Head of Engagement - Cereals & Oilseeds

Job summary

Join us as Head of Engagement for the Cereals & Oilseeds sector and help drive our engagement strategy. This is a national role requiring regular travel across the UK and leadership of a field-based team.

Reporting to the Cereals & Oilseeds Director, you will lead the delivery of the sector engagement strategy and business plan, ensuring AHDB provides meaningful value to levy payers. Working closely with industry stakeholders, the sector council and colleagues across the organisation, you will drive engagement, influence industry priorities and ensure the successful delivery of knowledge exchange activities.

You will be an experienced leader with a strong understanding of the cereals and oilseeds industry, who can combine strategic thinking with practical delivery while comfortably leading teams, working with senior stakeholders and representing AHDB across the industry.

This is an excellent opportunity for someone who is passionate about supporting the future of British agriculture and can translate industry needs into impactful activity that delivers value for levy payers.

About AHDB

We are the independent, impartial public body that unlocks success in British agriculture. Funded by a levy from over 100,000 British producers in the beef, lamb, pork, dairy and cereals sectors, we support and champion farmers, growers and processors, often where no one else can or will.

We share the expert, evidence-based research and reports that inform on-farm decision making. We promote British produce to the UK public through domestic marketing campaigns, and we identify and open new global export opportunities to help farm businesses grow.

We provide the evidence and information to help levy payers be more sustainable and profitable. Together, we deliver the insights, the influence and the impact that farmers need.

Job description

• Lead the development and delivery of the Cereals & Oilseeds engagement strategy to deliver on the sector business plan, ensuring value for levy payers and alignment with sector priorities
• Provide leadership, direction and development for the Knowledge Exchange team, creating a high-performing and engaged culture
• Build and maintain influential relationships with levy payers, industry stakeholders, sector council members and partner organisations
• Ensure engagement activities, events and communications are coordinated, impactful and deliver measurable outcomes for the sector
• Manage budgets, performance measures and KPIs, ensuring effective delivery against business objectives
• Act as a senior ambassador for AHDB, representing the organisation at industry forums, events and stakeholder groups
• Provide strategic insight and advice to support sector decision-making, future priorities and business planning
• Develop strategic partnerships and champion collaboration across AHDB and the wider industry to maximise impact and value for levy payers

Person specification

• Significant experience within the cereals, oilseeds or wider arable sector, having previously managed a team
• Proven experience of developing and delivering strategic plans
• Experience leading and developing high-performing teams
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills
• Experience managing budgets and operational performance
• Excellent communication and presentation skills

Benefits

The benefits…

We believe in rewarding our people for their hard work, so we have a great mix of benefits and opportunities to give you the recognition you deserve:

• 35 hours per week, Monday–Friday
• 33 days of annual leave plus one privilege day (inclusive of bank holidays)
• Life assurance cover (4x salary)
• A market-leading defined contribution pension scheme with Legal & General
• Enhanced pay of 20 weeks for maternity, adoption and shared parental leave, subject to length of service
• A paid day each year to volunteer and make a difference in your community
• Comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme
• Excellent training and development opportunities and an agreed development plan
• Recognition awards throughout the year
• Reward Gateway membership – this gives you a huge number of online discounts and savings

Please note that we reserve the right to close the vacancy early should we receive a significant number of suitable applications. For any queries or support with your application, you can contact us at recruitment@ahdb.org.uk

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

To apply, simply upload your CV and Cover Letter via our careers portal by clicking the ‘Apply’ button on this page. Our hiring managers will review your application, and we’ll be in touch with the outcome shortly after the closing date.

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to an initial interview via MS Teams. If successful, a second-stage face-to-face interview will be held at our HQ in Coventry, Warwickshire, following our competency-based framework.

Please note that we reserve the right to close the vacancy early should we receive a significant number of suitable applications.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

Please note this Post is NOT regulated by the Civil Service Commission.The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : recruitment@ahdb.org.uk
• Email : recruitment@ahdb.org.uk
• Telephone : 02476 935722

Recruitment team

• Email : recruitment@ahdb.org.uk

Further information

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles of the Civil Service, and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact the Head of HR via email: hr@ahdb.org.uk