Junior Quality Control Officer in Ashbourne

Why join us? At Nutreco, our purpose is Feeding the Future through sustainable and innovative practices. As part of the SHV family, Nutreco operates globally through its two business lines, Trouw Nutrition and Skretting, helping customers produce food responsibly and sustainably.

We are looking for a Junior Quality Control Officer to join our Companion Animal Quality team in Ashbourne. This is a great opportunity for someone at the start of their career who is interested in quality, manufacturing, food, feed or pet food production.

In this role, you will support day-to-day quality control activities across raw material intake, production, finished products, packing, storage and dispatch. You will work closely with Quality, Production, Warehouse, Engineering and Laboratory colleagues to help ensure that products meet the required quality, hygiene and safety standards.

You do not need extensive previous quality experience. We are looking for someone who is detail-oriented, proactive, comfortable working on site and eager to learn and develop within a Quality function.

What you’ll do:

• Carry out routine quality control checks across raw material intake, production and finished products.
• Complete sampling, inspections, records and quality documentation accurately.
• Review certificates of analysis and support batch-related checks.
• Help with manufacturing trials, investigations and corrective actions.
• Raise and escalate quality or food/feed safety concerns where needed.
• Support internal and external audits, hygiene checks and site quality controls.
• Work closely with Production, Warehouse, Engineering and Laboratory teams.
• Contribute to continuous improvement activities and provide cover within the Quality team.

This is a practical, site-based role with strong learning opportunities. You will receive training on our systems, site processes and quality standards.

Who we’re looking for:

We are looking for someone with a genuine interest in quality and manufacturing, who enjoys working accurately, following processes and contributing to a safe and high-quality production environment. You may be a recent graduate, an early-career professional or someone with some initial experience in quality, manufacturing, food, feed, pet food, FMCG, laboratory or warehouse environments.

You’ll also need:

• Strong attention to detail and the ability to work accurately.
• Good communication skills and confidence working with operational colleagues.
• A proactive and reliable approach.
• Good organisation and time-management skills.
• Basic Excel and IT skills.
• Comfort working in a practical, site-based manufacturing environment.
• Willingness to learn and develop within Quality.
• Ability to complete documentation carefully and consistently.
• Confidence to raise concerns when something does not meet the expected standard.
• Experience in food, feed, pet food, FMCG or another regulated manufacturing environment would be beneficial, but is not essential.
• Previous exposure to sampling, inspection, audits, GMP, hygiene, traceability or quality documentation would also be an advantage.

Location & Details:

Location: Ashbourne, UK
Work model: Site-based
Contract: Permanent, full-time
Working hours: Standard working hours, no shift pattern currently expected.

What you’ll receive:

• 25 days of holiday per year, plus 8 UK bank holidays.
• Training and development opportunities.
• The opportunity to build a long-term career in Quality.
• Exposure to a global organisation and a site-based manufacturing environment.
• The chance to contribute to safe, high-quality and sustainable animal nutrition.

If you are detail-oriented, eager to learn and interested in starting or developing your career in Quality, we would love to hear from you. We aim to review applications promptly and will get back to you as soon as possible.