Head of Food System Risk and Intelligence

Job summary

Do you have significant experience operating at a senior leadership level within risk, intelligence, analytical, regulatory or resilience environments?

Can you lead multidisciplinary teams through change and capability development?

If so, this is an exciting opportunity to join the Food Standards Agency (FSA) as our Head of Food System Risk and Intelligence, and we’d love to hear from you!

This is a great opportunity to shape a new, high-profile capability at the heart of the FSA’s work to protect consumers and support a resilient food and feed system. As Head of Food System Risk and Intelligence, you will lead the development of the Agency’s operational risk and intelligence function, helping the organisation anticipate, understand and respond to existing and emerging challenges across a complex and changing landscape.

You will establish and lead the Food System Intelligence Hub as a centre of excellence, bringing together insight, analysis, data and intelligence to support confident decision-making at senior levels. Working across operational, scientific, policy and external networks, you will play a key role in building a more integrated view of risk and ensuring the Agency is well placed to act on opportunities, threats and priorities.

Job description

You will set the direction for the Food System Intelligence Hub, developing its operating model, governance arrangements and future capability. You’ll create consistent approaches for identifying, assessing and prioritising risks, while supporting the development of intelligence systems, data standards, risk dashboards and analytical tools that strengthen decision-making and organisational planning.

You’ll oversee the production of intelligence assessments, risk registers and strategic threat assessments, acting as a senior adviser on operational and strategic risk issues. The role will involve building strong relationships across government departments, devolved administrations, enforcement bodies, scientific partners and industry stakeholders. The successful candidate will also provide visible leadership to a multidisciplinary team, managing resources effectively, supporting professional development and fostering an inclusive culture focused on collaboration, innovation, continuous improvement and delivery.

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.

Person specification

Please read the attached Candidate Pack 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:

• Leadership
• Delivering at Pace

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £68,767, Food Standards Agency contributes £19,921 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 take a look at the Working for the Food Standards Agency , Civil Service Careers to find out about the benefits the FSA has to offer

Please also refer to the Terms and Conditions statement attached to this advert.

Things you need to know

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 candidate pack.

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.

Essential criteria

Experience

· Lead criteria: Significant experience operating at a senior leadership level within risk, intelligence, analytical, regulatory or resilience environments

· Experience of developing strategy and translating complex or incomplete intelligence into organisational decisions and priorities

· Experience of leading multidisciplinary teams through change and capability development

· Experience implementing analytical, data or AI-enabled intelligence capabilities

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, or RIS schemes and meet the minimum requirements will be unaffected by the pass mark raise.

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

· Leadership

· Delivering at Pace

Experience

· Significant experience operating at a senior leadership level within risk, intelligence, analytical, regulatory or resilience environments

· Experience of developing strategy and translating complex or incomplete intelligence into organisational decisions and priorities

Expected Timeline

Advert closes: 20/09/26

Sift: Expected to take place from 21/09/26

Final panel interview: Expected to take place from 05/10/26

Interviews will be held remotely via MS Teams. (If you do not have the Microsoft Teams application installed on your computer, you can join on the web without installing the application).

Please note that indicated dates may be subject to change.

United Kingdom Security Vetting (UKSV) Requirements (SC)

Appointment will be subject to the candidate having, or being able to achieve, National Security Vetting at Security Check (SC) level.

All security clearances require you to provide evidence of your UK footprint where you have been physically present in the UK.

The requirement for SC clearance is to have been present in the UK at least 3 of the last 5 years, 2 of which must have been the immediately preceding years from the point of application (although there are some exceptions e.g. if you have been serving abroad with HM Armed Forces).

Failure to meet the residency requirements will result in your security clearance applicat