Senior Circular Economy Executive

Food and Drink Federation; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 42,000 - 46,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days holiday

Private healthcare

Leisure travel insurance

Health & wellbeing allowance

Interest-free season ticket loan

Cycle-to-work scheme

Job summary

The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) is seeking a Senior Circular Economy Executive to join our Sustainability and Industry Growth team in London. You will help members understand and influence packaging policy developments, with a focus on reducing packaging waste and increasing recycling.

The role reports to the Head of Packaging Policy and sits in the Packaging team. You will work on EPR, DRS, Consistent Collections and other policy areas, coordinating across teams to align sustainability and

Qualifications

• Degree, relevant professional qualification, or equivalent experience in environmental policy, sustainability, regulatory policy or related field.
• Experience in environmental policy and corporate sustainability, focusing on packaging waste and resource efficiency.
• Experience engaging with multiple stakeholders across government, industry and NGOs.
• Strong written and verbal communication to explain complex policy to diverse audiences.
• Understanding of UK packaging policy implications and international developments.
• Ability to build and maintain effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Ability to adapt to changing government priorities.

Responsibilities

• Lead specific areas of policy work on plastics and packaging, including EPR, DRS and Consistent Collections.
• Engage with Government departments, value chain partners, NGOs and external stakeholders across all aspects of packaging policy.
• Support the Packaging Committee with papers, actions, and progress of agreed workstreams.
• Carry out research and policy analysis to support evidence-based and influential FDF positions.
• Provide clear advice and updates to members on packaging policy developments and implementation requirements.
• Monitor UK, devolved and relevant international policy developments, assessing the impact on the food and drink manufacturing sector.
• Coordinate policy projects and workstreams, agreeing outputs and timelines with colleagues and keeping stakeholders updated.

Skills

Environmental policy

Stakeholder engagement

Policy analysis

Communication skills

Regulatory policy

Education

Degree or professional qualification

Job description

Salary £43,750 with excellent benefits including 25 days holiday, private healthcare, leisure travel insurance, health & wellbeing allowance, interest‑free season ticket loan and cycle‑to‑work scheme

Hours 35 hours per week; hybrid working (2-3 days in the office per week)

The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) is looking for a Senior Circular Economy Executive to join our Sustainability and Industry Growth team.

This role sits within FDF’s Packaging team and will support the delivery of our environmental policy workprogramme. You will help members understand,influenceand respond to circular economy and packaging policy developments, with a particular focus on policies aimed at reducing plastic and other packaging waste and increasing recycling. The role reports to the Head of Packaging Policy and is graded at Senior Executive level.

You will work on key packaging policy areas including Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), Deposit Return Schemes (DRS), Consistent Collections, the Plastic Packaging Tax, Packaging Recycling Notes and relevant international developments such as the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation.

Key responsibilities

• Lead specific areas of FDF’s policyworkon plastics and packaging, including EPR, DRS and Consistent Collections.
• Support FDF’s engagement with Government departments, value chain partners,NGOsand other external stakeholders across all aspects of packaging policy.
• Specifically in relation to packagingEPRengage with members, Government officials,PackUK, UK Packaging PRO and value chain partners to support a practical and cost-effective scheme.
• Help run the Packaging Committee by preparing papers, capturingactionsand progressing agreed workstreams.
• Carry out research and policy analysis to support evidence-based and influential FDF positions.
• Provide clear advice and updates to members on packaging policy developments and implementation requirements.
• Monitor UK, devolved and relevant international policy developments, assessing the impact on the food and drink manufacturing sector.
• Work collaboratively across FDF teams to ensure circular economy policy positions align with wider sustainability, industrygrowthand member service priorities.
• Coordinate policy projects and workstreams, agreeing outputs and timelines withcolleaguesand keeping stakeholders updated.

Requirements

• Degree, relevant professional qualification, or equivalent experience in environmental policy, sustainability, regulatorypolicyora relatedfield.
• Experience in environmental policy and corporate sustainability, particularly in increasing resource efficiency and circular outcomes in relation to packaging and packaging waste.
• Experience of engaging with multiple stakeholders, including members, businesses, Government, regulators,NGOsor value chain partners.
• Effectivecommunication skills, with the ability to distil complex technical information and present it in an accessible and engaging way.
• Good understanding of environmental policy implications for the food and drink industry and the ability toidentifypolicy solutions.
• Interest in national and international regulatory and public interest issues affecting the UK food and drink industry.
• Ability to build andmaintaineffective relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Ability to adapt to changing business and Government policy priorities.

Our Workplace:

We’rebased in the heart of central London in a modern, bright open-plan office. We have a friendly work culture with great break-out spaces, quietboothsand opportunities forflexible-working. Our ‘Feel Good for Life’ team regularlyorganisesevents and activities to promote positive health and wellbeing.

Equal Opportunities:

We are an equalopportunitiesemployer and welcome applications from all backgrounds. We are open to discussing flexible working arrangements and reasonable adjustments for disabilities or medical conditions.

Recruitment privacy notice : This is the privacy policy relating to the protection of FDF job applicants' information. The FDF will ensure that data is always processedin accordance withthe provisions of relevant data protection legislation, including the General Data ProtectionRegulation (GDPR).

The FDF employs over 70 people in London, Edinburgh and Wales.We are organised in teams, providing expert advice and managing a wide variety of issues on behalf of the industry.