Due to commence in June 2023, current and future graduates can apply now for a chance to kickstart their career as a future leader in our native food, drink and horticulture industry.

Headquartered in Dublin's global hub, Bord Bia also has offices in Amsterdam, Dubai, Dusseldorf, London, Madrid, Milan, New York, Paris, Shanghai, Singapore, Stockholm, Warsaw and more, where successful applicants will spend their 24-month placement working with client companies, new and established Irish food and drink brands and industry experts while also gaining industry exposure through on-the-job learning.

Throughout the programme, Bord Bia graduates will also be in receipt of a fully funded monthly bursary to support themselves and on completion will earn an accredited MSc in global business development from the UCD Smurfit Business School.

Interested to find out more about what the programme actually entails? You can read all about a day in the life of one our current international graduates, Andrea Murray.

The first thing to recognise is there is not a ‘normal’ day, as one of the joys of the international graduate programme for me as a masters student is that each day brings new experiences, new challenges and new learning.

I commenced the two-year programme in July 2021 and 15 months later, I have already acquired a wide range of industry-specific knowledge, experience and expertise, as well as practical skills plus increased personal and professional competence and confidence.

I am an international graduate programme participant, originally from Termon, Co Donegal, and am currently based in the Bord Bia global hub in Dublin. My role involves the promotion of Irish seafood and Bord Bia Quality Assured meat, poultry and eggs in Ireland.

My undergraduate degree in food and nutrition opened the doors for me to undertake a placement year in the Irish food and drink industry, which I loved.

From this experience, I knew I wanted to stay in the industry and this directed me to stay in Ireland to progress my career.

A number of other programme participants are Dublin-based, but there are also students undertaking placements in Dubai, New York, London – the list is endless!

My day normally starts by looking at the social media pages I manage, scheduling campaigns and looking at our content calendar and talking to our media agencies…but today is different!

Today, I am not commuting to the Bord Bia global hub in Ballsbridge, but to an external location to film an exciting PR video for world egg day, highlighting the versatility of eggs and why consumers should always look for the Bord Bia quality mark.

A shoot of this scale takes a lot of work, a lot of planning, logistics and budgeting, not to mention back-and-forth with our agencies and industry partners in advance.

Nothing beats a day out shooting new content, whether that is PR videos or new recipe videos for our social media pages … one of the many things I have learned is that it takes a surprisingly long time to film that 15-second video you see online!

All joking aside, it is great to see all that hard work pay off when the finished product is complete and know that you had a direct input and influence into the final piece that appears on radio, TV and/or social media channels.

No two days are the same in the marketing department, which is one of the most enjoyable aspects of my role!

I get the opportunity to promote a range of species to consumers in the domestic market with an aim to help keep Quality Assured producers in business.

I also get to travel to events such as Bord Bia Bloom and the National Ploughing Championships, which gives me the opportunity to connect with consumers in person, engage with Irish chefs, and it opens the door to have face-to-face focused conversations with our farming and fishing families from around the country.

I also get to work as an integral part of a highly motivated and committed marketing team within Bord Bia, who are endlessly supportive and encouraging of me, and provide me with constructive feedback and opportunities to grow and learn by generously sharing their expertise.

The international graduate programme is a great opportunity to take on a role with a lot of responsibility, gain invaluable market and industry experience, all while simultaneously completing a funded masters in global business from UCD Smurfit Business School.

This programme focuses on providing relevant academic business theory allied with a practical application of learning and revolves around working with producers who have a huge amount of pride and passion in what they do.

If you are someone who is passionate about the Irish food and drink industry, who wants to develop a long-term career in this area, then I would highly recommend this programme.

Bord Bia is seeking to nurture the next generation of talent for the Irish food and drink industry and the graduate programme is designed to act as a springboard for a successful career in the food and drink sector.

I’m looking forward to successfully completing the programme, and seeing how my career progresses within this industry!

Think you have what it takes? Learn more about how you can apply for the Bord Bia international graduate programme here.

For more on how you can leave your mark on the industry, watch Bord Bia international graduate Kerri Murphy’s #GradStory below.

Who should apply?

An international graduate should have tremendous passion and a genuine interest in the industry, its people and the businesses that operate within it.

You don't need to have a food-related or business qualification to apply. Bord Bia welcomes any holder of a Level 8 degree (on the NFQ framework) with an expected or already attained 2:2 to apply.

Our graduates are trained in all aspects of agri-food business from export development strategies, building and using customer and market insights, marketing plan development and strategic marketing to delivering customer value propositions, logistics and supply chain management, business sustainability and more.

Important dates

Commencing in June 2023, applications for the next intake of the programme close on 6 November 2022.