Trainee Agricultural Analyst

We are currently recruiting for a Trainee Analyst, to work on a hybrid basis, two/three days from our HQ in Coventry and the remainder working remotely from home.

In this role you will have the opportunity to understand and communicate the detail of domestic and global food production and consumption trends, agricultural commodity markets, government policy and environment and to get out into the food supply chain to present and discuss these matters with key stakeholders.

We expect a lot from our Trainee Analyst. You will hit the ground running, assisting with and taking on board analytical projects both small and large, always with the support of senior team members and more formal training. AHDB take training and development seriously and there are a plethora of self-directed and external learning opportunities. 

Who are AHDB?

The purpose of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) is to make our agricultural industry more competitive and sustainable through factual, evidence-based advice, information and activity.

AHDB is a statutory levy board, funded by farmers, growers and others in the supply chain and managed as an independent organisation (independent of both commercial industry and of Government).

The Economics and Analysis Division (AHDB E&A) employs over 50 staff and provides support to our sectors (Cereals & Oilseeds, Pork, Beef and Lamb and Dairy) and directly to industry. We provide information and analysis on markets, prices, government policy, carbon markets, trade deals, farm economics, consumer and retail insight and much more. We then communicate and present our analysis and research to farmers and others within the supply chain via a variety of different mediums. This leads to collaborative action by helping inform the decisions that lead to change and improvements within the industry aimed at making it more competitive and sustainable.

AHDB E&A recruits staff from a mix of both agricultural and non-agricultural backgrounds. Our Trainee Analyst Scheme provides a structured training and development programme for new entrants into the industry who wish to develop their careers, as well as those with analytical experience who are looking at entering a new role.

How the Trainee Analyst Scheme works?

The trainee analyst will be employed on a permanent contract but will participate in a development programme lasting 18 months. At completion of the 18-month programme, a permanent role will be available within the Economics & Analysis and Environment department in line with business requirements.

The programme will involve a number of aspects including:

• Intensive induction period to build understanding of AHDB and the wider industry
• Tailored training courses to develop both generic and technical skills
• Opportunities to participate in farm and industry visits to build knowledge of agriculture and the wider food supply chain

The main priority of the programme is a series of placements across the key functions within the Economics and Analysis department:

1. Market Specialists and Benchmarking – for either arable or livestock, following trends in the domestic and global agricultural markets and understanding what’s driving them, so we can provide explanation, insight, and outlooks. You will also get to experience how we collate data on-farm to drive our analysis of cost of production and farm margins through our Farmbench programme.
2. Retail and consumer insight – focussing on consumer trends and understanding the demand drivers for agricultural produce. We would seek to understand what people trust and buy when eating out and in the supermarket? How can our stakeholders maximise opportunities for growth?  What reputational factors such as health, the environment and animal welfare shape buying behaviours?
3. Economist Unit – specialising in economic and policy analysis as political changes impact agriculture. Our economists not only look at macro issues, but also lead in the analysis of farm level economics reviewing farm business drivers. This team also manages our work on the emerging natural capital markets, including carbon markets and biodiversity net gain offsetting schemes to ensure our levy payers are kept fully informed regarding developments in these markets.

As your career progresses there will be opportunities to specialise in one of the above areas.

Responsibilities 

Our Trainee Analyst will support senior team members by assisting with research and analysis of agricultural market intelligence, trade and policy information, consumer and market trends and environment. The work is varied, challenging and requires a considerable degree of initiative. It also offers a range of potential career development with regular on and off job training:

• Assist with the preparation of analysis and its clear dissemination
• Follow existing data and information processes
• Contribute to small and medium-sized projects in consultation with other staff
• Keep abreast of appropriate industry developments
• Maintain effective working contact with internal staff
• Develop communication skills internally and externally

Essential Criteria 

• Studying for, or attained, a professional qualification typically to degree standard, or equivalent experience
• An interest in, and possible experience in any of the following areas: agriculture sector/politics and economics/consumer and retail trends/ environment
• Intellectual curiosity about how the world works and what drives decision making
• Strong numeracy and literacy skills – the ability both to work with numerical data and write about it
• Outstanding verbal communication and interpersonal skills with the confidence to negotiate with a range of stakeholders across AHDB and the industry
• Experience of using modern IT applications including PowerPoint and Excel
• Use of analytical packages such as Power BI is not essential but would be an advantage
• Good planning and organisation skills with a structured and methodical approach to any task, identifying priorities and setting deadlines
• Able to work collaboratively within a team environment
• A focus on internal and external customer
• Enthusiasm for learning
• A desire to seek new ideas and areas of research and development to provide solutions for levy payers and industry
• Keen to seek out new opportunities for learning and career progression

Benefits - we believe in rewarding our people for their hard work, so we have a great mix of benefits and opportunities, to give you the recognition you deserve:

• 35 hours per week, to include hybrid working after training period
• 33 days annual leave plus one privilege day (inclusive of bank holidays)
• Life assurance cover (4 x salary)
• A market-leading defined contribution pension scheme with Legal & General
• Enhanced pay of 20 weeks for maternity, adoption and shared parental leave, subject to length of service
• Comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme
• Excellent training and development opportunities and an agreed development plan
• Recognition Awards throughout the year
• Access to the Government’s tax-free childcare scheme
• Reward Gateway membership – this gives you a huge number of online discounts and savings

Please note we reserve the right to close the vacancy early should we receive a significant number of suitable applications.

Interviews are scheduled to take place from the 28th October 2024, with an anticipated start date in January 2025.

At AHDB, you'll find we are committed to developing, maintaining and supporting a culture of equality, diversity and inclusion. This applies to both our workforce and the practices we follow.