Sustainability Group Lead – Agricultural Policy in Stoneleigh - CV-Library

Salary: c.£80,000 dependant on experience
Location: Stoneleigh, Warwickshire with agile working
Working Hours: 35 hours per week
Contract Type: Permanent

This is a great opportunity for an accomplished and collaborative leader who enjoys the challenge of leading multi-disciplinary teams and wants to be involved in highly topical, politically charged issues that will impact the nation’s food and environmental resilience.

Sustainability is now a key topic for most agri-food supply chains and policy makers and draws on many aspects of NFU expertise. Expectations of the UK’s farmers and growers are changing. In this role, you will lead a team at the heart of this change, as climate friendly, sustainable farming practices become an integral feature in every farming business. The new expectations must find their place on farms in a way that allows them to be productive and profitable, but not at a cost to food and energy production.

With 75 per cent of national land area in the agricultural sector, the NFU is an important voice in sustainability policy. This is your opportunity to draw our current wide range of policy expertise (climate, water, biodiversity, environmental markets etc.) into an agenda-setting dialogue on supply chains and sustainability, as well as further influence the discussions and lobbying of government and government agencies around future environment and climate policy.

You’ll lead engagement with a wide range of stakeholders across government, retailers, food assurance and 3rd parties like eNGOs, and will be responsible for commodity sector Board training and upskilling in all aspects of this role’s portfolio of work.

What you’ll bring:

Along with a degree in a relevant field or substantial experience in retail, economics, and environmental policy, you will excel in navigating commercially and politically sensitive environments. You’ll need a certain amount of agility and robustness to meet the ever changing political and commercial landscape. Proactive leadership is needed in the face of instable world and domestic markets and price shocks, so an understanding or interest in market dynamics would be a plus.

In this role, you will be an industry leader in the sustainability space, a key adviser to the national Office Holder team and NFU corporate functions (communications, campaigns etc), and a door opener to the wider discussions taking place in relation to industry sustainability.

You’ll have proven experience of senior stakeholder management, evidence-based policy development, team leadership, and inclusive collaboration. Exceptional communication, advocacy, and technical briefing skills are essential, along with proficiency in Microsoft software.

Why choose us?

Join us and you’ll find an organisation that encourages and enables you to achieve your full potential. In return you will be rewarded with a full range of benefits including:

• Generous holiday allowance (30 days a year pro rata + Bank Holidays), plus 1 annual company day
• Option to buy and sell up to 5 days annual leave
• Company funded health Cashplan
• Health insurance
• Enhanced maternity, paternity and shared parental leave
• Performance-related pay
• Competitive Pension and Life assurance
• Access to interest-free loans for cars, bikes, season tickets and driving lessons
• Employee Assistance program to help you deal with life’s challenges
• Discounts on a range of new vehicles, holiday rentals, wellbeing and lifestyle and many more
• Attractive, modern office, with on-site restaurant and free parking

Join us

We’re committed to recruiting a diverse and highly-talented workforce. We’ll support you by providing you with extensive learning and development opportunities and build a career that balances your professional ambitions with your personal commitments including discussions around agile and flexible work options.

We encourage you to apply as soon as possible. If we find the right person for the role, we reserve the right to withdraw this advert and close applications before the closing date.

You may also have experience in the following: Agricultural Sustainability Director, Head of Sustainable Agriculture Policy, Environmental Policy Manager for Agriculture, Sustainable Farming Strategy Lead, Agriculture Sustainability Advocate, Agricultural Sustainability Policy Specialist, Director of Sustainable Food Production, Farming Sustainability Policy Lead, Agricultural Environmental Sustainability Manager, Sustainable Agriculture Strategy Coordinator, etc.

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