Role Purpose

The Head of Responsible Business (RB) is an internal role overseeing the team that leads and manages the Foundation’s existing portfolio of commercial partnerships. The goal of the Responsible Business team is to work with our partners on a shared ambition to secure a fairer and more sustainable deal for farmers and workers, now and for generation. We do this by working in deep, problem-solving partnerships through certified sourcing, thematic interventions, research, advocacy and engagement.

This role comes at a crucial time as we work to deepen our partnerships, develop new solutions and innovate our portfolio. The overarching Responsible Business team strategy is led by the Associate Director, with input and shaping from the Head of RB role. The Head of RB will support the team to deliver this strategy, and provide crucial support across retail, brand and OOH leads and partnership managers to ensure the team is meeting targets and KPIs. The role will also play a crucial function internally, representing the team on internal forums, delivering key outputs required and driving forward the relevant agendas in the appropriate spaces. This will include team planning, activity and budget reporting, risk management, team meetings / trainings, as well as deputised activities for the Associate Director of RB. They will work closely with the Leads in the team to ensure partnership activities are on track and delivering impact for farmers and workers.

The Head of RB will work closely with other teams across the organisation, and will be the relevant escalation point for team issues and needs. The role requires close working and the building of productive relationships with all other teams within Fairtrade Foundation and the Fairtrade International systems. The role requires strong influencing and communication skills, a commercial acumen as well as sustainability experience.

Key responsibilities and accountabilities

• Oversee the team that leads a portfolio of deep, problem-solving partnerships that are critical to the organisation’s theory of change tackling issues holistically - across certified sourcing, thematic interventions, evidence and insight, advocacy and engagement;
• Champion and role model a ‘growth first’ mentality and mindset across the team, encouraging team members to be actively searching for opportunities to grow their partnerships in a way that enables sustainable income for Fairtrade and impact for farmers;
• Line management of Responsible Business Lead (retail) and Senior Partnership Managers to achieve partner and category/ channel objectives, ensuring they offer best-in-class responsible business services to partners. This includes holding technical knowledge and expertise to ensure the team have access to strategic thinking and expertise as required. Deputise to RB Lead.
• Act as Deputy to the Associate Director of Responsible Business.
• Provide strategic direction on responsible business, including holding technical know-how on business sourcing and Fairtrade for the team and others in the organisation to access upon request and to drive impactful decision making.
• Work closely with the Supply Chain and Programmes team to maximise the full value of our partnership by building in programmes, joint advocacy, MEL and broader levers for change that enable more responsible business practise
• Influence the wider Fairtrade system as needed, and ensure Fairtrade is positioned as pivotal to responsible business behaviour by working with the relevant teams across FTF and the international system.
• Accountable for risk within partnerships, including quick thinking on sustainability issues as they arise for our partners.
• Represent the commercial team on the organisational risk team, within the risk management group.
• Team management of the responsible business (partner management) team, including chairing team meetings and representing team cross-organisationally at Head of department level.
• Lead, plan and manage the work of the team to achieve the target income and within agreed expense budgets.
• Build strong relationships within FTF and the international system to enable the team to do their job of growing sales of Fairtrade products and offering solutions in business supply chains (including working very closely with the other Heads of teams who co-deliver these solutions)
• Create a ‘one directorate’ approach through effective cross-team collaboration. Work with other Heads of Team to ensure annual plans deliver against the strategic objectives as defined by the senior leadership team. Ensuring cross team projects are managed effectively and within budget and that problems and challenges are raised with SLT as needed. Sit on project Steering Groups (i.e. EUDR or HREDD) as required.
• Ensure accurate and timely reports are submitted for Board, senior leadership and other forums
• Ensure compliance with the Foundation’s operating procedures, and legal and regulatory frameworks to improve customer service and ensure compliance with GDPR.
• Represent the team and FTF in internal events and forums to ensure we can deliver for our partners, farmers and workers, if appropriate or necessary
• Lead and oversee the implementation of the responsible business strategy, to ensure Fairtrade is best positioned to maximise its opportunities and existing partnerships in the retail, FMCG and OOH sector
• Work closely as part of a Partnerships Leadership Team to lead the directorate to ensure we return to sustainable growth by end of 2026; and achieve our income targets.

Deliverables in this role

• Annual plans for the team, including activities and budgets
• SLT, FAC and Board Updates, as well as any other reporting required for the team
• Quality assurance of all deliverables in the team

Person specification

Experience & Qualifications

Essential:

• Excellent understanding of product and brand development processes of brand owners and retailers.
• Excellent understanding of responsible business practise, particularly regarding global supply chains
• Experience throughout the process of securing new commitments with existing partners
• Building and cultivating a strong pipeline of prospects within existing partnerships
• Proven ability to think strategically of the departmental needs and to set strategic targets and objectives for own team.
• Strong understanding of product and brand route to markets and the UK (and global) food and drink markets
• Experience of managing a large team with diverse needs
• Understanding and awareness of trends and issues within sustainability
• Experience working on internal forums to achieve a responsible business agenda
• Management of a diverse range of individuals with varied expertise and roles

Desired:

• Experience working in or with the retail or brand sector
• Experience working on global forums
• Team Management
• Change management

Knowledge & Skills

Essential:

• The ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships at senior levels
• Strategic thinking and ability to act fast during crisis
• Strong understanding of responsible sourcing in the UK commercial sector and ability to apply this knowledge across a variety of partnerships
• Working understanding of Theories of Change and Development
• Excellent written and verbal communication and presentation skills
• Competence in IT and general office skills
• Knowledge of sustainable business management and ethical trade
• Knowledge of and commitment to Fairtrade and development Issues
• Strong interpersonal skills, ability to communicate and manage well at all levels of the organization and across international movement.
• Strong problem solving and creative skills and the ability to exercise sound judgment and make decisions based on accurate and timely analyses.
• High level of integrity and dependability with a strong sense of urgency and results-orientation.
• Emotional intelligence coupled with resilience in order to make the right decisions, argue persuasively, follow through decisively and deliver in a timely manner.
• Ability to inspire, motivate and command trust, respect, fairness and confidence.
• A strong team player with a flexible approach and willingness to engage with a wide range of organisational issues working across boundaries to tackle diverse and complex issues
• A proactive and tenacious mindset, with the drive to pursue new opportunities and inspire others to do the same

Desired:

• Experience of managing, motivating and developing a team of commercial partnership managers in complex and high pressure situations while working collaboratively across functions.
• Detailed and strategic understanding of quality standards and certification schemes

Fairtrade Values

We want everyone to be ambassadors for the organisation and encourage staff & volunteers to speak at events which on occasion might be during evenings and weekends, to promote diversity, equality and inclusion in everything we do, and champion our values.

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.

At Fairtrade we are committed to the safeguarding and protection of children & vulnerable adults in our work. We will do everything possible to ensure that only those who are suitable to work within this environment are recruited to work for us.

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.