Food Policy Coordinator Industrial Placement Manchester 2023

We’re now working in a hybrid way, with colleagues dividing their time between home/remote working and the office. 

If we receive a high volume of applications, we may decide to bring the closing date forward. We recommend you submit your application as soon as possible to ensure that we can consider you for the role.

The Role

We’re looking for a driven and ambitious undergraduate to join our Ethics, Sustainability and Food Policy team on a 12-month placement. If you’re a natural team player with a passion for developing your career, we can offer you an amazing opportunity to do just that with a business that always puts people and planet at the heart of its strategy.

The world is changing in ways that are having a real impact on our food system, so we have a wide range of strategies, policies, projects and collaborative activity to ensure a more sustainable food future for people and the planet. As an Undergraduate Ethics, Sustainability and Food Policy Co-ordinator at the Co-op, you’ll work with a wide range of people across the business on activities that supports our Future of Food commitments.

This will include supporting cross-functional projects across our Fairtrade, Sustainable Sourcing, Environmental, International Development and Human Rights team strategies. If you’re passionate about doing the right thing and championing a better way of doing business, this is fantastic opportunity to be drive positive change and be part of making a huge difference in our Co-op own-brand food and drink supply chains.

Please note: You must be in your penultimate year of university and on a course that permits you to take a placement/sandwich year starting in 2023 to be considered for this role (1st year students and graduates cannot be considered).

What you’ll do

• co-ordinate projects focussed on improving transparency of Co-op supply chains and supporting our Treating People Fairly and Sourcing with Care chapters of Future of Food
• build relationships with key internal and external partners to support the delivery of Future of Food projects
• assist in profiling the work of the Ethics, Sustainability and Food Policy team at key internal and external events and campaigns e.g. Fairtrade Fortnight
• build an understanding of different areas across the Co-op and its supply chains
• deliver presentations to help us to discover and develop exciting new opportunities

Requirements

This role will suit people who have:

• a real passion for ethics and sustainability, caring for the people who create our products and the planet we share
• a current Undergraduate studying a degree related to, or with an interest in the following areas: international development, sustainability, geography, human rights and social ethics or climate and the environment
• an understanding of the current challenges in global food supply chains
• enthusiasm, dedication and high attention to detail
• great communication and networking skills, with the ability to build great relationships and influence all kinds of people
• strong analytical skills, with a logical approach to solving complex problems
• a good working knowledge of Microsoft Office applications
• the flexibility and willingness to travel to different sites across the UK when required

Why Co-op?

As a Co-op undergraduate placement, you’ll do work that matters in an organisation where principles are just as important as profits. You’ll also get a package that includes:

• a competitive salary
• 28 days holiday (plus bank holidays)
• coaching, training and support to help you develop
• discounts on Co-op products and services including 20% in Co-op food stores
• a company laptop is provided

Building an Inclusive Workplace

We’re actively building diverse teams and welcome applications from everyone. But simply having a diverse workforce is not enough. We aim to build an inclusive environment, where everyone can contribute their best work and develop to their full potential.

We celebrate our differences and recognise the importance of teams reflecting the communities they serve. We can make reasonable adjustments to our interview process according to your needs. And we offer a flexible working environment, so you can adjust your hours to suit your personal circumstances.