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We are Scotland
Food & Drink

Scotland’s food and drink industry is vital to our nation’s economic growth. We are the leadership organisation committed to delivering competitive edge. We develop growth strategies. We broaden networks. We uncover opportunities. 

Careers

OUR INDUSTRY

No other food and drink body in the word does what we do

Facilitating and enabling government and industry to work side by side is what we’ve been doing since our formation in 2007. It’s a unique relationship. In that time food and drink has grown to become one of the most successful sectors in Scotland. Today it’s worth an incredible £15 billion.

+86%

New business startups in 7 years

+400

Current members

+43%

Food productivity up since 2007

We can do more and we will

Join our team

OUR STRATEGY

We've launched our new industry strategy

This will be our guiding light over the next 10 years as the Partnership works to support our industry’s recovery and growth.

This strategy is building the foundations for sustainable growth and driving demand for growth.

We want Scotland to be the best place in the world to own, operate, and work for a food and drink business. To be renowned as a world leader in sustainable production and responsible growth, where resilient businesses across the entire supply chain can flourish and prosper.

CAREERS

Head of Brand & Communications

Are you ready to lead a transformational journey in the heart of Scotland’s food and drink industry? We are looking for a dynamic and visionary Head of Brand & Communications to take the helm at Scotland Food & Drink (SF&D) and drive our growth to new heights!

As the Head of Brand & Communications at SF&D, you will hold a pivotal leadership role in shaping the future of our organisation. Your mission is to amplify our reputation, communicate our strategic objectives, and foster industry growth. You’ll be at the forefront of building a cohesive “one team” approach within SF&D and its partner network.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

  • You’ll guide our Brand and Communications Team in aligning with our strategic partnership strategy for SF&D’s growth
  • Develop a compelling organisational and partnership identity, ensuring a consistent tone of voice that positions us as industry leaders and enhances membership retention and acquisition
  • Collaborate with brand communications and marketing teams across the SF&D Partnership to spread the “Sustaining Scotland, supplying the world” message across all channels
  • Create an effective brand positioning and portfolio strategy that ignites enthusiasm among stakeholders and partners
  • Launch and promote the new national food and drink brand within our network, emphasising Scottish provenance on a global scale
  • Lead SF&D’s events strategy, building our reputation and ensuring a consistent and engaging approach
  • Establish strong, enduring relationships with internal teams, partners, and external stakeholders
  • Proactively shape media agendas and maintain positive relationships with key media outlets
  • Collaborate with various departments to ensure our communications are informed by insights
  • Motivate and develop the Brand and Comms team, aligning personal objectives with our strategic goals

SKILLS & EXPERIENCE

We are seeking a seasoned professional who can:

  • Forge strong working relationships with internal teams, external partners, agencies, and media contacts
  • Demonstrate organisational and leadership skills, preferably with board-level engagement experience
  • Bring a track record of building powerful portfolio strategies and inspirational brands across multiple markets and channels
  • Craft compelling written content, from press releases to industry reports
  • Develop strategic partnerships, ideally in both public and private sectors
  • Understand how branding and communications support an organisation’s growth and purpose
  • Manage multiple projects with multiple partners simultaneously
  • Think creatively to maximise budgets and effectively manage partner agencies
  • Have an interest in and understanding of the Scottish food and drink industry
  • Possess knowledge and experience in digital marketing and social media to drive awareness and engagement
  • Grow and lead high-functioning brand, communication, and marketing teams, championing both individual and team development

If you’re passionate about elevating the Scottish food and drink industry, if you thrive in a dynamic and collaborative environment, and if you’re ready to lead the brand and communications efforts at Scotland Food & Drink to new heights, we want to hear from you!

Apply Here

The best things happen when we work together

CULTURE

Working with us

The average person in the western world spends 11,250 days of their life at work. We believe working with us should be some of the best days at work you’ll ever have.

The best things happen when we work together. And we know that our culture and people are core to delivering our diverse and collaborative work. 

So we’re always on the lookout for team players, who are passionate about food and drink to help us deliver the varied projects that support our many stakeholders and partners.

VALUES

The behaviours that drive us forward

Ambition
We are passionate about making a difference.

Collaboration
Our impact comes from harnessing the individual strengths of our people and our partners, forging a strong team spirit. We have each other’s backs.

Respect
We all set the tone, taking personal responsibility for our actions, embracing empathy and generating a world class external reputation.

Balance
Work is important, life is everything. Success is doing both well.

TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT

We want to grow together

COMPANY-WIDE

  • Unconscious bias
  • Negotiation and Influencing skills
  • Introduction to menopause awareness
  • Project management training

INDIVIDUAL

  • Coaching techniques for Line Managers
  • Individual training plans linked in business objectives

Join our team

If you’d like to find out more about this exciting new opportunity at Scotland Food & Drink, please get in touch with Denholm Associates today. We’d love to hear from you.

STEPH BUCKLEY

07432 467 032

steph@denholmassociates.com

New Spirits Division

ANDY BRADY

HEAD OF HR

Andy Brady is a seasoned HR recruitment specialist, with over two decades of expertise in the field. With a foundation in Human Resource Management from the University of Derby, Andy swiftly transitioned into specialised HR recruitment. His diverse portfolio spans FMCG, Manufacturing & Engineering, Financial Services, the Third Sector, and Supply Chain, working at all levels from entry to executive positions.

ZOE LUMSDEN

Recruitment AdministratoR

Zoe joined Denholm in 2022 as Recruitment Administrator, after working in administration roles for nearly a decade. Most recently within the recruitment industry, she joins us with experience of supporting consultants, clients and candidates at all levels. Zoe has a passion for helping people and applies her positive attitude and approachable manner to support our team and deliver the best possible service to our clients and candidates at all times.

DREW GILLIES

HEAD OF AGENCY

Drew arrived at Denholm as an award-winning creative, having headed content strategy teams for marketing/advertising agencies in the UK/USA before a successful career in HR, people and culture. He has years of marketing experience and building teams on both sides of the Atlantic, priding himself on going the extra mile for clients and candidates alike. Drew always works with passion as our specialist in account management, planning and strategy, digital marketing, full-spectrum creative and traffic/studio management.

CALLUM BEVERIDGE

SENIOR CONSULTANT - TECHNOLOGY, CHANGE & TRANSFORMATION

Callum has been working in recruitment since 2018 where he has solely focussed on the Technology, Change and Transformation market across the UK and ROI. He works closely with his clients and candidates to build long-lasting relationships across several industries, including Technology, Financial Services, Professional Services, Healthcare, Education, Public Sector and more. He specialises in engineering roles across Software, Infrastructure, Systems, DevOps and Cloud, along with Software Testing.

EUAN ARCHIBALD

SENIOR CONSULTANT - Technology, Change & Transformation

Euan has been working in the world of recruitment since 2012, working to deliver bespoke services to both clients and candidates. Prioritising ‘future-fit’ candidates for clients, he works as an extension of his client’s business ensuring great representation in the market. He consults with each client to ensure excellent candidate journeys. Euan works focuses primarily on business analysis, project management and technical support opportunities.

LIZ PARSONS

SENIOR CONSULTANT - MARKETING

Liz has over 14 years’ experience in recruitment working across primarily the high-tech, pharmaceutical and FMCG sectors. She joined Denholm on December 1st 2021 following a relocation from Ireland to focus on Marketing recruitment. Liz’s experience ranges from high volume recruitment to executive search and she prides herself in her ability to fully understand a brief and her accurate matching skills. Frequently praised as being a clear communicator with a strong customer service ethic, Liz is well suited to the culture here at Denholm, where the client and the candidates’ needs are paramount.

ALANA SIM

DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR - CONSUMER

Alana has been working in recruitment since 2012, predominately within the FMCG & Consumer markets. Having recruited in both the UK & Asia Pacific markets, Alana has a sound knowledge of local & international recruitment. Partnering with brands to attract & hire the best sales talent in the market, Alana focuses on mid to senior level Sales appointments within the Consumer space. With a strong commercial & sales background, Alana identifies and engages the best commercially focused talent for our clients.

SCOTT CAITHNESS

CLIENT RELATIONSHIP PARTNER

Scott started his career working for one of the leading Advertising & Comms agencies in Edinburgh where he spent 7 years before moving in to recruitment in 2011. As such, he is well-networked in the Marketing & Comms space across Scotland. With a friendly and consultative approach, Scott is genuinely passionate about providing a positive journey to both candidates and clients alike and believes communication plays a big part in this.  A “thinking-outside-the-box recruiter”, he is known for helping candidates portray the best version of themselves and helping clients find talent for those hard to fill roles.

ANDY MACEWAN

HEAD OF TECHNOLOGY, CHANGE & TRANSFORMATION

Andy has been recruiting in Technology, Change & Transformation since 2001. Delivering tailored resource solutions as trusted advisor to clients ranging from start-ups through to global blue-chip organisations across contract, permanent, fixed term, and managed service/statement of work solutions. He has experience providing candidates for Helpdesk through to CIO and takes great pride in providing excellent customer service and ensuring each candidate journey is a positive one. An expert in his market he can provide guidance across current market trends.

JAMES BLYTH

HEAD OF MANUFACTURING & ENGINEERING

James has a decade of experience within the FMCG sector where he has partnered with a wide range of businesses placing key appointments at all levels including Director/ Board level. Driving growth across our Manufacturing & Engineering function, James specialises in Production, Operations, Engineering, Quality, HSE, Technical, NPD and Supply Chain. With his passion and expertise in these areas, James supports candidates and clients by working closely to understand their needs and wants providing exceptional service.

ANGELA MCCANN

DIRECTOR OF GROWTH

Having worked in the recruitment industry since 2000, Angela brings a wealth of experience as a Recruitment Professional and a proven track record of delivering a high-quality search and selection service to both public and private companies in the UK and internationally. Angela believes in a partnership approach to recruitment, ensuring a detailed understanding of employer/jobseeker requirements and delivering a bespoke service underpinned by professionalism, pragmatism and strong market knowledge.

Our Community

As well as working in close collaboration with our clients, and the online marketplaces, we are active members of groups that have been established to combat illicit trade. These include the Scottish Anti-Illicit Trade Group, the European Intellectual Property Office, The Scottish Business Resilience Centre, the Anti-Counterfeiting Group, and the China Britain Business Council. Members of our senior management sit on the boards of ACID (Anti-Copying in Design), the Scottish Ministerial Trade Board, and the European Union Intellectual Property Office’s Observatory Panel for SMEs, amongst others.

Each team member nominates good causes or charities that are supported on both an individual and corporate basis. Wherever possible, we support the employee’s involvement whether through time or fundraising events.

Our Environment

We deliver purpose-driven work from an extremely welcoming environment near the City Centre. We actively encourage the responsible use of resources, from using public transport to reuse, recycling, and, of course, a minimal impact office environment. We have benefited from the advice of the Energy Saving Trust and Resource Efficient Scotland. Our waste contractor also provides us with a monthly report on volumes and types of material and the carbon emissions avoided through recycling.

Over 80% of our employees can walk or cycle to The Lair and, pre-pandemic, 10% were using public transport as their normal daily commuting mode. Without doubt, online meetings will replace considerable miles, going forward, saving resources, time and energy. Where possible, when possible, the train remains our preferred option. 

Our People

Our people are our most important asset, and their mental well-being and happiness are core to our success. We love our diverse workforce, actively embrace flexible working (even pre-pandemic!) and encourage a healthy work-life balance. We have been recognised as one of the most diverse SME workplaces in the UK and are holders of the Scottish Business Pledge which exists to promote a fairer Scotland. We have also just been included in the 2021 Culture Leaders Top 25 – an accolade of which we are very proud!

We are a fully inclusive and nurturing employer and, despite being in tech, the majority of our team are women, leading to accolades in the Computing Magazine Women in IT Awards and the Amazon Growing Business Awards. We currently represent 15 nationalities and speak 20 languages. Age is no barrier, and we recruit for attitude, providing and encouraging appropriate learning and training for each and every role.

We are also proud members of IP Inclusive, a network of professionals working to make the intellectual property industry more diverse.

Our Purpose

Our aim is to combat illicit online trade by identifying and removing counterfeits for sale. Counterfeits not only damage brands, their reputations, and revenues, but can cause significant harm to the end customer – whether as a fake toy or a fake medicine – and the consequences can be life threatening.

Counterfeiting is a significant economic and social issue.

The OECD reports that counterfeit and fake goods make up more than 3.3% of the world’s global trade. Those involved in the trade of counterfeits have been linked to people trafficking, prostitution, and drug dealing.

As such, reducing illicit trade is about much more than brand protection but also about human rights, safety, and social equity.

And this is what we do, every day.

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Communication Advisors

We’re a passionate and professional team who thrive in issue-rich environment and we’re looking for Senior Communication Advisors, Communications Advisors and Communications Executives to join their fast-growing team. 

You’ll have previous agency experience at Senior Account Manager or Account Manager level and be passionate about delivering excellent results for clients. You might be a specialist in PR and media relations who produces compelling editorial content across a range of topics and sectors or you might be a public affairs expert who understands the policy landscape and helps clients build influential relationships. Whatever your specialism, you’ll be an excellent writer, full of creative ideas, with proven client management experience and the ability to provide expert advice our clients.

Your key duties will include:

  • Supporting the key account lead with day-to-day client liaison, providing strategic counsel on day-to-day account matters when required
  • Active involvement in planning and delivering global PR, marketing and digital campaigns
  • Managing content programmes, including mapping out content themes, spotting industry trends and story angles, writing copy when required which may include opinion articles, web and social
  • Building strong media relationships, creating pitches based on your story ideas and delivering content in-to suit the client’s target media and securing opportunities
  • Planning and running client’s social media programmes, and management of their channels
  • Continuously identifying opportunities to grow brand awareness and profile our client’s businesses within their target sector through events, webinars, thought leadership
  • Producing comprehensive and timely reports on client activity 
  • Supporting in the development of client proposals to help grow or win parts of the business


In addition, to be considered for this role, you must be able to demonstrate:

  • Proven background in account handling and direct client liaison – 4 years’ minimum
  • Experience in an agency setting focusing on B2B communication or PR
  • Strong communications skills, verbal and written
  • A background in delivering creative, digitally led B2B communications such as LinkedIn campaigns
  • An innate understanding of earned media, with the ability to create stories and generate coverage across traditional media, digital and social
  • Experience working on content management programmes, with an awareness of the changing way business audiences consume information and an appreciation of search, paid and wider customer marketing activity, and how it all fits together
  • A history of working with clients in a variety of sectors is welcomed but experience in the tech and energy industries is advantageous.
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Communication Lead

We’re a passionate and professional team who thrive in issue-rich environment and we’re looking to add a Communication Lead to our fast-growing team. You’ll be a trusted advisor to clients across several sectors in all aspects of communication, external affairs, marketing and issues management. Coming from an agency or consultancy environment, at Account Director level or above, you’ll report directly to the Managing Director and be responsible for a small and busy multi-disciplinary team. You’ll have first-class project management skills, be solutions-driven and excellent commercial acumen too. Alongside the senior team, you’ll work to drive the strategic growth of Aspect.

Your core duties will include:

  • Working with the MD to develop and deliver growth strategies 
  • Attracting and retaining profitable clients across a range of sectors 
  • Leading the creation and execution of strategic communication programmes
  • Inspiring, leading and developing multi-disciplinary teams
  • Developing strong relationships with clients, colleagues and associates
  • Producing high quality pitches and proposals to secure new business 
  • Curating, nurturing and managing a team of talented associates.

You’ll be a skilled communicator, interested and knowledgeable about the key issues shaping the external environment. In addition, to be considered for this role, you must be able to demonstrate:

  • 7+ years of senior leadership experience within an agency or consultancy
  • Experience in Energy, Renewables, Financial Services or Life Sciences would be very desirable
  • Outstanding writing skills and the ability to engage and excite an audience
  • An impressive track record of client attraction, retention and growth 
  • The ability to thrive fast-paced environment managing multiple projects simultaneously
  • Strong influencing and leadership skills to motivate and inspire those around you
  • Excellent planning, evaluation and project management skills
  • To develop new processes, systems and ways of working to drive performance

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