Group Livestock Sustainability & Welfare Manager in Huntingdon

As Group Livestock Sustainability & Welfare Manager, you will drive the Hilton Foods agricultural sustainability and animal welfare strategy. Leading the development and delivery of the Hilton Foods’ agricultural decarbonisation programme, environmental and welfare standards, and zero deforestation strategy for land animals. Providing expert support for Hilton Foods' regional and site teams to achieve their customer and our own agriculture strategy objectives. Leading the Hilton Foods science-based narrative on healthy and sustainable products. Coordinating the Hilton Foods agriculture innovation strategy, proactively seeking and coordinating grant funding together with academic and supply chain partnerships. Leading the group's animal welfare strategy and implementing our standards throughout supply chains, and supporting our audit team.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Farming environmental sustainability and animal welfare standards
• Leading, developing and coordinating our agriculture environmental and animal welfare policies, targets, and position statements, with support from our seafood team.
• Managing land animal welfare standards, supply chain data collection, and reporting for the group.
• Writing the animal welfare statement and report of progress of key metrics against policy objectives, aligned to BBFAW.
• Coordination of reporting to include aquaculture, which is led by our Seafoods expert.
• Leading the delivery of Hilton Foods decarbonisation strategy for key land animal species.
• In cooperation with the Product Sustainability Senior Manager who is responsible for the overall decarbonisation strategy (to meet our Scope 3 Science Based Targets), building the decarbonisation model for each key commodity, and tracking our progress.
• Leading for Hilton Foods’ collaborative work with suppliers to mitigate farming GHG emissions, and other farming environmental and animal welfare continuous improvements.
• Support the Hilton Foods audit team in delivering the animal welfare programs. This should involve delivering training, supporting auditor upskilling and supporting the close out of non-conformances.
• To work with Foods Connected to build measurement tools and collate supply chain data to report our progress towards group and customer targets for agriculture and livestock.
• Representing Hilton Foods within trade associations and industry collaborative forums that help deliver our farming environmental and animal welfare objectives, and gain relevant insights and knowledge.
• Leading our engagement with NGOs, regulators, and investor action platforms. Including our reporting on progress to retailers and industry bodies as subject matter expert.
• Supporting, and contributing to writing, the Hilton Foods CDP disclosures for Climate, Forests and Water.
• Providing expert support to our wider business to develop and lead agriculture action plans with their customers.
• Support the site sustainability leads to coordinate agriculture and livestock projects that help deliver our and our customer’s commitments.
• Helping them to integrate relevant elements of the Hilton global sustainable agriculture and livestock strategy, and innovation.
• Support the site sustainability leads to engage with customer agriculture teams, informing the development and delivery of their objectives.
• Including providing support to our suppliers to meet their requirements and demonstrate compliance to customer commitments.
• Prepare and deliver training materials and share learnings across the group with those engaged in agriculture and livestock projects.
• Mentor and support teams in group or external education programs.
• Coordinating group meetings, and events related to agriculture and livestock.
• Leading the Hilton Foods science-based narrative on healthy and sustainable products.
• Supporting the NPD teams to benchmark the healthy nutrition status of our products.
• Engage with academic and trade body scientists, and experts in the supply chains or customers, to build an evidence base on the nutritional benefits of each of our key proteins.
• Build a narrative on the role of our proteins in a diet that is balanced to be healthy for consumers and the planet.
• Linking the improving environmental status of our supply chains and products (and welfare of livestock) with their role in a nutritious diet.
• Coordinating the Hilton Agriculture and Livestock Innovation strategy seeking and coordinating grant funding together with academic and supply chain partnerships.
• Identifying the opportunities for innovation to help deliver our objectives and where it is needed in our supply chains.
• Work with the Sustainability team, site sustainability leads and relevant academic partners, suppliers, customers, and industry bodies to identify grant funding opportunities for collaborative research and development aligned to our strategy.
• Support collaborative grant applications globally.
• Manage the resulting projects directly or support others to do so where they have the relevant expertise to lead.
• As part of the Sustainability Team, lead for agriculture in the development and execution of the business’ wide sustainability strategy, and actively contribute to the continuous development of the overall strategy.
• Regularly review the materiality assessment and periodically review the group Sustainability Strategy.
• Write the agriculture and livestock sections of the annual sustainability report including relevant case studies.
• Prepare updates for ELT and board meetings.
• Respond to investor and NGO enquiries in your area of expertise.
• Provide updates and case studies for promoting our sustainability strategy on our website and on social media.

KEY EXPERIENCE, KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

• A degree-level qualification or equivalent in relevant agriculture science and/or animal welfare or veterinary science.
• Alternatively, strong food background and Sustainability reporting experience.
• Experience that would add value to the role may include – supply chain, environmental and livestock welfare issues, farm level impact mitigation.
• Ideally, to have some experience of ESG reporting and/or working in an agriculture CSR-related role.
• Ideally, also has experience working in a commercial environment and appropriate awareness.
• Experience in policy and procedure development.
• Understanding of compliance with standards/legislation.
• Global experience is valuable.