Job Description

1.  Post:

Job title / Seafood Sustainability Advocate
Start Date / Jan 2016
Period of Contract / Permanent
Location / Flexible –
Expected to be at HQ in Ross on Wye, min 2 days per week;
OR
London, expected to travel to Ross on Wye as required. Approx 2 days per month.
Date of revision / NA

2. Reporting structure & Supervisory responsibilities

Responsible to: / Head of Fisheries & Aquaculture
Responsible for: / N/A / N/A

3. Overall purpose and objectives

Purpose: / To influence UK businesses and the general public to adopt responsible seafood buying practices and to increase the public reach of MCS seafood buying advice.

4. Key responsibilities

·  Develop and run projects and campaigns to increase the uptake of MCS seafood buying advice by businesses and consumers.
·  Maintain existing and develop new relationships with key businesses in the seafood supply chain and relevant NGOs to promote responsible seafood choices.
·  Publically promote and advocate MCS fisheries & aquaculture work.
·  Develop MCS fisheries and aquaculture team strategies and plans in relation to business and public engagement and communications.

5. Main Duties

Develop and run projects and campaigns to increase the uptake of MCS seafood buying advice by businesses and consumers.

·  Work closely with MCS fisheries and aquaculture team, communications team and campaigners within MCS, to develop and deliver public campaigns to influence changes in practice and raise awareness of specific issues, such as MCS ‘red rated’ seafood and associated environmental impacts.

·  Lead on the development and implementation of business engagement projects, such as the MCS Product Ratings Guide, which encourages businesses to improve their seafood buying practices, such as procurement, traceability, transparency and labelling.

·  Contribute to proposals to secure funding to deliver business and public engagement campaigns and projects.

Maintain existing and develop new relationships with key businesses in the seafood supply chain and relevant NGOs to promote responsible seafood choices.

·  Maintain existing commercial relationships and develop new ones with major commercial seafood businesses to advise and encourage adoption of MCS seafood sourcing advice.

·  Maintain existing and develop new relationships with other organisations working on increasing demand for seafood from responsible sources including: Sustainable Fish Cities (Sustain), Fish2Fork, Sustainable Restaurant Association, Food for Life Catering Mark (Soil Association), and the Marine Stewardship Council.

·  Coordinate and contribute to the development and review of MCS recommended seafood sourcing advice for businesses.

Publically promote and advocate MCS fisheries & aquaculture work.

·  Act as lead public spokesperson regarding MCS seafood advice and respond to relevant public and media enquiries as outlined in the communications plan.

·  Proactively look for opportunities to promote the MCS seafood buying advice through various channels and forums.

·  Working closely with the MCS communications team and fisheries & aquaculture team members to draft content for various electronic and hardcopy formats such as social media, blogs, internal and external magazine articles, press releases, campaign materials, posters and event materials, and webpages.

·  Represent MCS at various public and commercial events including provision of talks and presentations.

Develop MCS fisheries and aquaculture team strategies and plans in relation to business and public engagement and communications.

·  Develop strategies and plans to raise the profile of MCS seafood advice amongst businesses and consumers.

·  Provide input to the MCS fisheries and aquaculture strategy and work programme in conjunction with the fisheries and aquaculture team and Director of Conservation and Campaigns.

6. Additional tasks (if appropriate)

·  Research and recommend various communications and campaigns approaches and partnerships to adopt and become part of.

·  Help to develop a campaigning approach to the work of the fisheries and aquaculture team and contribute to the broader campaigning approach of the organisation.

7. Internal reporting:

·  Keep team members and the Head of Fisheries and Aquaculture well informed on developments and activities on an ongoing basis;

·  Produce an annual work plan in agreement with the Head of Fisheries and Aquaculture;

·  Maintain a detailed advance quarterly work plan or online calendar;

·  Input into a quarterly report on key outcomes and progress against targets for submission to the Chief Executive and Board of Trustees;

·  Attend regular meetings with the Head of Fisheries and Aquaculture as required under MCS Support & Supervision Policy;

·  Attend fisheries and aquaculture team meetings and wider staff meetings as required.

8. General Duties:

·  Abide by the core values of MCS in all aspects of their work.

·  Support MCS’ strategies and initiatives to expand the organisation’s membership, raise funds and communicate the wider aims of MCS throughout their work.

·  Maintain the highest professional standards at all times, ensuring that all outputs are produced within agreed budgets, time scales and specifications.

·  Represent MCS externally, attending meetings, conferences and events as and when appropriate.

  Assist with general enquiries on information and resources from MCS, when necessary.

  Act responsibly in terms of the health, safety and welfare of yourself and colleagues, acting in accordance with our Health & Safety Policy and Procedures, and the policies as set out in the Employee Handbook.

The duties and responsibilities highlighted in this Job Description are indicative and may vary over time. Post holders are expected to undertake other reasonable duties and responsibilities relevant to the nature, level and scope of the post as advised by the MCS Head of Fisheries & Aquaculture.

9. Working Relationships

Internal to MCS but outside immediate work team / Work effectively with MCS Campaigns, Marketing, Communications and Fundraising teams to raise the profile of MCS and raise funds for seafood business and consumer engagement projects and campaigns.
Work effectively with and liaise closely with other teams engaging businesses and the general public.
Assist MCS staff with fisheries and aquaculture information to support related conservation projects, in particular issues associated with sustainable seafood.
External stakeholders / Work effectively with industry stakeholders including; businesses (Retail, foodservice, suppliers and processors) and relevant NGOs: advocating for MCS fisheries and aquaculture conservation objectives.
Be a lead contact for business and public enquiries in relation to MCS seafood advice and with the media as defined through the communications plans.
External consultants / Potential to work with contractors such as marketing and PR agencies.
Volunteers / Work with and coordinate volunteers as and when required in close association with the Head of Volunteer and Community Engagement.

10. Dimensions and Limits of Authority

Budget Size of jobholder’s budget. / Jobholder has no budget responsibilities.
Can sign off expenditure up to £100 without pre-approval.
Management / N/A
Strategy / Responsible for development and delivery of strategy to engage businesses and consumers in relation to MCS seafood buying advice.
Policy / Responsible for reviewing recommended sourcing policy advice in conjunction with the Head of Fisheries and Aquaculture.
Outputs / Responsible for production of various communications, projects and campaign plans and materials as required to raise profile and influence change in seafood buying practices.

10. Person Specification

Essential / Desirable
Proven ability and competencies / Able to show excellent written and oral communication skills, including a track record of public speaking.
Proven ability to simply communicate complex scientific messages to targeted audiences and able to show how these communications have influenced readers/the audience.
Experience of running campaigns and/or projects which have resulted in the desired changes to business practices.
Demonstrable ability to develop impactful communications material and to have been an effective public advocate.
Proven ability to creatively work with a diverse range of highly professional individuals in a busy, cross cutting team environment. / Proven ability to work in the seafood, environmental NGO, research, or commercial sector (procurement).
Good understanding of the environmental impacts of commercial seafood production and related issues.
Other skills and abilities / Effective IT skills – particularly with the Microsoft Office Suite, including, Word, Excel and Powerpoint.
Excellent organisation and project management skills.
Excellent meeting and influencing skills. / Ability to undertake basic webpage edits.
Knowledge of fundraising to support charitable work.
Qualifications, training and Knowledge / Minimum degree level in a scientific, natural resource management or conservation field or equivalent experience in a relevant sector/Industry / Knowledge of wild capture and farmed seafood production and associated environmental impacts.
Knowledge of food supply chains.
Personal Qualities / Good team player, who is approachable and can bring creative solutions to traditional problems.
An adaptable individual who is innovative, receptive to and respectful of others ideas and thinks quickly on their feet.

11. Working Environment

Physical environment / Flexible depending on candidate. A combination of open plan office with approximately 40 staff and home based working.
Travel / Approximately 1 day per week.
Some locations are remote and difficult to access using public transport
Any other matters related to working environment / Will be expected to travel in the UK and sometimes abroad, including occasional overnight stays.