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An exciting opportunity has arisen in our Food Chain Unit for a student placement who has a passion for food, farming and British retailers. The placement will allow you to gain a rare insight into all the UK’s top retailer and foodservice businesses, by representing the views of our farmer and grower members.
Role and responsibilities
The primary objective of the role will be to support the NFU’s strategic engagement with the UK’s top retailers, foodservice and large brand businesses on issues affecting UK agri-food supply chains. The role will be operating across all sectors including dairy, livestock, poultry, horticulture, sugar, and combinable crops. There may be the opportunity for the right candidate to lead and organise events for top UK retailers and suppliers.
The successful candidate will also be assisting the Food Chain Unit’s work to convey what NFU members want from a sustainable British supply chain. The role enables you to influence a better functioning supply chain for all 55,000 NFU farmers and growers.
The Food Chain Unit also lobbies industry on a range of area’s including public procurement, food labelling, assurance schemes and standards, organics, and the Grocery Code Adjudicator. The role will provide an opportunity to gain an overview of all these work areas.
The candidate will also take an active role in supporting the NFU Poultry team with turkey marketing campaigns and Food Chain team’s lobbying activities for the NFU’s 2000 organic members. This will include organising events, communicating activity to members, and supporting the NFU Organic Forum.
In addition you will be required to represent the NFU at meetings across the UK including frequent travel to London and potentially an opportunity to visit our Brussels office.
You will be crucial in delivering the NFU’s messages on food chain issues to both internal and external media. You will also have the opportunity to shadow key members of NFU staff both within our head office and across our regional teams.
About you
Summary
- The successful candidate should be currently studying towards a degree on a food or agriculture related discipline.
- You will be a confident communicator who is willing to give things a go
- Have some knowledge or understanding of Farm Assurance
Knowledge and expertise
- Working towards a degree level with an agricultural or a food discipline.
- To have knowledge of agricultural / horticultural production.
- Proven ability to complete tasks and projects effectively within agreed timescales
Communication
- Effective communications and interpersonal skills both written & verbal
- Good grammatical and numerical skills.
Practical skills
- Efficient use of IT equipment including word and excel
- Decision making and problem solving
- Ability to demonstrate organisational and prioritising skills.
- Ability to solve problems and forward plan.
Responsibility
- Must have a detailed approach to recording accurate information.
- Ability to deal with confidential information.
Personality
- Ability to attend events as necessary as part of the Food Chain Unit
- Ability to work extended or additional hours when required.
- Full current driving licence consideration will be given under the Equality Act where applicable).
- Be self-motivated
- Be passionate about delivering good quality and successful projects about agriculture.
