G6 Food Strategy Policy

This is an exciting opportunity to join Defra Agri-Food Chain.

The Directorate leads on a diverse and exciting range of food and farming policy, working closely with industry, academia, voluntary sector and consumer groups, as well as other Whitehall departments. The Covid pandemic has demonstrated more clearly than ever before how critical and effective food chain is to our existence and well-being.

Defra’s profile has never been higher; our remit provides the opportunity for real influence. You will be building relationships with a variety of key stakeholders. Internally, these could include Directors and Ministers, including counterparts in other teams. Externally, this could include industry bodies, non-governmental organisations and UK citizens.

You will play an active role in shaping and delivering the Defra Group’s priorities’, working creatively and collaboratively with others to deliver excellent outcomes. There are plenty of opportunities to develop your own skills and future career.

While continuing to respond to the current challenges to the farming and food systems we are developing new policies to make the most of opportunities as an independent, sovereign state by improving the innovation, productivity and economic performance of our domestic industries. We want to make the UK the best in the world when it comes to maintaining the confidence of consumers and our world-renowned high food standards, and innovative, sustainable food production in a way that fits the Government’s commitment to achieve Net Zero in 2050. We need to find the right ways to make the UK a great place to start and thrive as a farming or food and drink business; ensure that our food and drink businesses can deliver high quality food and drink to more markets worldwide.

Working as a policy professional in Agri-Food Chain you will be helping create, support and deliver one of a range of policies in areas such as developing our food system strategy, climate mitigation and adaptation, public sector food procurement and preparing the food system for implementation of the EU SPS agreement. A key aspect will be flexibility to potentially work across different areas to deliver Ministerial priorities for the food system

What makes the AFC really exciting and different is that we are leading the way across Government in developing user-centred, co-designed strategic policy, bringing together the best of policy and other disciplines. You will work in partnership with stakeholders and be part of a fresh and exciting approach to delivery.

The postholder will be part of the core leadership of the division responsible for shaping the food strategy, as a set of systems interventions, to address the challenges set out in the Good Food Cycle publication last July. They will need to engage effectively across Defra, with other government departments, and externally with food sector leaders, civil society, academia and citizen representative groups to build momentum, collaboration and partnership to drive the outcomes this government seeks.

Responsibilities in the role include, but are not limited to

• the team is currently reviewing priority work areas, but the role will lead the development of policy projects to deliver the outcomes in the Good Food cycle.
• this includes developing and owning clear project plans and delivering against them;
• leading and delivering speeches / publications and formal policy development on elements of the food strategy, with supporting comms and engagement activity;
• supporting the Deputy Director to provide system leadership to define and drive progress against agreed outcomes; and support the Agri-Food Directors to provide strategic oversight of the food system.