Salary: c. £39,448 (Dependant on Skills and Experience)
Location: Stoneleigh, Warwickshire with agile working
Working Hours: 35 hours per week
Contract Type: Fixed term contract until 30 September 2027
The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) is the biggest farming organisation in the UK. We're proud to make a difference for all our members, by shaping attitudes towards British farming and leading the charge on a range of major issues, from climate change and food standards to rural crime and broadband rollout.
Purpose of the role:
You’ll enjoy the chance to use your expertise to help shape the NFU’s stance on a range of farm safety and transport issues. You will be the NFU’s lead in advocacy work to shape legislation and drive industry-led initiatives. You will be responsible for briefing our policy teams, officeholders and members. You will represent the NFU in negotiations with government and other bodies and you’ll be the voice of our members, delivering better outcomes for transport and farm safety issues. You will also be the secretariat and policy lead for the Farm Safety Partnership, developing innovative ideas and strategies to address farming’s safety record.
What you’ll be doing:
You’ll play a key role in developing NFU policies and lobbying to protect our members’ interests regarding farm safety and transport. As the lead adviser on a range of areas, you’ll enjoy a varied workload, as you help shape farm safety and transport policy. You’ll be preparing our responses to government policy and legislative proposals, or giving our members a voice in negotiations. This means you’ll need to keep up-to-date on the latest relevant political, technical, legal or commercial developments in your specialist areas, which may involve some UK or foreign travel. You’ll work with regional colleagues to organise and present farm safety events around the country for NFU members and stakeholders. You’ll also develop a network of useful contacts, from senior government officials to the media, trade associations to commercial businesses. Working on sensitive or emotionally charged issues, alongside colleagues from other NFU teams, you’ll be the face of our policy team, promoting our work and raising our profile through your focus, enthusiasm and expertise.
What you’ll bring:
With a degree and expertise and experience in farming and agriculture engineering / machinery is preferable but not essential. You’ll ideally have an agricultural background and will be used to working with farmers or food producers. You’ll be an articulate communicator and negotiator with a keen eye for detail and the ability to research, analyse and collate complex issues clearly. You will be a confident public speaker and feel comfortable presenting in front of members and stakeholders. This means you’ll be as confident working with the media and writing relevant news stories and articles, as developing new policies, or lobbying for our members’ interests. With a can-do attitude and the ability to work independently or as part of a team, you’ll be comfortable developing successful professional networks. You’ll also be a problem solver, with the ability to manage projects and prioritise your work.
Why choose us?
Join us and you’ll find an organisation that encourages and enables you to achieve your full potential. In return you will be rewarded with a full range of benefits including:
Generous holiday allowance (starting at 25 days a year + Bank Holidays, rising to 30 days pro rata with length of service), plus 1 annual Christmas company day
Option to buy and sell up to 5 days annual leave
Company funded health Cashplan
Enhanced maternity, paternity and shared parental leave
Performance-related pay
Competitive Pension and Life assurance
Access to interest-free loans for cars, bikes, season tickets and driving lessons
Employee Assistance program to help you deal with life’s challenges
Discounts on new a range of vehicles, holiday rentals, wellbeing and lifestyle and many more
Attractive, modern office, with on-site restaurant and free parking
Who we are
Every day, we're the voice of around 43,000 British farmers and growers who produce food, making sure their concerns are heard at the heart of government both online and locally. This means developing strong relationships with everyone from NFU colleagues to government ministers. So, as well as having a high profile in both the media and Westminster, we work with and support local members through a network of regional and county offices across England and Wales.
Policy and Trade & Business Strategy
This team takes an active role in developing and influencing the policies that benefit farming businesses across the UK. This means keeping up to date with and responding to national and international developments, engaging with and advising NFU members, and putting their decisions into action.
It’s exciting, complex work, covering every area of farming and dealing with a range of stakeholders, from government ministers, civil servants and the media, to local NFU branches. The sheer variety of our work means you can be involved in a wide range of projects from initial research to policy delivery. Our collaborative approach means you’ll find plenty of opportunities to build your knowledge – it’s up to you to take them.
Join us
We’re committed to recruiting a diverse and highly-talented workforce. We’ll support you by providing you with extensive learning and development opportunities and build a career that balances your professional ambitions with your personal commitments including discussions around agile and flexible work options.
We encourage you to apply as soon as possible. If we decide we've found the right person for the role, we reserve the right to withdraw this advert and close applications before the closing date.
For any internal colleagues only: Subject to agreement with your current line manager and Head of Department, this may be considered a secondment opportunity. For more information on Secondments at the NFU please review our Secondment Policy.
REF-(Apply online only)
Salary description
£39448.00 - £39448.00 per year