Overview
The Agriculture & Environment (Fresh Produce) Specialist will provide expertise and insight to customers across the food supply chain. You will utilise your subject knowledge to collect, interpret and analyse data related to sustainable farming practices, traceability and food safety. You will be the point of contact for Foods Connected customers on a range of Fresh Produce and Environmental matters. Through collaboration with other teams, you will contribute to increasing the functionality contained within our tools and help our customers develop stronger practices to help their success implementing these policies moving forward. This role will be viewed as an extension of the Foods Connected services; you will work in a consultative manner with customers and suppliers across the UK, Europe and Globally.
Responsibilities
- Provide customers with advice on sourcing, supply chains and production standards, associated sustainability considerations, research initiatives and policy development across a range of product categories.
- Utilise subject matter expertise (e.g., comprehension of production science, soil science, pesticide management) to undertake comprehensive data analysis, interpretation and reporting to support customer initiatives, commitments and policy requirements.
- Benchmarking and horizon scanning of standards and practices pertinent to fresh produce production, including sustainability and food safety.
- Keep updated on activity and engage with relevant NGOs to provide customer policy and standard recommendations.
- Lead and implement programs, protocols, or policies to drive improvement in production practices, sustainability, and policies underpinning legislative changes.
- Through collaboration with the Project Management and Development teams, increase value gained from Foods Connected Data for improved decision making and transparency of standards.
- Identifying new opportunities within existing client portfolios.
- Contributing with our Business Development team to support proposals / SOWs across existing clients and new customers.
- Supports innovation through trend analysis, identifying new opportunities, developing novel ideas and/or participation in idea generation activities to improve company processes and services.
Qualifications & Experience
- Bachelor's degree in related field and 5 years relevant experience; or equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Subject Matter Expertise in relation to UK and ROW Fresh Produce supply chains from farm to further processing & packaging.
- Postgraduate qualification with a focus on Agriculture / Sustainability and regular contribution to industry publications (preferred).
- 5+ years' experience within the Fresh Produce supply chain.
- Prior experience in the food industry and wider environmental themes such as soil health, responsible water use, pesticide use, regenerative agriculture and/or biodiversity.
- Experience communicating legislative/regulatory requirements across fresh produce supply chains.
- A track record of engagement with agricultural and environmental issues, regulations and requirements for food suppliers and manufacturers from farming to retail.
- Evidence of delivering policy and/or standards innovation and improvement.
- Significant subject matter expertise relating to fresh produce and wider environmental initiatives (e.g., regenerative agriculture, biodiversity, responsible water use).
Technical Skills
- Knowledge of software solutions utilised across the Food Industry.
- Ability to learn new software and its application (Foods Connected system).
- Data analysis, interpretation and reporting.
- Foods Connected is a cloud-based software platform that helps retailers, suppliers and food businesses globally manage their supply chain, quality control and trading and planning management. The team provides tools to help customers manage processes with real-time visibility and reporting.
Company Fit & Benefits
At Foods Connected, we recognise that our employees are our most important asset and we value creating a great working environment. We strive for an office culture where teams solve problems for customers, collaborate effectively, and deliver the best possible results. We welcome talented individuals who are natural planners, driven, with a passion for driving forward simple software solutions, creating great user experiences and customer satisfaction through organized, well-managed processes.
- Flexible Working Hours
- Generous Holiday Package
- Secure Company Hardware