This is an 18 month contract to join the RSA’s Food Farming and Countryside Commission, an ambitious independent inquiry to shape the future of the UK’s food and farming systems as we embark on the process of exiting the EU. The Commission is located in the RSA’s Action and Research Centre, whose aim is to influence policy and practice, blending the best of the think tank with practical actions for sustainable change. Citizens will be at the heart of the Commission process, giving voice to those whose voices are not always heard in these debates. The Commission will build a mandate for change, putting forward pragmatic and sustainable policies for central and local government and developing a vision that resonates with communities, stakeholders and the wider public.

In this role, you will design and lead an ambitious and innovative programme of citizen and community engagement across the UK, to inform the research and policy work of the Commission. You will be responsible for our ‘engagement’ contracts, on our action research projects around the UK, and for our mainstream and social media engagement strategy and implementation.

You will be a skilled and seasoned practitioner in engaging and involving the public and communities in complex, contested issues, leading to innovative and practical changes. You will be knowledgeable about food, farming and the countryside, able to inspire confidence in a wide variety of stakeholders. You will have excellent communication skills, able to speak with authority and impact in a variety of settings, from community events, to specialist, expert meetings. You should be experienced in designing robust action research processes (or other participatory research methodologies) and be able to contribute outputs from these to the Commission’s overall research. You will be a good team worker, valuing colleagues’ contributions, working well under pressure and prepared for frequent work away from London.