FOOD POLICY SPECIALIST

WHO WE ARE

Animal Equality is an international animal protection organisation working with society, governments and companies to end cruelty to farmed animals. Animal Equality has offices in the United Kingdom, United States, Germany, Italy, Spain, Mexico, Brazil and India.

Animal Equality releases investigative materials captured from inside factory farms and slaughterhouses, exposing the conditions that farmed animals face around the world. We publish our findings on television, in newspapers and online. We routinely secure mainstream media coverage, including on the BBC, ITV, Sky news, The Times, the Guardian, New York Times and many more.

Animal Equality also advocates for political change. Our current campaigns include a UK ban on foie gras imports, increased enforcement of existing animal protection laws, legal protections for farmed fish, and Government subsidies for transitioning towards a plant-based food system.

We focus on farmed animals because of the scale and severity of the issue. More than a billion animals are confined and killed for human consumption every year in the UK. Farmed animals also often suffer in some of the worst ways: pigs typically endure painful mutilations, many chickens die of heart attacks, fish are confined in underwater cages, and some farmed animals are victims of deliberate abuse and neglect. But the problem is solvable! By utilising effective campaigning strategies, Animal Equality is having an impact for animals around the world and building a future where all animals are respected and protected, and are no longer exploited for human consumption.

Animal Equality UK’s current key campaigns include:

• Strengthening enforcement of animal protection laws
• Halting the expansion of Scotland’s salmon farming industry
• Achieving a ban on foie gras imports
• Securing species-specific slaughter legislation for fish
• Inspiring the public to eat plants, not animals

JOB DESCRIPTION

General Responsibilities

• Government and stakeholder engagement: Develop and sustain strong working relationships with Government Ministers, MPs, Parliamentary officials, senior civil servants, advisory groups, and other influential stakeholders across food, health, sustainability, and agriculture sectors. Coordinate carefully with Animal Equality’s Policy and Legal Advocacy Specialist to ensure communications are streamlined accordingly across all campaigns.
• Policy influence and advice: Deliver expertly crafted, evidence-based briefings and position papers that advocate for meaningful legislative and policy shifts toward plant-based diets and reduced the consumption of animals.
• Representation and advocacy: Support Animal Equality’s UK Executive Director, as required, to represent the organisation in Parliamentary Committees, Government consultations, policy roundtables, and strategic coalitions.
• Campaign collaboration: Work closely across Animal Equality’s UK and global departments – including campaigns, communications, marketing, philanthropy, and legal advocacy – to convey and amplify our advocacy efforts, helping to frame issues, mobilise support, and align messaging across platforms.
• Trend scanning and strategic analysis: Monitor emerging developments in UK food, nutrition, environmental, and agricultural policy landscapes, identify opportunities for influence, and advise accordingly.
• Impact tracking and reporting: Measure and evaluate the effectiveness of policies and initiatives, translating outcomes into insights for policy refinement and broader strategy.
• Represent Animal Equality’s culture: Support Animal Equality’s life-saving work by producing high-quality output, embracing and representing the organisation’s culture principles proudly at all times, and supporting our philanthropic efforts.
• Take on ad-hoc tasks, as requested by your line-manager.

Individual Attributes Required

You are a thoughtful communicator, tactically agile, and confident in high-level engagement – both in person and through written reports. You are strategic, evidence-driven, and ready to shape policy narratives that positively impact animals with proactivity and integrity.

You actively seek constructive feedback and use it to continuously improve your work. You show ownership and a growth mindset that is focused on improving the world for farmed animals. Knowledge of farmed animal issues and alignment with Animal Equality’s mission is a must, as is professionalism, adaptability, and discretion.

You must have a minimum of four years’ experience in public affairs, Government relations, policy advocacy, or food systems policy. You are expected to have a strong understanding of UK political structures and policy-making dynamics, excellent analytical written and presentation skills, and an ability to simplify complex research into persuasive policy messages. You must be a confident problem-solver, with a solutions-focused attitude and a collaborative spirit.

In addition to monthly meet-ups, some travel within the UK may be required for demonstrations, meetings, and events. While not common, occasional evening or weekend work may be necessary to support campaigning activities. Any additional hours worked and agreed with your Manager can be reclaimed as TOIL.

Benefits:

• Holiday entitlement equal to 33 days per year (including standard public holidays).
• Personalised Employee Assistance Program (EAP): an Animal Equality-funded benefit that offers employees confidential counselling and advice on a wide range of work and personal issues. The program offers several services, such as a 24/7 confidential helpline and expert Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.
• Flexible hours, with the option to start between 8am-10am and finish between 4pm-6pm.
• Able Futures Support: The service is a nine month, practical and confidential support service for employees whose circumstances or mental health may impact their wellbeing or work. Employees can work with a mental health professional to deepen their understanding of how their mental health may impact them and will build coping skills and resilience to thrive at work.
• Yearly stipend to access learning and development resources, to help employees further grow their personal and professional skills.
• A free vegan lunch every month at the Animal Equality monthly meetups.

Equal Opportunities

Animal Equality is an equal opportunities employer; we welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons, regardless of their race, sex, disability, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or age. We are especially keen to encourage applications from: individuals who are Black and / or of the global majority; people with disabilities; and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. We are also proud to be a Disability Confident Employer and we will endeavour to accommodate any reasonable adjustments that individuals may require throughout the application process.

We work hard to ensure fairness in everything that we do and we are committed to ensuring that staff are appointed on the basis of merit. No applicant will be treated less favourably than another on the grounds covered in the Equality Act 2010 or any other inappropriate distinction. In order to monitor the effectiveness of our Equality and Diversity Policy we would be grateful if you would complete this form when submitting an application for a role in our organisation. Please return it to [email protected].

This form is optional. Any information that you do provide will remain confidential and will be stored securely in accordance with Data Protection Regulation Act 2018. Any data that we receive will be considered for Human Resources purposes only and will not be circulated more widely. This will not impact your candidacy.