Project Support Executive

HRA Global Agri, Food & Drink Consulting; Torquay; Hybrid; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading food consultancy located in Torquay is seeking a Project Support Executive to assist in delivering diverse consultancy projects, including research and market strategies. Candidates should possess a relevant degree and strong communication skills, along with a keen interest in the food and drink sector. The role offers flexibility with hybrid working arrangements, professional growth opportunities, and comprehensive employee benefits including health care and training support.

Benefits

Annual leave increasing by 1 day each year

Professional training and development funding

Hybrid working model

Company gym membership

Cycle to Work scheme

Qualifications

• Proficient in using AI tools for analysis and marketing tasks.
• Familiar with software for surveys, CRM, and project management.
• Experience with quantitative and qualitative data interpretation.

Responsibilities

• Conduct market and consumer research to support client projects.
• Manage day-to-day client communications and project initiatives.
• Design and format project presentations and reports.

Skills

Communication skills

Self-discipline

Research skills

Data analysis

Project management

Education

Degree in marketing, business, or food and drink related

Masters/MBA preferred

Tools

Excel

PowerPoint

Canva

Job description

Overview

Would you like to put your business, marketing or food and drink experience skills and knowledge into practice in an exciting and varied role working with some of the top brands, companies and minds in the global food industry. Business growth has meant that we are looking for an ambitious person to join our dynamic team of management, research and strategy consultants.

As Project Support Executive (or Manager depending on experience) you will play a pivotal role in our consultancy and will be supporting the team to deliver a wide range of work, from developing go to market strategies, researching food category trends, running consumer taste tests, conducting competitor analysis, finding manufacturers to work, helping launch new products and managing technical elements, or producing reports and delivering presentations. Our clients are based in over 30 countries including Australia, New Zealand, Europe, and the USA.

The Role

This role is perfect for a motivated person who has been working for a few years' post degree in business, marketing or food and drink work experience. You are a person that is keen to learn and develop, and looking for a role that will provide skill development and stimulation.

Our ideal candidate is someone with a keen interest in the food and drink landscape, eager to make a meaningful impact in the industry, and ready to grow their career with a company that leads in food and drink consultancy.

Personal Qualities and Attributes

• Understanding of or have worked in the food industry (Project Manager require proven experience)
• Communicates well and confidently
• Purposeful, organised and directed at getting things done quickly
• Self-disciplined but also able to work as part of a team
• Handle people and problems with empathy, confidence and determination
• Cope with rapid shifts in priorities as the responsibilities of the role are broad in scope, encompassing a wide variety of activities
• Confident to take independent action with a sense of urgency and act on your own initiative
• Not afraid to make mistakes and learn from it
• Able to make difficult decisions and take responsibility for them
• React and adjust quickly to changing conditions and come up with practical ideas for dealing with them

Tasks include but not limited to

• Research & report writing – Researching and compiling market and consumer research
• Analysis & recommendations - Analyse findings to support client recommendations and produce project reports
• Client account management – Manage day to day communications, attend client debriefs and participate where appropriate, supporting the planning and execution of projects and any other miscellaneous activity carried out for the client’s best interests.
• Consumer research – recruiting participants, setting up surveys, running taste tests and managing results/response
• Design - Format and design of presentations and reports using Canva and Powerpoint
• Marketing & communications – input into HRA’s marketing through writing articles, producing trends reports and facilitation social media activities
• Team working– you will be supporting and working alongside a small internal team and external specialists
• If applying for Project Manager role you will be expected to demonstrate ability to lead on projects and have excellent presentation and communication skills

Benefits and rewards

The company boasts an excellent working environment where every individual has the opportunity to make an impact. We use Macbooks with the very latest hardware and software including online and cloud based collaborative applications. We are a small team with minimal hierarchy so your progression will be reflected through increased responsibility and autonomy on projects, with a view to becoming more involved in project management.

As a BCorp committed company we recognise some tasks are better delivered from home and can give staff more flexibility in their personal lives. What counts is using our time together to collaborate, innovate, ideate, plan, and socialise. We do regular little picks, volunteer, take a lunchtime sea swim, play a round of tennis, have team lunches and some people have even paddleboarded to work!

Benefits...

• Annual leave: 20 days annual leave, increasing a day a year, plus bank holidays
• Training and Development: We encourage, and fund, professional growth which could include professional qualifications, regular meetings with the line manager/wider team, on-the-job training, project management training, industry CPD, mentoring, etc.
• Flexibility: Everyone works differently. Whether it’s early mornings, late nights, or a day at home, we support whatever makes you effective.
• Office Location: Situated near the beach in South Devon
• Hybrid working: 2 days at home and 3 days in the office
• Financial Wellbeing: Attractive salary and bonus/reward schemes.
• Physical Wellbeing: Company funded gym memberships
• Sustainable Transport: EV salary sacrifice car scheme with tax and NI benefits
• Cycle to Work scheme for tax free 0% cycles and cycle equipment
• Enhanced Workplace Pension: (12% scheme, 7% employer contributions)
• Healthcare: Company private healthcare scheme for staff inc. allowances for dental work, eye tests, medical tests, outpatients etc.

Working Arrangements

This role offers a hybrid working model with remote work on Mondays and Fridays and Babbacombe office-based Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. The ability to drive and willingness to travel within and outside the UK for client meetings or events (with expenses covered) is required. Part time considered.

Qualifications and Skills

• Degree (marketing, business, food and drink related ) and Masters/MBA welcomed
• Project Manager role requires food and drink manufacturing or equivalent experience
• IT literate with proven proficiency in Excel, Word and PowerPoint (advanced Excel knowledge desirable)
• Understanding and use of AI tools
• Ability to use software for surveys, CRM and project management
• Comfortable with, and experience of, researching and interpreting quantitative and qualitative data
• Excellent and accurate writing skills

We are committed to hiring the right person regardless of background, ethnicity, disability, gender, sexuality, or age. Please drop your CV to [e-mail] with a brief outline of your suitability for the position. Deadline 13th March 2026 but early applicants encouraged. Immediate start available.