Director of Commercial Partnerships

About our Organisation

The Soil Association, formed in 1946, is the only UK charity which works across the spectrum of human health, the environment and animal welfare. That’s because we cannot tackle these issues in isolation.

We campaign for change, we support farming innovation, we serve healthy food in communities, we support and grow the organic market, and we protect forests.We couldn't do any of this without our supporters, partners, donors and dedicated staff. We make a difference in the world where it’s needed the most.

Soil Association Exchange is a new service for all UK farmers to help them farm in a way that improves the climate and protects nature and enhances their profitability. SA Exchange works with farmers to measure the environmental impact and provides advice and financial incentives on how the farm can improve.

Soil Association Exchange is a fast-paced, commercial startup that spun out of the Soil Association charity in 2022. Exchange is already working with hundreds of farmers and businesses including M&S, Sainsburys, Lloyds Banking Group and Riverford.

About the Opportunity

We are looking for a brilliant Director of Commercial Partnerships to join Soil Association Exchange. The Director of Commercial Partnerships plays two fundamental roles. Firstly, they are responsible for building and maintaining strong relationships with our customer businesses. Secondly, they are responsible for developing and deploying new ways to get farmers paid for farming sustainably.

About You

We are looking for someone who is:

• Self-motivated – will bring energy and ideas to solving the problem at hand; won’t wait to be told what needs to be done.

• Excited about building a company that can generate huge environmental impact and healthy financial returns.

• Searching for a varied job – delivering a sales pitch one day, visiting a farm the next, designing a financial model the following.

Your main responsibilities are to:

• Maintain and grow our relationships with our current Exchange customers

• Develop and manage a sales pipeline to grow the number of Exchange’s corporate customers.

• Help the team develop and deploy a strategy for selling Exchange directly to farmers.

• Design the strategy and then execute on how farmers can receive payments for farming more sustainably.

Our Benefits

We offer a range of financial and lifestyle benefits to all our employees, including:

• 27 days annual holiday increasing to 30 days with length of service plus bank holidays
• Pension scheme with ethical investment options and employer contribution increasing with length of service
• Free membership of the Soil Association and discounts on organic produce
• Volunteer days to give back to the local community or support green initiatives
• Family friendly policies and flexible working
• Cycle to work scheme
• Sociable and engaging workplace of professionals that share a passion for healthy, sustainable lifestyle and produce

Hours

37.5 hours per week

Permanent

Location

Bristol or London Based