Senior Public Affairs and Research Officer

FareShare

London, Greater London (Hybrid)

£31,000 - £32,754 per year

Full-time

Permanent

Actively Interviewing

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Job description

Job description - Senior Public Affairs and Research Officer

Reporting to – Public Affairs, Policy and Campaigns Consultant

Location – Hybrid/London

Contract: Permanent

Hours – Full time (35 hours)

Salary - £31,000-£32,754 per annum

We welcome applications from all backgrounds. We are a Disability Confident Employer that welcome disabled applicants and provide reasonable adjustments.

Main purpose of this role

The Senior Public Affairs and Research Officer will drive policy change to increase surplus food redistribution by engaging with stakeholders across government, media, industry, and academia. They will support FareShare’s public affairs strategy by producing well-researched briefings, organizing impactful events, and fostering relationships with key partners.

About FareShare

FareShare is the UK’s national network of charitable food redistributors, made up of 18 independent organisations. Together, we take good quality surplus food from right across the food industry and get it to over 8,000 frontline charities and community groups. The food we redistribute is nutritious and good to eat. It reaches charities across the UK, including school breakfast clubs, older people’s lunch clubs, homeless shelters, and community cafes. Every week we provide enough food to create almost a million meals for vulnerable people.

Every year, more than 4.5 million tonnes of food go to waste in the UK, enough for 10 billion meals. Meanwhile, the cost-of-living crisis is driving millions into food insecurity. FareShare has a plan to help use surplus food to support those struggling to make ends meet, and strengthen communities across the UK through our network of local charities and community groups. We are fortunate to benefit from the support of major retailers, the media, and a groundswell of public engagement. As a result, there has never been a more exciting time to join an organisation at the heart of public consciousness.

FareShare’s vision

Our vision is of a UK where ‘No good food goes to waste’.

Every year, food wasted in the UK adds millions of tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere. During a climate crisis, and with record levels of food insecurity, it doesn’t make sense to be throwing away perfectly good food.

FareShare believes that with long-term ambition and quick, decisive action, the UK’s food system can become a driver of positive social and environmental impact.

Our values run through everything we do and set out a clear framework for us to approach our work: passion, ambition, respect, collaboration, and focus.

The role

The role will sit within FareShare’s public affairs—part of the wider marcomms team—which is responsible for advocating for policies that create an economic and legislative environment that is beneficial for surplus food redistribution. This will help FareShare achieve its long-term goals of redistributing a higher proportion of the UK’s surplus food and benefiting more communities across the UK.

FareShare recently published its manifesto, ‘Where’s The Food? Strengthening Communities Through Surplus Food Redistribution.’ The manifesto sets out a path for government, businesses, and charities to work together to turn an environmental problem into a social good.

The Senior Public Affairs and Research Officer will be critical in advancing FareShare’s policy agenda, as outlined in the manifesto. Working closely with the Public Affairs, Policy and Campaigns Consultant, you will lead efforts to engage influential stakeholders, create compelling content, and coordinate high-impact events. This role offers a unique opportunity to influence national policy and contribute to meaningful change in the food redistribution sector.

Key responsibilities

Stakeholder Engagement: Build and manage relationships with diverse stakeholders, including government bodies, media, and academia, to advance FareShare’s policy objectives.

Policy, Research, and Briefings: Develop in-depth policy knowledge and produce well-researched briefings and reports articulating FareShare’s policy goals. Identify opportunities for FareShare to feed into Government consultations and Select Committees.

Events: Support the planning and execution of public affairs events, including parliamentary engagements and engagement with industry conferences.

Person specification

About you

Deeply passionate about politics and driven to create progressive change through political advocacy.
A strategic thinker with the ability to navigate complex political landscapes.
An intellectually curious person with the ability to understand and communicate complicated topics, with an eye for detail and nuance.
A skilled writer, who is adept at producing excellent briefings and other written communications.
A self-starter, who can work independently and does not need constant oversight and management.
A diligent person with good organisational skills.
A motivated and persistent individual who is willing to invest the time, effort and energy that is required to succeed in bringing about positive change in the world of policy and politics.

Experience

You will have had two or more years of experience working in politics, policy or research for an MP, political party, government department, think tank, charity, agency, or similar organisation.
You will have had extensive experience producing well-researched briefings, reports, and other written material.
You will be used to dealing with senior stakeholders in a professional and organised manner.

Skills, knowledge, and abilities

Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Well developed research and academic skills.
Strong project management and organisational skills to handle multiple tasks simultaneously, meet deadlines, and manage priorities.
A self-starter with the proven ability to work independently and as part of a team.
A deep understanding of the UK political system.
Experience in food policy, environmental policy, or social policy is highly desirable.
Ability to understand data to support evidence-based policy recommendations

Values and behaviours

Appreciation of FareShare’s mission and strategy.
Flexible approach and ability to work collaboratively within a team.
Proven ability to develop and maintain good working relations with internal and external audiences.

Benefits