Recently in International Food Jobs Category

International food group Vion have announced that they are to create a total of 250 new food jobs in Scotland.

150 new positions will open up at Vion's chicken processing plant in the town of Coupar Angus, whilst a further 100 new jobs will be created at a plant in Cambuslang. Furthermore, a £650,000 Scottish Enterprise grant has safeguarded 234 existing food jobs in the Vion group.

Vion has recently launched an investment programme worth millions of pounds, which included the installation of a new packing line at the Coupar Angus facility. It is this investment- along with the efforts of existing employees - which has boosted sales and created greater employment opportunities at these two sites. Cambuslang in particular has flourished, as Vion reports that business is up 25 per cent compared to last year.

Vion Poultry's regional director Andrew Fisher has commented on the news, saying:

"This is very positive news and just reward for the tremendous efforts not only of the teams at Cambuslang and Coupar Angus, but also through the wider Vion supply chain from our farmers and feed mill operators, through to our production, sales and administration colleagues."

World-class company 2 Sisters Food Group is planning the takeover a Holland-based poultry company, an acquisition that will make them a £1 billion-a-year firm.

Based in West Bromwich, 2 Sisters is a family-run business established by entrepreneur Ranjit Singh Boparan back in 1993. The company has gone from strength to strength since then, expanding their operations from the UK into Europe and the US, and now The Netherlands. The firm employs more than 5,500 people in food jobs, reporting annual sales of over £750 million.

The latest acquisition news comes after another successful takeover bid, as 2 Sisters assumed ownership of iconic brand Harry Ramsdens as well as Fishworks in recent months. The company also bought failing fish company Five Star Fish earlier this month, just as it was going into administration, in a move that saved around 330 food jobs.

The company 2 Sisters now plan to purchase, Storteboom, has six factories and employs more than 1,000 people in food jobs in Poland as well as Holland.
The deal will only be finalised, and the cost of purchase revealed, when it has been cleared with the Dutch regulation authorities.

Working abroad, even if it is just in Europe, can be an extremely exciting and rewarding career move. However, most international food job hunters have no idea how to get one of these CV-influencing positions, so they miss out on the many benefits of working and living in a foreign country.

In order to give you a little information on how to get international food jobs, we will use the example of a communications manager position in Paris. This sort of food job is representative of the type of skills and knowledge you will need in order to succeed in an international role.

Become a communications manager in Paris

For this kind of role, which is typical of the type of international food jobs available, you will need to possess a number of employable attributes.

• Management skills- Management positions hold great responsibility and as such, they require a number of years experience within similar supervisory or management roles, along with any relevant business qualifications. You need to be organised, confident and brimming with ideas, good at managing people, and able to work efficiently within time constraints.

• Communications and marketing: You need to have experience working in the communications and marketing sector of the food industry. Having a good command of language, able to build up strong relationships with clients, and having full knowledge of marketing plans and strategies will help you here.

• Language: As with any international job, being fluent in another language, French for example, or having a relevant qualification will always be a distinct advantage.

Despite the credit crunch, food sales are still rising according to the British Retail Consortium, albeit with heavy discounting from the retailers, and with all the excitement about other sectors in the past such as IT, technology or cars, it's easy to forget that the one sector that continues to slowly edge on is the food industry.

People may be tightening their belts, but they still need to eat, and this opens up a whole new range of possibilities for food industry personnel. As we look for cheaper ways to feed the family this is a great time for development chefs to put their skills to good use, creating new and exciting recipes. Also for operational teams to drive business efficiencies, and commercial teams to find long-term solutions to price competitiveness.

Once the festive season is over and life returns to a semblance of normality, many food companies will be facing up to harsh business realities that will need strong and experienced managers to drive a sustainable future.

What is also interesting at this time is that Focus Management are currently working internationally across three continents - exporting British food industry talent to the rest of the world.

So I know the heading is a little corny, but my view is that there will be demand for the best; there will be opportunities and I accept that there will be casualties along the way, but we as consumers, let alone the retailers themselves, need a strong manufacturing supply base producing great cost effective products across all ranges.

In 2009 we may not buy a new television or car...but we will be buying a pizza, and a sandwich and biscuits and baked beans and drinks...and therefore we will still be recruiting the best talent.