Regulatory Affairs Advisor; bivalve Aquaculture And Water Quality

Quick Overview of the Role

• Job status: This is a full-time, permanent role.
• Location: Homebased (UK) or office-based in one of our offices in Grimsby or Edinburgh.
• Salary: The salary range for this role is £41,000 per year.

What It’s Like to Work in Regulations Team at Seafish

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 Regulation Team

In the regulation team our job is to assist industry to comply with UK and international trade regulation, we are always looking for ways to reduce the burden on business, whilst ensuring that food is safe and the consumer gets the best quality seafood.

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.

We have a hybrid working environment at Seafish with opportunities for staff to get together at internal conferences and events.

Job Role, Responsibilities and Relationships

The focus of this role is primarily on shellfish water quality, but there are opportunities for the job holder to also support our climate change, food safety, and marine environment priorities, depending on their skills and expertise.

You will be responsible for managing our Seafish Expert Panel and helping Seafish to build research partnerships to ensure Seafish has access to appropriate research expertise to support its work programme. You will also be required to work with a broad range of stakeholders in this role; from shellfish producers to seafood processors to regulators to researchers, so you must have persuasive communication and influencing skills.

The role requires the job holder to be comfortable working in technically complex areas and to be able to communicate important information to non-technical audiences.

The main dimensions of the role are:

• Support the aquaculture sector to navigate a complex regulatory environment, to realise the potential growth in trade opportunities in the UK and abroad, and to ensure the positive environmental aspects of shellfish aquaculture are understood and valued.
• Contribute to the delivery of priorities in the Seafish Corporate Plan 2023-28, by providing science and regulatory advice, guidance, and expertise across key priority areas. The focus of this advice and guidance is primarily on shellfish water quality, but there are opportunities for the role holder to also support our climate change, food safety, and marine environment priorities, depending on their skills and expertise.
• Build our network of research partnerships to ensure Seafish has access to appropriate research expertise to support its work programme.

Key accountabilities will be:

• The primary responsibility is to lead on Seafish’s shellfish water quality programme (80% of time) to contribute to the sustainable development, growth and success of the UK aquaculture sector, as part of a vibrant Blue Economy. In particular:
  • Work to address issues affecting shellfish production, such as water quality and the related food safety implications.
  • Lead and contribute to research projects to provide the required evidence to support changes in water quality policy and regulation that relate to shellfish production.
  • Facilitate the Shellfish Stakeholder Working Group and its project sub‑groups, including the development and delivery of work programmes.
  • Work collaboratively with regulators, researchers, and seafood businesses to help foster a supportive regulatory environment that encourages innovation, economic growth, and…