We are looking for a dedicated and knowledgeable Farming and Technical Engagement Lead to join our team. In this role, you will engage with and support new and existing scheme members, providing expert advice and guidance on the operation of the scheme and RSPCA farm animal welfare standards. You will offer pre-assessment support, knowledge sharing, and technical expertise to ensure high standards of welfare are upheld.

Working closely with the Head of Farming and Technical Engagement, you will provide insight into developments within the agriculture and aquaculture sectors, build strong relationships across industry, and identify opportunities for growth both in the UK and overseas.

• Permanent
• Working hours: 35 hours per week; Monday to Friday
• Location:You will be home based, there is a requirement for weekly travel nationally and international travel as necessary.

RSPCA Assured has operated for 31 years improving the lives of farmed animals.

In that time, we're proud to have worked with thousands of farmers - and all of the UK's biggest supermarkets - to help make the lives of millions of animals better.

Every year, we inspect almost 4,000 farms and other scheme members to ensure they meet strict RSPCA animal welfare standards - ensuring a better life for farm animals.

So when you see an RSPCA Assured label on meat, fish, eggs or milk products, it means the animal was cared for according to the RSPCA's standards.

Our vision is a world where all farmed animals are respected and treated with kindness and compassion - and that's what we work towards every day.

We only consider applications from candidates who already have the legal right to live and work in the UK

As a Farming and Technical Engagement Lead (FATE) we've added a short summary of what a typical day might look like, for a full insight please refer to the attached role profile.

You will engage with and support new and existing members to the scheme. For this role we are particularly looking for someone with knowledge and experience of Aquaculture.

You will provide advice and guidance to producers (both current and aspiring members) and share knowledge of species-specific RSPCA farm animal welfare standards.

An important part of the role will be to develop and maintain relationships with members and industry, and to provide technical and commercial awareness to the Farming Engagement Manager and the Head of Farming Engagement regarding important developments in the aquaculture and agriculture livestock sectors.

As the FATE lead, you will help producers to understand the standards more clearly, and give advice on what changes on farm might be needed.

You will also be responsible for making decisions on:

• Species-specific input in line with our overall strategy to maximise numbers of animals on the scheme.
• Methods to encourage an increase in membership and maintenance of members.
• Potential issues arising from the introduction of new standards/legislation; you will help to manage issues at farm level
• Provision of species-specific expert knowledge on the standards to members.

Sound interesting? Read on!

Essential:

• Dedication and commitment to farmed animal welfare.
• Proven on-farm experience of multiple species.
• Good overall knowledge of agricultural & aquaculture
• Strong communicator who builds rapport easily and nurtures positive, beneficial relationships at every level
• An understanding of auditing or assessment.
• A valid UK driving licence.

Desirable:

• Experience of working within NGOs. (Ideally) - Non government organisations
• Practical farming experience.
• Confident in presenting to a variety of audiences
• Competent user of word/powerpoint/excel (or equivalent), internet and email.

This is an exciting opportunity to make a real impact in farm animal welfare while working at the forefront of agricultural engagement. You will be part of a team dedicated to improving standards, supporting members, and shaping the future of ethical farming.

Recruitment Process

• Stage 1:Virtual interviews will be held during the week commencing 10th November, giving you the chance to share your skills and experience from the comfort of your own space.
• Stage 2:Shortlisted candidates will be invited to an in-person interview at a convenient location, where we can get to know each other better.

Are you one of our kind? We'd love to hear from you!

Successful candidates for certain RSPCA roles will need to undergo a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

We want to ensure we do all we can to give you a positive candidate experience through our recruitment. Whilst we do try to give feedback where we can, sometimes due to receiving high levels of applications, this may not always be possible

We are building the future of a diverse Society, and our priority is to support animal welfare by finding people from all backgrounds who are committed to our mission. For this reason we actively encourage a wide diversity of applications - in particular from members of minority ethnic groups, and people with disabilities - as these candidates are currently under-represented at the RSPCA. Your transferable skills & lived experiences could make you a valuable addition to our RSPCA Family!

Should you need any support with your application or interview process please contact resourcingteam@rspca.org.uk / 0300 123 0685.

Our mission is to ensure animals have a good life by rescuing and caring for those in need, by advocating on behalf of all animals and by inspiring everyone to treat them with compassion and respect