Working at FDF

Current job vacancies at the FDF.

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Current job vacancies

Current job vacancies

Team Administrator (Competitiveness/ Membership and Commercial)
Workforce and Skills Policy Manager
Innovation Executive

Team Administrator (Competitiveness/ Membership and Commercial)

Job Type: Full time, 12 Month Fixed-term Contract
Location: Central London (Bloomsbury)
Salary: Competitive

The role

To provide secretarial and administrative support to the Chief Operating Officer and Competitiveness team as well as the Director and Membership and Commercial team. The Competitiveness team delivers services for members, stakeholders and colleagues across a range of policy areas and several member committees and groups including FDF's Industrial Strategy Group and the Food and Drink Sector Council working groups. This role ensures that there is effective diary administration and overall team coordination.

The Membership and Commercial team recruits and account manages our 300+ manufacturing and affiliate members. The Commercial part of the team organises and implements the FDF events and training programme including the annual dinner and industry awards.

Principle Accountabilities

To work closely with all colleagues across both teams to meet deadlines, achieve projects, facilitate information and arrange events.

General admin:

Diary management, co-ordinating meetings, conference calls, room bookings, producing detailed itineraries, travel and hotel arrangements, and expense forms;
Organise internal meetings and events including IT and catering requirements;
Accurately produce documents including a note of meetings, and upload them onto FDF website in a timely manner;
Co-ordinate paperwork in relation to internal, external, committee meetings, conferences and seminars;
Deal with the post, process internal and external mailings and undertake any other co- ordination activity as required;
Coordinate both teams' input for FDF newsletters and staff meetings e.g. 'FDF huddle;
Ensure that members / stakeholder contacts and key events on the FDF database are maintained appropriately, on an ongoing basis and in a timely manner;
To provide additional administrative support for other FDF teams as required in conjunction with the other FDF administrators;
Any other reasonable ad hoc duties that may be required. There may be occasional evening working to support events.

Assisting FDF Competitiveness Director and Membership and Commercial Director:

Support management of the Directors' diaries;
Support the Directors' preparation for internal and external meetings;
Undertake ad hoc personal support to the Directors' as required.

Support for FDF Committees and Groups:

Provide administrative support for the Industrial Strategy Group, Trade Association Roundtable, Customs Working Group, FDSC Workforce and Skills and Exports groups, Employment and Skills Forum and Graduate Excellence Industry Support Group e.g. assisting with document uploading for all meetings, preparing meeting arrangements and collating agendas and papers.
Provide administrative support for the Sales Directors' Forum and Small Business Forum.

The Teams

FDF's Competitiveness team is responsible for policy and market developments that impact UK food and drink manufacturers' ability to invest, grow and do business. The team covers a range of economic issues including: trade and workforce implications of the UK leaving the European Union; skills and employment; exporting; and working with supply chains.

FDF's commercial team is responsible for recruiting and retaining members; member and professional affiliate communications ; developing income generating services, marketing and planning events, including the Food and Drink Federation Awards and Annual Industry Dinner.

Requirements

Excellent organisational and administration skills with the ability to prioritise workload
Excellent time management with the ability to work flexibly and under pressure to meet deadlines
Professional, approachable with positive attitude – providing a high-quality service to members and stakeholders
Excellent written and oral communication skills
A self-starter with the ability to work alone and as part of a team
Strong minute taking ability
Strong attention to detail when producing word documents, spreadsheets and database maintenance
Educated to A-Level standard or relevant working experience
Proficient in using MS Office e.g. Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint

How to apply

We'd love to hear from you, if you think your experience and skillset are suited to the role. Please send us your CV, covering letter and salary expectations, illustrating why you'd be a great candidate to recruitment@fdf.org.uk.

Have a look at the full job description

View our recruitment privacy notice

Closing Date: 6 December 2019, 5:30 PM

Workforce and Skills Policy Manager

Job Type: Full time, 12 Month Fixed-term Contract
Location: Central London (Bloomsbury)
Salary: Competitive

The role

To support the Head of Industrial Strategy, Employment and Skills in policy development and engagement to deliver FDF's effective contribution to projects relating to Industrial Strategy and the Food and Drink Sector Council's Workforce workstream impacting on the competitive position of the UK food and drink manufacturing industry.

This will involve monitoring policy developments; drafting concise and informative briefings for members; formulating FDF policy on the back of member consultations; lobbying decision-makers; and working with key partners to ensure that the delivery of projects meet the business plan objectives.

Principle Accountabilities

Manage FDF Skills Executive and deploy Administrative resource to enable delivery of work program.
Manage and deliver on skills projects and policy insight/evidence into the Food and Drink Sector Council and its Workforce workstream; deliver the skills recommendations set out in the FDSC Workforce report.
Manage FDF's Industrial Strategy Group and link with Industrial Strategy Policy.
Monitor regulatory and policy developments regarding skills policy for the UK food and drink manufacturing industry and wider supply chain, including apprenticeships and skills provision.
Give clear direction regarding the development economic data analysis to develop the evidence base underpinning FDF policy positions on skills.
Represent FDF members on various national forums (Defra, BEIS, EEF and CBI) to ensure our position is coordinated and / or aligned with UK and EU positions.
Monitor progress on key projects that concern Industrial Strategy and Skills in the UK food and drink manufacturing industry and ensure that members and staff are kept informed by producing concise, informative and insightful briefings and news articles.
Formulate FDF policy in relevant competitiveness areas on the back of effective member consultations. Communicate FDF policy internally and externally. This will include producing position papers; presentations; newsletter articles; media responses; and briefings for members and colleagues including FDF Leadership team, President, Executive Committee, Corporate Affairs Group and Council.
Build and maintain links with key stakeholders and lobby decision-makers on FDF's position in the UK (officials and politicians) in coordination with FDF's Public Affairs team.
Represent FDF members on various national (Defra, BEIS) and forums to ensure our position is coordinated and / or aligned with UK and EU positions.

The Team

Requirements

Government affairs professional with graduate degree in UK or EU politics, international relations, economics or other relevant disciplines
Proven professional experience in UK and EU public affairs, policy development and issue management, gained in a corporate, political, trade association, consultancy environment or government department
Excellent knowledge of political processes (UK/EU), a high awareness of the domestic and international political context, and a firm grasp of key public policy issues affecting the food and drink manufacturing industry
Strong analytical, organisational, presentational and written skills (incl. word processing package)
Excellent communicator with proven ability to write influential documents, command authority in committees and political discussions, and communicate effectively to diverse audiences
Ability to learn quickly and think strategically across changing priorities and expanding subject fields
Highly motivated team player with a hands-on attitude, ability to lead and develop creative and evidence-based approaches to policy issues, industry positions and their communication
Proven experience in planning and project management. Ability to multi-task, respond flexibly to needs of business and FDF members, and self-organise work effectively on different projects and issues

How to apply

Closing Date: 6 December 2019, 5:30 PM

Innovation Executive

Job Type: Part Time (3 days per week) Permanent Contract
Location: Central London (Bloomsbury)
Salary: Competitive

The role

The central purpose of the Innovation Executive is to provide a 'one-stop-shop' for members on all aspects of innovation. They will provide information to members on Government, academic or other stakeholder initiatives that members can tap into and benefit from. They will be the focussed resource to facilitate dialogue between organisations such as InnovateUK, KTN (Knowledge Transfer Network), Government departments (e.g. BEIS, Defra) and represent FDF at external events involving such organisations. They will also organise meetings and events for members for the dissemination of information and for input of such information to stakeholders e.g. Government consultations.

First point of contact for members and stakeholders on all innovation topics, to include (but not limited to) robotics, automation, reformulation, packaging, competitiveness, novel ingredients, innovation funding.
Provision of information to members on funding, collaborations, innovation brokering etc.
Support (e.g. letters of support) to grant giving organisation (e.g. UKRI) to enable funding being granted which members will get the opportunity to benefit from.
Interface with academic institutions that can provide R&D facilities/capability to member companies.
Maintain links to other industrial sectors where synergies may be helpful e.g. general manufacturing.
Lead on innovation elements of the Industrial Strategy sector deal (BEIS/Defra) maintaining links with key partners for delivery.

The Team

FDF's Regulation, Science and Sustainability team provide a timely and expert service to members, on technical and regulatory developments of interest to the UK food and drink industry. The team covers a wide range of issues including Allergens, Food Contact Materials, Food Law and Labelling, Residues and Contaminants and support a number of serviced Sector Associations on specific category areas of interest.

Requirements

Knowledge of the innovation landscape and innovation challenges facing the food and drink industry
Responsible and practical self-starter with a strong appetite to connect with business needs for innovation and near market adoption of known technology and digitisation.
Strong ability to manage a diverse workload and a wide range of issues
Good ability to sustain a range of working relationships, a natural networker
Willingness to learn & take responsibility for projects – good organisational skills
Good communications skills, both verbal and written
Good ability to prioritise work, work under pressure and meet deadlines
IT literate
Knowledge of the UK innovation funding structure and ideally established network into this
Knowledge of academic institutes and research establishments that can provide services to the food and drink sector
Knowledge of challenges facing the food and drink sector, solutions to which can be enabled through innovation
Basic knowledge of the protection of intellectual property

How to apply

Have a look at the full job description

View our recruitment privacy notice

Closing Date: 6 December 2019, 5:30pm

More about working for FDF

Our organisation

Our benefits

Our workplace

View our recruitment privacy notice

Our organisation

We're the Food and Drink Federation (FDF) - the voice of the UK food and drink industry: the largest manufacturing sector in the country. We help our members operate in a highly regulated marketplace to maximise their competitiveness and profitability. Our job is to communicate our industry's values and concerns to Government, regulators, consumers and the media. We also work in partnership with key players in the food supply chain to ensure our food is safe, affordable and nutritious.

Our benefits

FDF is a great place to work where we take wellbeing seriously and have a great benefits package to match, offering a pension scheme, life insurance, 25 days holiday, private healthcare, leisure travel insurance, gym subsidy, interest-free season ticket loan and cycle-to-work scheme.

View our staff benefits »

Our workplace

We're based in the heart of central London in a modern, bright open-plan office. We have a friendly work culture with great break-out spaces, quiet booths and opportunities for flexible-working. Our 'Feel Good for Life' team regularly organises events and activities to promote positive health and wellbeing.

View our recruitment privacy notice »

FDF operates as an equal opportunities employer and we welcome all applications regardless of gender, marital status, sexual orientation, pregnancy, race, colour, ethnic origin, nationality, religion/beliefs, disability and age.

Last reviewed: 03 Dec 2019