Food Standards Agency
Relationship Manager (Local Authority Engagement)
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We offer great flexible working opportunities, and have offices in Belfast, Cardiff and York.
Please be aware that this role can only be worked within the UK and not overseas.
Travel within the UK will be required on an occasional basis, possibly with overnight stays.
Job Summary
The FSA is a non-ministerial department of over 1600 people. We play a critical role in protecting public health and consumers’ wider interests in food across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Our vision is an important one - to drive change, delivering “food you can trust” and working towards a healthier and more sustainable food system.
We are recruiting two temporary Relationship Managers (Local Authority Engagement) to join the Food Standards Agency's Local Authority Engagement Team within the Regulatory Compliance Division. These roles offer an exciting opportunity to work at the heart of food and feed regulation, building strong relationships with local authorities and helping to shape the future delivery of official controls across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Job Description
About the Role
The Regulatory Compliance Division plays a leading role in delivering the Food Standards Agency’s ambitions to develop and implement new approaches to official controls for food and feed. As part of a team supporting local authority engagement, you will work in a dynamic and fast-paced environment where collaboration, adaptability and effective communication are essential. You will engage directly with local authority partners, attend online meetings, contribute to policy development and support the delivery of strategic priorities across the Agency.
What You Will Be Doing
You will build and maintain productive relationships with local authorities and other key stakeholders, helping to ensure that FSA priorities are understood and consistently adopted. You will contribute to the collection and analysis of information gathered from delivery partners, providing valuable insights that support policy development and senior decision making. The roles will involve leading engagement and communication activities, responding to framework-related enquiries, supporting training initiatives and contributing to continuous improvement projects that strengthen regulatory delivery. You will also provide clear briefings and presentations, anticipate emerging issues and help colleagues understand the challenges and opportunities across the local authority landscape.
Who We Are Looking For
We are looking for confident communicators who can build credibility with a wide range of stakeholders and represent the Agency professionally. You will be comfortable working independently while contributing effectively as part of a collaborative team. The successful candidates will demonstrate excellent relationship management skills, sound judgement and the ability to adapt to changing priorities. Experience of stakeholder engagement, communications, policy implementation, partnership working or delivering improvements within a complex organisation would be highly beneficial.
What We Offer
These temporary opportunities provide a unique chance to gain experience within a high-profile area of the Food Standards Agency, influencing how the Agency works with local authorities and delivery partners. You will have the opportunity to contribute to significant regulatory developments, broaden your professional network and make a meaningful impact on public health and consumer protection.
Working pattern guidance
Applicants who wish to work compressed hours are welcome to apply - however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.
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Please read before applying
These posts are temporary Fixed Term/Loan/Secondment appointments available until the return of the substantive post holder, estimated to be 01 August 2027. There may be the potential, but no guarantee, of an extension or permanency.
Candidates that are already established Civil Servants or from non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) will come to the FSA on a Loan basis and will need to request permission from their Home Department for the Loan prior to applying for this vacancy.
Note for FSA employees
You must seek approval from your substantive manager before applying for any non-permanent vacancy - please refer to the ‘Temporary internal appointments framework’ on the FSA intranet for more details. Please note that if applying for a temporary post within the FSA or elsewhere on promotion, successful appointment will not automatically result in a permanent promotion - you will revert to your current substantive grade at the end of the Fixed Term or Loan period (unless funding has been approved to make the post permanent). If you are applying for a vacancy on a Loan basis you MUST seek approval from your Director in line with our FSA Staff loans policy.
Person specification
Please read the attached Job Description to discover further details about the role, who we are looking for and the criteria we will assess against during the selection process.
We look forward to receiving your application and wish you every success.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
Communicating and Influencing
Alongside your salary of £42,596, Food Standards Agency contributes £12,340 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).
Please refer to the attached Terms and Conditions statement.
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.
Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.
Full details of the selection process can be found in the attached job description.
Application and shortlisting
You will be asked to provide personal details (not seen by the Panel) and to confirm your eligibility to apply for the role.
You will then be asked to complete an application which will be used to assess you against the following essential criteria.
Experience
Essential criteria
Lead criteria: Experience of the regulatory landscape through working in a local authority setting. Be effective at working with and through external stakeholders and delivery partners, with evidence of building and influencing collaborative working relationships both internally and externally, including excellent written and verbal communication skills. Excellent organisational skills including the ability to prioritise effectively and work to tight deadlines.
Lead Criteria An initial sift will take place on the Lead Criteria.
In the event that we receive a large number of applications, the minimum pass mark for the Lead Criteria may be raised at shortlisting stage. Candidates who apply under the DCS, GPTW or RIS schemes and meet the minimum requirements will be unaffected by the pass mark raise.
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Interview
If Successful At Shortlisting Stage, You Will Be Invited To a Final interview in Which We Will Assess You Against The Following Experience Requirements Of The Role And Civil Service Behaviours:
Behaviours
Communicating and Influencing
Experience
Experience of the regulatory landscape through working in a local authority setting. Be effective at working with and through external stakeholders and delivery partners, with evidence of building and influencing collaborative working relationships both internally and externally, including excellent written and verbal communication skills. Excellent organisational skills including the ability to prioritise effectively and work to tight deadlines.
Expected Timeline
Advert closes: 15 September 2026
Sift: Expected to take place From 16 September 2026
Final panel interview: Expected to take place either week commencing 28 September or 05 October 2026
Please note that indicated dates may be subject to change.
Childcare Vouchers
Any move to the Food Standards Agency from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare.
Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk
Reserve List
A reserve list will be held for a period of up to 12 months from which further appointment may be made.
Candidates that do not pass the interview but have demonstrated an acceptable standard may be considered for similar roles at a lower grade.
Visa Sponsorship
Please note that the FSA does not offer visa sponsorship and cannot provide advice on visa applications
Making a complaint
The law requires that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles.
If you feel your application has not been treated fairly in accordance with the principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should email the FSA’s Director of People at jo.bushnell@food.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response, you can contact the Civil Service Commission.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check.
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.
Nationality requirements
This Job Is Broadly Open To The Following Groups:
- UK nationals
- nationals of the Republic of Ireland
- nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
- individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
- Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)
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