skills
• Flexible and committed attitude with the ability to display initiative
• Flexibility in covering different shifts and weekends
• IT literate with strong Word, Excel and database skills
• Problem solver, disciplined in collecting information, ascertaining root cause of issues and Identifying and developing practical solutions

ORNUA Competencies:

• WORKING TOGETHER: Encourages co-operation in own team and supports cross functional learning.
• COMMUNICATIVE:  Communicates confidently, adapting style for different situations
• OWNERSHIP:  Clarifies accountabilities, overlaps, and gaps, and helps others remain motivated through difficult times.
• FORWARD LOOKING:  Helps others to accept change, implement change, and looks ahead to anticipate change.

CLOSING DATE: 5th September 2025