Business Engagement Officer

at  Fairtrade Foundation

CONTRACT/HOURS: 35 HOURS PER WEEK, FULL TIME – 12 MONTH FIXED TERM CONTRACT

Fairtrade Foundation are recruiting for a Business Engagement Officer to deliver excellent customer service and operational support to all businesses working with Fairtrade.
You’ll need to be a great communicator, enthusiastic and able to prioritise your work in a fast-paced environment. You will need experience in working independently and as part of a high-performing team, balancing many varied tasks. Accuracy and attention to detail are needed, as well as the ability to explain our processes clearly to businesses with professionalism and diplomacy. You will be working with our internal IT systems on a daily basis. You will be supporting businesses to make the most out of their commitment to Fairtrade and ensuring they have a good customer experience. If you have experience in a compliance role, that’s great, but it’s not essential.
Fairtrade changes the way trade works through better prices, decent working conditions and a fairer deal for farmers and workers around the world.
Globally, across all Fairtrade members, we share a vision of a world in which all farmers and workers can enjoy secure and sustainable livelihoods, fulfil their potential and decide on their future. To achieve this we connect farmers and workers disadvantaged by global trade with consumers, promote fairer trading conditions, strengthen their position and have greater control over their future.
Fairtrade is a global movement with a strong and active presence in the UK, represented by the Fairtrade Foundation. Farmers and workers have a strong voice at every level of Fairtrade, from how they invest in and run their local organisations to having an equal say in Fairtrade’s global decision-making.
We are seeking passionate and enthusiastic candidates who share our vision for a better world, if that sounds like you, then come and join our movement for change.
The Fairtrade Foundation is an equal opportunities employer, offers flexible working and welcomes applications from all sections of the community.
We particularly welcome applications from candidates with ethnically diverse backgrounds, LGBTQ+ candidates and from candidates with disabilities, because we would like to increase the representation of these groups at this level. We want to do this because we know greater diversity will lead to greater results for producers and farmers around the world.
Closing date: Wednesday 20th November 2024
Interviews will take place: 5th and 6th December 2024

REVIEW ARRANGEMENTS

The details contained in the Job Description reflect the content of the job at the date the job description was prepared. It should be remembered, however, that it is inevitable that over time the nature of individual jobs will change; existing duties may be lost, and other duties may be gained without changing the general character of the duties or the level of responsibility entailed. Consequently, the Fairtrade Foundation will expect to revise this job description from time to time and will consult with the post holder as appropriate

The Sustainable Sourcing team is responsible for developing & implementing sustainable supply chain strategies and the successful end to end journey of our licensees that will deliver increased impact for producers and deliver our ambition and strategy and achieve our income targets (£9.3M 2023; £9.9m 2024 and £10.5M 2025).
The Business Engagement Officer role is crucial to the successful end to end journey of our licensees, ensuring that they understand and comply with the requirements of them to become Fairtrade certified, while maintaining the integrity of the FAIRTRADE Mark. This will involve fielding new business enquiries, guiding them through from initial discussions and license application, approving recipe exceptions and products / packaging to carry the FAIRTRADE Mark, to supporting licensees to load products on to our system, dealing with general licensing / system queries and ensuring data / sales reporting is correctly submitted by licensees - all while providing exceptional on-going customer service and product insight. The role will also enable customers to make the most of their Fairtrade partnership and maximise the impact they are having for producers, through our marketing, PR, campaigns and impact.
As a hub of knowledge this role will also provide expertise to internal colleagues at the Fairtrade Foundation, other National Fairtrade Organisations within the Fairtrade movement, Fairtrade International and FLOCERT.
This role will also play a crucial role in driving our volume growth and therefore impact for producers, through spotting opportunities to grow the reach of the FAIRTRADE Mark through new products and licensees. Through collaboration with colleagues, the successful candidate will take ideas from inception to reality for our partners.

Key responsibilities and accountabilities

• Providing exceptional levels of customer service as the first point of contact with potential and existing members of the Fairtrade system and licensees, prioritising workload appropriately to ensure that necessary support is given to licensees within prescribed timescales. Providing greater operational support to pre-agreed account managed businesses e.g. retailers and large brands
• Maintain strong knowledge of the Fairtrade licensing requirements (including commodity and product information) and communicate this to customers at all levels in a simple and easy to understand way. Resolving all licensing queries and redirecting these as appropriate. Advising licensees and retail partners of the feasibility of proposed new products and or commodity areas.
• Once businesses have decided to work with us, help onboard them into the Fairtrade system, including supporting with certification, identifying supply, explaining the licensing requirements, due diligence, ensuring license agreements are signed, agreeing, and articulating applicable fees, sending welcome packs and introducing to Fairtrade systems.
• Handle new business enquiries, as well as identifying and proactively prospecting new opportunities for licensees. Sell in the benefits of Fairtrade to prospective partners, update salesforce to keep organisation updated with the progression of new business. For larger opportunities, work closely alongside partnership managers throughout the sell-in process, including crafting licensing solutions and articulating these to external partners.
• Provide product and licensing expertise for agreed commodities or growth areas and contribute to growth taskforces. Support new offers to business within specific product categories, lead on designing operational solutions and implementing any new ways of working or agreed services.
• Utilise internal and external systems to support, train and coach new / potential and existing licensees within prescribed timescales through the licensee application process from product application to registration and artwork approval. This includes ensuring all data entered is accurate, correct and on time. as well as creating licence agreements for new licensees, in conjunction with the commercial colleagues and the legal team.
• Supporting licensees to accurately meet their monthly, quarterly and or annual sales reporting requirements, on time.
• Addressing customers needs quickly and effectively to maintain and build strong relationships and retain existing business. Alongside the team, collate and respond to customer feedback, and identify opportunities to improve processes, procedures and systems to improve the customer experience.
• Work with customers to maximise their partnership and volumes with Fairtrade, including sending impact reports, liaising with marketing to promote new Fairtrade products, involving customers in campaigns such as Fairtrade fortnight, sending marketing toolkits, promoting on social media, send feedback surveys and annual impact reports, when required or in line with seasonal campaigns.
• Manage a portfolio of smaller accounts/licensees and brands by building on established relationships, acting as the main point of contact for specified accounts. Build and maintain strong relationships with these accounts to support internal teams at the foundation to develop new business and promote Fairtrade sales.
• Build relevant in depth and up-to-date knowledge of product categories and supply chains to pass this on to licensees and advise them on standards related issues, products available and suppliers of Fairtrade ingredients in order to grow the sales of Fairtrade products
• Ensuring that licensees understand the prescribed licensing, product and art working standards and remain compliant to these standards. Coaching and supporting licensees where appropriate to take corrective action and granting exceptions where appropriate, and keeping stakeholders up-to-date with any relevant changes to the prescribed standards.
• Using initiative and discretion to escalate potential risks of licensee non-compliance / other issues to internally as appropriate and work with the Business Engagement Manager to take appropriate action. Implement suspension and/ or termination of licence agreements as appropriate and support suspended licensees to meet the prescribed standards. Informing commercial partners and relevant stakeholders of suspensions/decertification and exceptions within their supply chains, assessing the impact and supporting with alternatives as necessary.
• Contribute where appropriate to strategy and collaborating with other members of the Foundation, Fairtrade movement, FLOCERT and National Fairtrade Organisations to achieve all of the above key tasks
• Keep up-to-date with legislative requirements for product labelling in order to provide relevant guidance and to ensure that companies are trading in accordance with these
• Provide sales forecasts for licensees and/ or product areas as needed.

Person specification