At E&J the success of our people really matters to us. We invest in their development, and we pride ourselves on being able to offer long and rewarding careers. We also regularly promote from within, and some of our colleagues have been with our business for over 25 years.

Whether you start working at our Leeds HQ, or in a plant-based inspection role, there are many career paths and opportunities available to you.

As the business grows, so do the responsibilities and expectations. We are on a journey of continual improvement. We become more efficient, and we find better ways of working every single day.

Recently, our Regional Managers made some minor adjustments to the areas that report into them. The result has been a much more effective team structure across better-defined geographies.

Taking the helm at one of these areas is newly promoted Area Resource Manager, Junia Grapiglia. Junia joined the business as a Meat Hygiene Inspector (MHI) in July 2020 after working in her home country of Brazil as a clinical veterinarian. No longer responsible for technical compliance, post-mortem inspection, and verification/enforcement activities within a single plant, Junia now spends her time supporting a team of MHIs and Plant Inspection Assistants (PIAs) across 4000 sq. miles of beautiful rolling countryside in the West of England.

Junia’s new role improves the service we deliver in each plant by providing support, mentoring and guidance to our colleagues whilst developing relationships with local FSA contacts and Food Business Operators. Like all our ARMs, Junia’s responsibilities extend to the induction and training of new recruits, conducting staff appraisals and agreeing plans for their ongoing development. In addition, she has overall accountability for the monitoring of in-plant compliance with the FSA Manual for Official Controls.

Of course, not everyone who works in plant gets the opportunity to move into regional management. The role that MHIs and PIAs play in food safety is not to be underestimated and there is plenty of scope for alternative advancement.

That said, we have many exceptional and experienced MHIs who are very content with the job they do. They provide official controls in abattoirs across England and Wales, they help ensure the highest standards of animal welfare, and they safeguard the British public by making sure that our food is safe to eat.

It’s a noble and unsung career but ultimately it’s a career to be proud of and a career with purpose.

If you are interested in finding out more about the career opportunities available to you, please email recruitment@eandj.co.uk or visit our website www.eandj.co.uk for more information.