Organic Development Project Manager

Salary: £35,000 annually pro rata based on experience
Annual Leave entitlement: 25 days (plus 10 bank holidays) 
Working hours: Part-Time – 3 days per week
Contract: Fixed Term – 12 Months
Location: Ratho, Edinburgh / Hybrid-working

Closing date for applications: 15/06/2025

In person interviews for this role will take place w/c 16/06/2025 &/or 23/06/2025.

Prior to any employment commencing with Scotland Food & Drink you will be asked to provide documents to demonstrate your right to work in the UK.

JOB SUMMARY

Scotland Food & Drink is looking for an enthusiastic and proactive Organic Development Project Manager. This role will sit within Scotland Food & Drink and will work across a range of stakeholders and partners who will be helping to deliver the Organic Sector Action Plan (funded by Scottish Government).  

The post holder will be responsible for coordinating and delivering a programme of activity to raise the profile and commercial success of Scottish organic products and producers. This will involve identifying market opportunities, supporting supply chain development, sharing relevant insights, and promoting collaboration across the sector.

ABOUT THE ROLE

• Your day-to-day responsibilities may include but are not limited to:
• Work with a range of stakeholders and colleagues to manage a programme of activities that sit within the Scottish Organic Action Plan.
• To liaise internally with the UK Market Development team (Scotland Food & Drink) to identify commercial selling opportunities for organic brands and products and put in place activities to support these including Meet the Buyers, Capability Workshops and Learning Journey’s and extending into opportunities around public procurement.
• To work with Soil Association Scotland to build awareness of Scottish organic products and producers with Retail and foodservice buyers.
• To liaise internally with The Knowledge Bank (SF&D’s Market Insight Service) and Soil Association Scotland to provide relevant market insight on organic markets and consumers and to design and deliver relevant reports on markets, consumers and other relevant Scottish insight that could influence market developments.
• To liaise with colleagues within Scottish Government and The Knowledge Bank to report on the Organic sector in Scotland using DEFRA and RESAS statistics.
• To liaise with SAOS who will lead on the Supply Chain Development element of the project.
• To build and maintain a database of Scottish organic products and brands including their market aspirations, capabilities and accreditations.
• To work with SF&D Comms and Marketing colleagues to ensure that there are engaging comms in place to highlight opportunities as well as building the profile of the sector.
• To work across the wider Scotland food and drink Partnership to raise awareness of the Organic work and to seek out collaboration opportunities.
• To report twice a year on progress of activities in the plan, feeding into the wider SFD Delivery Plan and disseminating progress to the wider Organic Stakeholder community.
   
  ABOUT YOU
• Strong project management capabilities and be confident in dealing with senior personnel across industry and the public sector - Essential
• Well-developed communication skills, combined with the ability to forge positive relations to deliver good outcomes - Essential 
• Be commercially minded, with knowledge and understanding of the Scottish food and drink sector and supply chain environment - Essential
• Have excellent analytical, monitoring and reporting skills including budget management - Essential 
• Genuine interest in the food and drink sector
• Strong project management experience, ideally with at least 5 years in a similar role
• Confident working autonomously, including setting and managing own priorities and timelines
• Comfortable collaborating as part of a high-performing and supportive team
• Ability to work closely with colleagues and stakeholders on joint projects and initiatives.
• A valid driving license is desirable.

ABOUT SCOTLAND FOOD & DRINK

Scotland Food & Drink is the industry leadership organisation tasked with delivering the industry strategy and driving responsible growth for the sector. We are also a membership organisation with over 350+ companies at our heart.

Working with us gives you an opportunity to be part of one of the most exciting and innovative industries in Scotland.

Our culture and our people are core to delivering our diverse and collaborative work. We have work/life balance as one of our core values and a comprehensive benefits package including, a group pension plan, 35 days annual leave (in addition to your birthday off), enhanced maternity & paternity benefits, a health care cash plan, a flexible working policy, an electric vehicle scheme, a cycle to work scheme, a life assurance scheme, professional study & training assistance, an employee assistance programme and wellness events.

There is also opportunities to socialise and attend industry events and dinners. 

We believe working with us should be a hugely positive experience, our core values are:

• Ambition – We pursue excellence with unwavering ambition.
• Collaboration - We believe in the power of working together.
• Innovation – We embrace a culture of continuous improvement and creativity.
• Celebration - We believe in recognising and celebrating achievements.
• Authenticity - We are committed to honesty, transparency, and integrity.
• Balance - We believe in finding balance between work and the rest of our lives.

We are also an equal opportunity employer, and we recognise that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive. We support candidates with reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process, please let us know when applying if you will require any additional support.  

APPLY NOW

Please send CV and covering letter, or any questions you have regarding the role to: careers@foodanddrink.scot with the title of the job you are applying for in the subject line.