Job title: Head of Food & Drink (6-month FTC)

Company: Ascential

Job description: The role

We are looking to hire a Head of Food & Drink to join our Content team in the UK or Singapore on a 6-month fixed-term maternity cover basis.

Working at WGSN

Together, we create tomorrow

A career with WGSN is fast-paced, exciting and full of opportunities to grow and develop. We’re a team of consumer and design trend forecasters, content creators, designers, data analysts, advisory consultants and much more, united by a common goal: to create tomorrow.

WGSN’s trusted consumer and design forecasts power outstanding product design, enabling our customers to create a better future. Our services cover consumer insights, beauty, consumer tech, fashion, interiors, lifestyle, food and drink forecasting, data analytics and expert advisory. If you are an expert in your field, we want to hear from you.

Role overview

We’re looking for an Acting Head of Food & Drink to join our team in a 6-month maternity cover contract as part of our trend forecasting Content function.

The Acting Head of Food & Drink joins WGSN’s global Food & Drink team to research, write and lead the content that will enable our Food & Drink clients to create successful new products. Candidates will be based either in Singapore, the UK or North America. The role will require remote working.

This forward-thinking trend forecaster will have expert knowledge of the Food & Drink industry. They will provide world-class trend research and strategic thought leadership that will enable WGSN’s food & drink clients to capitalise on changing consumer behaviours and needs.

The ideal candidate will have experience in new product development. They will deliver insight across all food & drink categories for all regions and demographics. They will be skilled at spotting global trends, comfortable using data, and able to contextualise for specific markets. They will champion sustainability, diversity and inclusivity across all our content.

Reporting to the Director of Food & Drink, and leading a team of strategists and analysts, they will be able to drive, mentor and upskill the team to deliver WGSN’s global food & drink content strategy.

The Acting Head of Food & Drink will contribute to and manage food & drink content and collaborate with teams working on WGSN’s content offers for other industries. They must be able to build and maintain strong relationships with our Sales and Marketing teams and be a go-to industry expert and resource for our team and our clients. They should be confident presenting to clients and at events and industry functions.

Key accountabilities

Forecasting the impact of social, technological, economic, environmental, and cultural change around the world on food & drink consumers and the food & drink industry

Managing a team of strategists with report ideation, creation, editing and scheduling, while also developing the team through reviews and ongoing training

Manage the food & drink content calendar, publishing schedule and commissioning freelances

Producing presentations and webinars of your research and insight, and delivering it internally and externally

Working across the wider WGSN business including other content verticals, and business functions like Data and Product

Acting as an ambassador for WGSN by speaking at global conferences and seminars (please note international travel may be required)

Working with WGSN commercial teams to build and maintain strong client relationships and drive new business

This list is not exhaustive and there may be other activities you are required to deliver.

Skills, experience & qualifications required

Deep understanding of the food & drink industry across multiple markets and categories. Ideally you will have experience in NPD and have good knowledge across food and drink. Prior experience in NPD in the drinks industry is desirable.

Deep understanding of the global food & drink market around consumer behaviour and generational shifts

Excellent ability to deliver insight and analysis through report writing, presentations, webinars, video and podcasts

Strong editing skills

Deep understanding of the role data and analytics plays in trend forecasting. Ability to work and interrogate qual and quant data to extract meaningful insights

Excellent organisation, communication and collaboration skills with the ability to work within an international team to ensure production standards, reports or outputs are of a consistently high standard and submitted on time (please note the team is based across multiple time zones)

Fluent English speaker and writer (fluency in other languages is an advantage)

Solid demonstrable experience in this field

Technical skills: Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, Adobe Creative Suite, Slack, Social Media platforms

Ascential’s supporting beliefs

Focus: we ruthlessly prioritise and always keep things simple

All in: once we commit we deliver, with a clear focus on outcome

Trustworthiness, transparency & openness: transparency inspires trust & empowers

Be creative: we are smart, pro-active innovators

Facts: we always use data & insight to inform our work

Empathy: we can be relied upon for fairness and consideration

No silos: one team, one face, one reputation

What we offer

Our UK benefits and wellbeing package offers flexible benefits you can tailor to your own personal needs, including:

• 25 days of holiday per year – with an option to buy/ sell up to 5 days
• Pension, Life Assurance and Income Protection
• Flexible benefits platform with options including Private Medical, Dental Insurance, Critical Illness, and the Ascential Shares Scheme – opt in
• Employee assistance programme, season ticket loans and cycle to work scheme
• Volunteering opportunities and charitable giving options
• Great learning and development opportunities.

More about WGSN

WGSN is the global authority on consumer trend forecasting.

We help brands around the world create the right products at the right time for tomorrow’s consumer.

Our culture

An inclusive culture is one of our key priorities. We want our people to truly be themselves and thrive. We love having a diverse team of people who bring new ideas, different strengths and perspectives & reflect the global audience we work with.

Why choose us?

At Ascential, diversity, equity and inclusion is core to us. We’re a company built around our people – and we’re committed to supporting each and every one of them to be the best they can be. We love having a diverse team of people who bring new ideas and different strengths and perspectives to Ascential. Our employee-led networks, Ascential Pride, Black in Business and EmPower: An Ascential Women’s Initiative, help us to create a place where communities and allies can connect and share experiences. In addition, our Early Talent programmes help grow and foster diverse new talent for our sectors.

We are committed to supporting the environment and sustainability, including ensuring our pension plan defaults to sustainable options and striving to be net zero by 2030.

Recognising great performance is a key part of our culture. Our Awards schemes recognise and reward the brilliant achievements of our people.

We have a truly flexible working environment with a wide range of flexible, hybrid and agile-working arrangements. Conversations about flexible working have always been – and will continue to be – actively encouraged here.

We want to ensure everyone has the opportunity to perform their best when interviewing, so if you require any reasonable adjustments that would make you more comfortable during the process, please let us know so that we can do our best to support you.

If we inspire you, why not join and inspire us? Find out more on what our

Expected salary:

Location: London

Job date: Fri, 06 Oct 2023 04:43:43 GMT

Apply for the job now!

#Food #Drink #6month #FTC