Regulatory Affairs Advisor vacancy
- Job status: This is a maternity cover role with a fixed term contract for 12 months.
- Location: Homebased (UK) or office-based in one of our offices in Edinburgh or Grimsby.
- Salary: The starting salary on the pay band for this role is £36,918.
About Seafish
Seafish is here to give the UK seafood sector the support it needs to thrive. Our work makes a huge difference. We collaborate with a wide range of partners – from seafood businesses and trade bodies to government, regulators and environmental organisations – and we engage in everything from research to campaigns, insight and training.
About the Regulatory Affairs team
In the Regulatory Affairs team, we work on all regulations covering the safe and legal production and trade of seafood from catch to retail or food service. Our work covers import, export and domestic regulation. From helping small and larger business understand the current and new regulations applicable to their business. We give advice to all from small businesses looking to trade internationally for the first time, to larger international businesses wanting to explore new markets.
How we work
At Seafish we have a trust and performance culture. Performance driven results mean having autonomy and accountability in equal parts, so you can work in the way that’s most effective for you, as long as you deliver your work to the expected standards. You’ll have a personal development plan that outlines the objectives and competencies for your role and learning and development goals. You’ll have regular catch-ups with your line manager, along with mid-year and end of year reviews to discuss your work and performance.
This role is ideally suited to a person currently working in a seafood import and export role with extensive knowledge and experience of sourcing seafood from and exporting to a variety of international markets. You will understand the opportunities for the sector in emerging international markets and be passionate about streamlining trading procedures to maximise this opportunity for UK seafood.
You will be working as part of team of regulatory professionals tasked with monitoring changes to regulation and official guidance along the entire seafood chain. In this role you will be required to analyse and understand legislative text and develop guidance material to help industry comply with trade related legislation. You will understand the unique characteristics of the seafood industry such as small consignments, high perishability, and any seafood specific regulation.
Main responsibilities:
- Working as part of a busy and dynamic team of regulatory professionals tasked with monitoring changes to regulation and official guidance along the entire seafood chain.
- You will be required to analyse and understand legislative text and to develop guidance material to help:
- Industry comply with trade related legislation; and
- Enforcement agencies to understand the unique characteristics of the seafood industry such as small consignments, high perishability, and any seafood specific regulation.
- Establishing effective and constructive relationships with the seafood sector, enforcement agencies and regulators to facilitate a smooth trading environment and swift resolution of any trade issues as they arise.
- Developing and maintaining contacts with UK/International trade organisations, to share information on wider trading issues or proposals such as changes to logistics and customs
- Providing insight and guidance to the Seafish importers and exporters forums to enhance the customs and trade advice.
- Enhancing the regulation team input into Seafish’s international trade promotion work.
- Acting as the point of contact for resolving international trade and customs issues.
- To establish a reputation as a provider of expert and independent advice on rules and procedures relating to international trade and customs
- Producing guidance material for the seafood sector on changes to the trading environment that may affect their business.
- Working collaboratively with other Seafish teams to ensure work programme objectives are met and to contribute to the wider objectives of the organisation.
- Responding to ad-hoc enquiries as required.
Key Attributes:
- Have sufficient international seafood trade experience to be able to work with minimal training and supervision and work under own initiative.
- Be able to identify relevant information and be able to communicate and adapt the information to a wide variety of audience.
- Be able to identify new issues arising within the scope of work stream and manage the response, to include identifying and working with the appropriate people in industry and government. Using their judgement and referring upwards where there is significant political or financial risk.
- Have experience of convening workshops and facilitating discussions between stakeholders and policy makers.
- Be able to manage their own work priorities, workload and diary commitments.
- Have experience of working with communication professionals to ensure the work of the regulatory team is targeted, clearly communicated to the targeted audience.
- Manage work priorities, workload and diary commitments, meetings, conferences etc.
- The above is subject to the outputs set by line manager and monthly meetings to ensure work is within and contributes to achieving the work stream goals and corporate plan KPIs.
Essential working relationships will include:
Internal relationships
- Required to keep internal colleagues informed of current regulatory issues and developments in the seafood trading environment.
- Working closely with our Economics Trade Analysis service to identify opportunities in new trade agreements.
- Working closely with the International Trade team and Industry Engagement team to inform them of changes to the seafood trading environment that could impact UK seafood businesses.
External relationships
- Required to build effective relationships and utilise networking skills.
- Required to process sector knowledge and contacts within industry and government to stay informed on the current trading environment.
The post holder must be able to communicate clearly to a variety of audiences to include:
- All sectors of the seafood industry. This can be at all levels including Technical Managers, Directors, Chief Executives of businesses and trade bodies.
- Government and regulators responsible for customs and border processes. This can be at all levels including enforcement officers, senior civil servants and MPs.
- Active membership of UK and EU wide industry or government groups. This may involve chairing or secretariat responsibilities.
- Internal and external communication will be via a range of media including face to face, video, webinars and presentations. The post holder will need to understand the audience and adjust content and method of delivery.
To be a suitable candidate for this role you should:
- Educated to degree level in a related discipline or significant relevant and worked experience in a similarly role.
- Strong and demonstrable experience in an international seafood trade role with ability to work independently.
- Excellent knowledge of international trade processes such as contracts of supply, incoterms, customs declarations and border procedures.
- Ability to identify new issues, manage responses, and provide expert advice on international trade and customs.
- Organised with ability to manage work priorities, workload, and diary commitments independently while contributing to team and organisational goals.
- Expert report writing skills and a high standard of literacy to understand legislation and write expert interventions and produce formal guidance documents accessible to a variety of audiences.
- Competent IT systems usage.
- Excellent problem solving and communication skills with ability to convey complex regulatory information to diverse audiences.
- Experienced in establishing relationships with industry, enforcement agencies, and regulators, and facilitating discussions between stakeholders and policymakers.
- Knowledge of Free Trade Agreement negotiation and implementation would be an advantage.
Every role is Seafish is linked to our bespoke competency framework. The competency levels for this role are:
- Growing Expertise – Creates a learning and development environment
- Embracing Change – Shows the ability to adapt to change
- Building Relationships – Builds effective teams to deliver corporate strategy
- Achieving Results – Overcomes challenging circumstances to achieve high-quality results
- Influencing with Impact – Communicates Complex Messages
All roles within Seafish are graded and have defined salary bands. This role is a grade 5 post, and the starting salary is at £36,918. A new member’s appointment on the pay spine is dependent on the experience they bring to the role when they start. New candidates normally start at the lower end of the range unless they can demonstrate considerable experience in the requirements of the role.
Additional benefits include:
- 25 days annual leave plus Bank Holidays and wellbeing break when the organisation closes between Christmas and New Year (3 additional days).
- Optional five days per year paid volunteering leave for an activity of your choice.
- Trust and Performance culture – you work in a way that suits you to get your work done to the expected standard.
- A generous employer pension scheme – we will double your contribution up to a maximum employer contribution of 10%.
- A range of health and wellbeing benefits including the Cycle to Work scheme, private medical insurance, gym discounts and eye care.
- Our unlimited employee assistance scheme is a support service available 24/7 – it offers confidential, impartial advice on anything you need such as work, family, finance support or anything else personal to you.
- A professional development culture with plenty of learning opportunities.
- Rewards for high performance each year.
To apply for the post, you should email your application to recruitment@seafish.co.uk. Please include "Regulatory Affairs Advisor (maternity cover)" in the subject line of your email.
Your application should include:
- A covering letter or a short video explaining why you are a suitable candidate.
- A recent copy of your CV so we can find out more about your skills and experience.
- A completed copy of our recruitment consent form.
Candidates invited to interview will be given at least one weeks’ notice of proposed interview date to allow you to prepare. At this stage you might be asked to complete a short task in advance of interview and then answer some competency-based questions during interview.
If at any point during our recruitment and selection process you require any accommodations or special arrangements, please reach out to us.
Further information
For any queries about the job description or the salary and benefits on offer, please email recruitment@seafish.co.uk.