Safe to Trade Growth Director

Safe to Trade is a voluntary third-party food safety assurance programme for hospitality, foodservice and retail. It exists to make the world a safer place to eat by protecting public health, giving consumers visible assurance, helping operators strengthen their systems and supporting intelligence-led regulation through independent audits, robust governance and data-driven risk profiling.

The Growth Director is accountable for turning the Safe to Trade strategy into sustained adoption in the UK and internationally. The role will build and manage a portfolio of opportunities across consumers, regulators, food business operators, industry bodies, Certification Bodies and strategic partners, progressing them from market insight and stakeholder discovery through proposition development, pilot, adoption and scale. This is a strategic and hands-on leadership role. It combines programme owner growth, senior stakeholder influence, commercial judgement, partnership development and disciplined execution. Growth must never compromise the independence, impartiality, technical integrity or credibility of Safe to Trade.

What success looks like

• Safe to Trade is understood and trusted as a distinctive consumer-facing assurance programme.
• Priority regulators and public bodies have clear, evidence-based routes to evaluate or engage with the programme.
• Food business operators progress from interest to pilots, Approved businesses and scalable group roll-outs.
• A capable international network of Certification Bodies and delivery partners supports consistent growth.
• Commercial and delivery models are sustainable, measurable and aligned with programme governance.
• Evidence, data, case studies and stakeholder advocacy create momentum for wider adoption.

  Key working relationships

  Internal: CEO; Programme Manager; Programme Marketing Director; Safe To Trade Board; Growth Committee; Technical And Governance Committee; Technical, Certification, Operations, Sales, Data And Marketing Colleagues.

  External: National And Local Regulators; Government Departments; Operators And Retailers; Certification Bodies; Trade And Professional Bodies; International Organisations; Development Partners; Ambassadors And Advocates.

  Core accountabilities

  Growth strategy, market intelligence and portfolio leadership

• Own and deliver the global programme growth strategy, translating ambition into priority markets, stakeholder plans, milestones, investment cases and measurable outcomes.
• Build a robust market intelligence capability covering regulatory context, operator demand, competing or complementary assurance programmes, delivery capacity, stakeholder influence and commercial feasibility.
• Maintain a stage-gated opportunity portfolio from discovery and qualification through pilot, adoption and scale, with clear owners, next actions, risks and decision points.
• Apply transparent prioritisation criteria and stop or pause activity that lacks strategic fit, evidence, delivery capacity or a credible route to impact.
• Prepare country and sector concept notes, propositions, business cases, partnership proposals and implementation roadmaps.
• Provide concise, decision-focused reporting to the CEO and Safe to Trade Board on pipeline health, conversion, forecast impact, resource needs, risks and decisions required.

  Proposition, commercial model and adoption pathways

• Develop differentiated value propositions for each stakeholder group while maintaining one coherent programme narrative.
• Design viable routes to adoption, including operator-funded, partner-led, licensing, membership, development-funded or blended models where appropriate and permitted.
• Work with finance and programme colleagues to model value, cost-to-serve, pricing principles, investment requirements and sustainable contribution without weakening impartiality.
• Convert stakeholder interest into documented pilots, agreements, delivery plans and accountable implementation programmes.
• Ensure commercial claims, partnership terms and market commitments are accurate, approved and compatible with Safe to Trade governance.

  Regulator, government and international engagement

• Build credible senior relationships with food safety regulators, local authorities, government bodies and international organisations in priority markets.
• Position Safe to Trade accurately as a voluntary third-party assurance framework that may support risk profiling, consistency, data-led oversight and reduced duplication where accepted by the relevant authority.
• Lead regulatory mapping, engagement plans, evaluation pathways, pilot proposals and evidence packs in collaboration with technical and programme colleagues.
• Understand local legal, policy and cultural contexts and adapt implementation plans without diluting programme requirements.
• Ensure no claim of acceptance, recognition or regulatory benefit is made without appropriate evidence and approval.

  Food business operator growth

• Create compelling propositions for hospitality, foodservice and retail operators, linking independent assurance to consumer trust, due diligence, reputation, differentiation, operational confidence and oversight.
• Identify, qualify and engage global and national operators, hotel groups, restaurant groups, contract caterers, retailers, franchise systems and suitable early adopters.
• Develop account plans for strategic operators and progress opportunities into trials with Certification Bodies.
• Work with operators to support appropriate customer-facing use of certificates, stickers, digital assets and directory listings.
• Generate operator evidence, testimonials and case studies that demonstrate outcomes and support wider adoption.

  Certification Body and delivery network development

• Define priority markets for delivery capacity and build a qualified pipeline of prospective Certification Bodies and partners.
• Communicate the programme opportunity, application route, competence requirements, governance expectations, technical obligations and market development responsibilities.
• Progress suitable prospects through due diligence, observation pilots, application, onboarding and market activation in coordination with the responsible technical and certification functions.
• Develop joint market plans with approved Certification Bodies while preserving clear responsibilities, impartiality and scheme-owner oversight.
• Monitor network capacity, geographic coverage, commercial activity and barriers to delivery, escalating quality or integrity concerns through the appropriate governance route.

  Market mobilisation and evidence

  Consumer trust, brand visibility and communications

• Partner with the Programme Marketing Director to build recognition, understanding and trust in the Safe to Trade mark.
• Develop stakeholder-specific engagement routes through operator communications, ambassadors, media, events, awards, digital platforms and partnerships.
• Use consumer and stakeholder insight to test and refine propositions, messages and market-entry activity.
• Ensure all communications are clear, substantiated and consistent with the programme assurance model.

  Industry bodies, strategic partners and influence

• Build partnerships with trade bodies, professional institutes, development agencies, international organisations and sector networks that can support credibility, introductions, pilots or adoption.
• Support the Marketing team to develop joint webinars, roundtables, conferences, thought leadership, research and member propositions that advance programme objectives.
• Support the Marketing team to recruit and manage a disciplined network of ambassadors, advisors and advocates with clear briefs, agreed actions and appropriate boundaries.
• Represent Safe to Trade confidently at senior meetings, conferences, panels and public forums.

  Pilot design, evidence generation and scaling

• Shape pilots with defined objectives, participants, governance, responsibilities, success measures, data requirements, resources and decision gates.
• Coordinate market mapping, standards mapping, gap analysis, trial audits, stakeholder engagement and implementation learning as required.
• Capture results, risks, lessons and case studies, and use them to strengthen the proposition and inform go, adapt or stop decisions.
• Turn successful pilots into repeatable implementation models and a practical market-entry playbook.
• Establish a clear evidence base demonstrating stakeholder value, delivery quality and programme impact.

  Leadership, governance and programme integrity

• Act as the executive owner of the growth pipeline and provide the Growth Committee with structured information, clear recommendations and specific requests for advice, challenge or introductions.
• Coordinate contributions from committee members, advisors and ambassadors, ensuring commitments are recorded and progressed.
• Lead cross-functional growth activity with clear roles, disciplined follow-through and constructive challenge.
• Protect the separation between growth activity and decisions relating to the Standard, Protocol, certification outcomes, Certification Body approval and programme integrity.
• Identify and manage actual or perceived conflicts of interest, confidentiality obligations, data protection requirements and reputational risks.
• Build capability within the wider team by sharing market insight, stakeholder intelligence, tools, templates and learning.

  Performance framework

  Balanced scorecard

• Strategic pipeline – Quality, value, stage progression, conversion, forecast impact and concentration of opportunities by market and stakeholder group.
• Regulatory progress – Priority authorities engaged; evaluation, pilot, acceptance or recognition pathways advanced; evidence and documentation completed.
• Operator adoption – Qualified opportunities, pilots, Approved businesses, retention, expansion and scalable group roll‑outs.
• Delivery network – Certification Body prospects, applications, onboarding, active capacity, geographic coverage and market activation.
• Consumer visibility – Appropriate reach and use ...

Indicative first-year priorities

• Establish the integrated growth strategy, target-market portfolio, stakeholder plans, commercial assumptions and reporting dashboard.
• Validate and prioritise current opportunities in Scotland, the Netherlands, Dubai, England, the Republic of Ireland, Wales, Jersey, Sierra Leone, the USA and Egypt, subject to CEO approval and ongoing evidence-based review.
• Convert priority operator interest into structured pilots, evidence and scalable adoption plans across hospitality, foodservice and retail.
• Build the Certification Body pipeline and progress suitable prospects through evaluation, pilot, application and onboarding pathways.
• Mobilise the Growth Committee, strategic advisors, industry partners and ambassadors around clearly defined opportunities and measurable actions.
• Create reusable market-entry, pilot and partnership playbooks that protect consistency, integrity and local relevance.

Person specification

Essential experience

• Senior leadership experience in assurance programme growth, standards or programme development, certification, market development, partnerships, food safety, hospitality, retail, regulation or a closely related field.
• Demonstrable success building complex B2B and multi-stakeholder opportunities across organisations, sectors or international markets.
• Experience developing market‑entry strategies, stakeholder propositions, partnership models and disciplined opportunity pipelines.
• A track record of taking opportunities from concept and business case through pilot, adoption and sustainable implementation.
• Credibility with senior regulators, government representatives, food business leaders, Certification Bodies, industry bodies and strategic partners.
• Strong understanding of assurance, audit, certification or regulatory systems, including independence, impartiality, competence, governance and evidence‑based claims.
• Commercial capability, including business‑case development, pricing or revenue logic, negotiation, resource prioritisation and assessment of cost‑to‑serve.
• Experience working internationally across different regulatory, commercial and cultural environments.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, including board papers, proposals, presentations, public speaking and senior negotiation.

Desirable experience

• Food safety, environmental health, hospitality, foodservice or retail experience.
• Experience with voluntary third‑party assurance programmes, certification programmes, accreditation, standards ownership, licensing models or regulatory recognition frameworks.
• Knowledge of Certification Body operating models and the relationship between scheme owner, accreditation, certification and market adoption.
• Experience developing consumer trust marks, public directories, standards, data‑led assurance propositions or stakeholder research.
• Existing senior stakeholder networks in relevant national or international markets.
• Experience working with development agencies, international organisations, trade associations or professional institutes.
• A relevant degree, professional qualification or recognised professional membership.

Skills and leadership behaviours

• Strategic and commercial judgement – Connects purpose, market insight and economics; prioritises rigorously and stops low‑value activity.
• Influence and credibility – Builds trust with executives, regulators, technical experts, partners and frontline operators.
• Collaborative leadership – Creates alignment and accountability across functions without relying solely on formal authority.
• Growth discipline – Uses clear stages, evidence, measures and governance to move opportunities forward.
• Cultural intelligence – Adapts engagement and implementation to local context without weakening programme integrity.
• Communication – Turns complexity into clear propositions, decisions, narratives and calls to action.
• Resilience and ownership – Creates momentum in ambiguity, follows through and remains accountable for outcomes.
• Purpose and integrity – Demonstrates commitment to making the world a safer place to eat and protects trust in Safe to Trade.

Accountability and practical requirements

Decision‑making and role boundaries

• The Growth Director is accountable to the CEO for the growth strategy, opportunity portfolio, stakeholder engagement plan and delivery of agreed growth outcomes.
• The role may recommend priorities, partnerships, pilots, commercial models and investment. Material commitments, contracts and executive decisions remain subject to delegated authority and governance.
• Technical changes to the Safe to Trade Standard or Protocol, certification decisions and independent judgements concerning programme integrity or Certification Body quality sit with the designated technical, governance and certification functions.
• The role is accountable for the accuracy of growth claims and for escalating technical, legal, reputational, data or integrity risks promptly.
• The role must manage confidential information and actual or perceived conflicts of interest appropriately.

Practical requirements

• Frequent external engagement and regular UK and international travel.
• Flexible working across time zones when supporting international stakeholders.
• Attendance at relevant committees, conferences, regulator meetings, operator meetings and Certification Body engagements.
• Compliance with Safe to Trade policies, confidentiality requirements and applicable governance arrangements.

Note: This job description describes the principal responsibilities of the role. Priorities, measures and market focus may be refined by the CEO to reflect Safe to Trade strategy, governance decisions and emerging opportunities.

#J-18808-Ljbffr