Chief Food Chain Adviser
National Farmers' Union (NFU) · Stoneleigh, Warwickshire with agile working
Bridge roleThis employer isn't a food business, so the role won't decide what food gets bought. It builds the knowledge, credibility and contacts people use to move into a role that does.
Our estimate of how close this job is to decisions about what protein a business sources, specifies, buys and serves. How we score
Why this role matters
How close this job is to real sourcing and menu decisions.
This role sits at the table where UK food supply chain policy gets shaped, working directly with retailers, foodservice providers and public sector buyers on sourcing standards and supply chain fairness for British farming. Since most British farming includes livestock (dairy, beef, poultry, pork, eggs), a Chief Food Chain Adviser who leans into standards-forward supply chain fairness and sustainability framing could use that platform to push supermarkets and foodservice providers toward higher sourcing standards as part of "fairness" and "resilience" conversations, covering animal welfare specifications alongside environmental and economic ones. It's not a role with a direct remit over sourcing standards itself, the NFU represents farmers' commercial interests first, but the access to senior industry and government relationships, and a genuine seat in supply chain policy discussions, is real. For someone playing a long game, this builds the credibility and relationships that could later open doors into retailer or foodservice sustainability or supply chain leadership roles where sourcing specifications, including welfare standards, are decided more directly.
Where this role can take you
What this job teaches you, and the jobs it can lead to.
What you'd build
- Senior supply chain policy engagement
- Stakeholder management across retail and foodservice
- Advocacy and representation at senior level
- Team leadership
- Policy development experience
Where it can lead
- Head of Sustainability
- Director of Policy
- Supply Chain Director
Roles like these set the sustainable sourcing standards and supply chain policies that retailers and foodservice providers apply to their suppliers, including animal product suppliers.
About the role
The NFU is recruiting a Chief Food Chain Adviser to lead work strengthening relationships between British farmers, growers and the food supply chain. The postholder will lead a team working with retailers, foodservice providers, public sector organisations and industry stakeholders to support sustainable sourcing, champion fairness in the supply chain, and help shape policies that benefit farming businesses. The role sits within the Policy and Trade & Business Strategy team, which develops and influences policy affecting UK farming, engages with NFU members, and responds to national and international developments — work that spans initial research through to policy delivery, and involves government ministers, civil servants, the media and local NFU branches. Candidates should bring strong knowledge of UK food supply chains, sustainability and policy development, along with a track record of building trusted relationships, representing organisations at a senior level, and delivering outcomes through collaboration and advocacy. The role requires excellent communication and leadership skills, confidence explaining complex issues to varied audiences, project management experience, and people development skills. An understanding of farming, the wider political landscape and supply chain dynamics is also expected. The role is based at the NFU's headquarters in Stoneleigh, Warwickshire, with agile working, on a permanent contract of 35 hours per week, starting salary around £65,000 depending on skills and experience. Benefits include a generous holiday allowance (30 days plus bank holidays, plus one company day), the option to buy and sell annual leave, a company-funded health cashplan, private health insurance, enhanced family leave, performance-related pay, a competitive pension and life assurance (4x salary), interest-free loans, an employee assistance programme, and various discounts. Applications close 22 November 2026, though the NFU reserves the right to close the advert early if a suitable candidate is found.
We added this one ourselves, from the employer's own advert.
Key terms to include in your CV and cover letter
What this employer is asking for, in their words. Applications are often screened by software looking for exact phrases, so if these describe your experience, use their wording.
- supply chain policy
- sustainable sourcing
- stakeholder engagement
- senior representation
- advocacy
- policy development
- supply chain fairness
- leadership
- project management
- people management
- relationship building
- foodservice sector knowledge
- public sector engagement
- farming industry knowledge
How to position yourself
The language that works with hiring managers for this kind of job.
Position your experience in stakeholder engagement, policy development and supply chain negotiation as directly relevant to "fairness in the supply chain" and sustainable sourcing, the language this advert uses throughout. Emphasise any track record influencing retailers, foodservice providers or public sector buyers, and frame campaigns experience as policy development and relationship-building at a senior level.
You apply directly with the employer. We just link you to their advert, and we don't see anything you send them.