Senior Consultant - Agriculture and Food Policy

We are looking for a Senior Consultant to join our growing team working on agriculture and food policy. The role will help shape the growth and direction of our practice across the UK and EU, oversee the delivery of a portfolio of projects, and undertake business development to win projects and drive forward expansion of ICF’s existing and new areas of work. Your main responsibilities will be to:

• Oversee and deliver high quality policy and economic research, analysis and evaluation

• Build relationships with existing and new clients to understand and address their needs

• Pursue business development opportunities and build networks and partnerships

• Lead proposals, including building teams, developing methodologies and budgets

• Manage project budgets, project teams including subcontractors, and the delivery of project outputs to a diverse range of clients

• Manage and develop junior members of the team

The team works extensively for UK Government departments (e.g. Defra) and agencies as well as the European Commission (e.g. DG SANTE) and its agencies as well as NGOs and industry associations.  We hold several multi-year research frameworks with these clients. Much of our work involves social and economic analysis and evaluation of public policies, programmes and contexts. It tackles issues at the top of today’s policy agenda:

• Restoring biodiversity and natural capital

• Climate mitigation and adaptation

• Rural economy and agricultural productivity

• Sustainable food production, including animal welfare

• Food safety and public health

Examples of current/recent projects include:

• In the UK: multi-year monitoring, evaluation and learning support for the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) Pilot implementation; developing an evaluation framework and evaluating new biosecurity requirements for grant funding of woodland; and a rapid evidence review on Ethnic Minority communities and food consumption in the UK.

• In Europe: a study supporting the Impact Assessment accompanying the revision of food labelling regulation; a study on animal welfare labelling; and a scientific literature review on communication of food-related health risks and benefits.

The role will sit within ICF’s environment, agriculture, food and marine team. There will be opportunities to work across this portfolio.

Who we are looking for:

We are looking for an experienced researcher or consultant with a proven track record in delivering high quality research and winning work. You should be intellectually curious and a very well organised individual, with an ability to see the many dimensions of a policy problem and to engage and work with leading thematic experts. You will have:

• Degree, Master’s degree or PhD in relevant discipline

• Demonstrable interest and knowledge of agriculture and/or food policy 

• Experience of managing research projects, budgets, teams and client interactions

• A track record in delivering research and/or evaluation projects

• Skills in social and economic research, economics and quantitative and qualitative research methods

• Ability to think through the methodological challenges of investigating a topic

• Good understanding of UK and/or European policy-making process (experience of working on assignments for the UK Government or European Commission would be an advantage)

• Experience or writing competitive bids and/or grant applications

• Advanced computer user skills (Microsoft applications)

• Ability to develop and convey expertise on a topic to a range of audiences

• Excellent writing skills and ability to communicate with others in excellent oral and written English (additional European languages would be an asset)

• Highly-developed interpersonal skills and self-motivation

• High level of attention to detail and accuracy

• Relevant professional experience of at least 6 years within the context of UK or EU public policy in a related field

Working at ICF:

ICF (www.icf.com) is a global consultancy firm. In Europe, we have offices in the UK (London, Plymouth, Birmingham and Leeds) and Belgium (Brussels). Our core business is to help governments, regulators and international institutions solve complex problems. We offer critical insight and rigorous analytical techniques to deliver innovative solutions and thought-provoking analyses for our clients.

Working at ICF means applying a passion for meaningful work with intellectual rigor to help solve the leading issues of our day. Smart, compassionate, innovative and committed ICF employees tackle unprecedented challenges to assist our clients and benefit their constituencies. We believe in collaboration, mutual respect, open communication and opportunity for growth.

#indeed #LI-CC1

About us:

Working at ICF means applying a passion for meaningful work with intellectual rigor to help solve the leading issues of our day. Smart, compassionate, innovative, committed, ICF employees tackle unprecedented challenges to benefit people, businesses, and governments around the globe. We believe in collaboration, mutual respect, open communication, and opportunity for growth.

We can only solve the world's toughest challenges by building an inclusive workplace that allows everyone to thrive. We are committed to creating a culture where we embrace our differences in ideas and identities. Together, our employees are empowered to share their expertise and collaborate with others to achieve personal and professional goals. 

Learn more about what we do and our commitment to inclusion.  

The benefits of joining ICF:

Our people at ICF are our most important asset, so we invest in them from the moment they arrive. When you join our team, you’ll have access to a vast array of benefits to help you live your life well.

We offer a hybrid working policy, which will provide you with the flexibility to collaborate in the office, as well as in the comfort of your own home, ensuring you are able to successfully deliver the requirements of your role.

To support you, our employee wellbeing hub is designed to provide highly personalised support across a comprehensive range of wellbeing issues, such as mind, body, finances, community, career programs and HR support.

We enjoy celebrating success, which is why we have a competitive recognition program called ‘You Matter’, which awards points as a ‘thank you’ for your work achievements. These can be spent on a large variety of high-quality items, as well as online or high-street vouchers, all with zero tax payable by the employee.

ICF also offers a range of competitive benefits, which include:

• Single Private Medical Insurance cover with no restrictions on existing conditions.
• Dental insurance and an online GP service.
• 25 days annual leave, plus UK bank holidays (annual leave increases with years of service).
• Pension scheme with 5% of salary employer contribution
• Life assurance paying 4x annual salary and Group Income Protection paying 66% of salary for up to 5 years if you are off work on long-term sick.
• Enhanced parental leave policies, enhanced maternity, paternity, adoption, and shared parental pay.

London, United Kingdom (GB75)