Responsible Business Lead

Fairtrade is a system of certification that aims to ensure a set of standards are met in the production and supply of a product or ingredient. For farmers and workers, Fairtrade means workers' rights, safer working conditions, and fairer pay. For shoppers, it means high-quality, ethically produced products.

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Acre is supporting Fairtrade in the recruitment of a Responsible Business Lead, to provide expert knowledge across supply chains and commodities and end-to-end service relationships for major commercial partners. You will steward and grow deep, holistic partnerships with category and channel strategies that link up partnership ambitions and impact goals across certified sourcing, thematic interventions, insights and data, advocacy, and stakeholder engagement.

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In this role, you will also be:

• Strategically lead internal working groups, creating a growth-oriented culture across the team, bringing new ideas, and supporting partnership maintenance and improvements.

• Protect and grow Fairtrade commitments through direct partnership management of key partners and working externally in collaboration with a range of partners in teams, including procurement, sustainability, CSR, marketing, sales, and media.

• Build Fairtrade's reputation in the industry and the market through engaging in industry coalitions and forums to continue its positioning in the market as a sustainable leader. Through doing this, you engage partners and contribute to strategies for change together.

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To thrive in this role, you have technical knowledge and the appetite to immerse yourself in varying supply chains whilst demonstrating commercial and relationship management to build multi-faceted partnerships.

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You will also benefit from having the following:

• A track record of managing cross-functional projects to tight timescales and budgets, including working within international and matrix teams and developing strategic partnerships.

• Enhanced knowledge of sustainability topics, including living wages, living incomes, gender, and/or climate, and familiarity with certification, programmes, sustainability, and supply chains, with a passion and interest to keep learning.

• A commitment and drive to contribute to sustainability initiatives, programmes and impact through engagement and partnerships.

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Fairtrade's global values are: 'Accountability', 'Integrity', 'Respect', and 'Partnership'. These values should be embedded in your work and behaviour, and any associated policies and processes adopted consistently.

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Fairtrade is seeking passionate and enthusiastic candidates who share a vision for a better world. If that sounds like you, then come and join their movement for change. Fairtrade particularly welcomes applications from candidates with ethnically diverse backgrounds, LGBTQ+ candidates, and from candidates with disabilities, to increase the representation of these groups at this level. Fairtrade want to do this because we know greater diversity will lead to greater results for producers and farmers around the world.

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If you have any questions about this new opportunity, please get in touch with Ruth Smith at ruth.smith@acre.com.