Vacancy -- Chair - Hybu Cig Cymru (HCC) / Meat Promotion Wales

Vacancy details

Hybu Cig Cymru (HCC) / Meat Promotion Wales
Board meetings are usually held in Aberystwyth with industry meetings, briefings, events and shows taking place across Wales, the UK and possibly worldwide. During the Covid 19 pandemic, meetings will be held virtually. Future meetings will be held in line with Welsh Government guidance.

The remuneration for the position of Chair has been agreed by Public Sector Pay Reward and Recognition, Public Bodies Unit as £350 per day (maximum commitment of 72 days per annum).

Travel and other reasonable expenses might be incurred in carrying out work for HCC can be claimed from HCC within the recognised limits.  You may also be eligible to claim reimbursement for costs in relation to child care/care of the elderly/assistant carer, whilst carrying out work on behalf of HCC.

72
year

Function of body

Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion Wales (HCC) is the industry-led organisation responsible for the development, promotion and marketing of Welsh red meat.

 

HCC is funded largely from the Red Meat Levy, a statutory charge payable by farmers and processors/ exporters on cattle, sheep and pigs slaughtered in Wales, which helps to market the Welsh red meat brands and develop the supply chain collaboratively.

 

Welsh Government founded HCC in 2003. On 1 April 2007 HCC was established as a body wholly owned by Welsh Ministers.

The focus for delivery is through two operational departments (Market Development and Industry Development) and these are supported by the Communications, Corporate Strategy and Policy, and Corporate Services departments.

  • Market Development - aim to increase returns to the Welsh red meat industry by maximising the sales value of Welsh red meat;

  • Industry Development - work within the red meat industry in Wales to improve quality and increase cost effectiveness in a sustainable way;

  • Communications – ensure information regarding developments relating to Welsh red meat as well as the full range of HCC’s activities are made known to stakeholders and consumers;

  • Corporate Strategy and Policy - work to develop and implement strategies and inform decisions regarding the Welsh red meat industry; and

  • Corporate Services - support the operational delivery of the business and controls the resources required.

 

HCC operates at one registered office; Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion Wales, Tŷ Rheidol, Parc Merlin, Aberystwyth SY23 3FF. 

 

HCC is active in developing many important markets at home and abroad. Work is regularly undertaken with retailers and foodservice operators, commissioning regular promotional programmes for Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) Welsh Lamb and PGI Welsh Beef. HCC is at the forefront of development within the industry; undertaking research and development, sharing information and supporting training relevant to each part of the supply chain. This ensures the Welsh red meat industry is in a position to improve quality, increase cost-effectiveness and add value to Welsh red meat products across the whole of our industry.

 

HCC’s operational priorities and performance targets are informed by, and respond to, the annual remit letter from the Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs, which sets out strategic priorities; any specific policies and action plans; and the wider policies and priorities of the Welsh Government.

 

HCC subscribe to the Welsh Government's vision to develop and maintain a prosperous, sustainable agriculture industry as outlined in ‘Sustainable Farming and our Land’ (https://gov.wales/sites/default/files/consultations/2019-07/brexit-consultation-document.pdf).

 

The wider policies and priorities of the Welsh Government are set out in Prosperity for All (http://gov.wales/newsroom/firstminister/2017/170919-new-national-strategy-for-a-more-prosperous-wales/?lang=en) and the Well Being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 https://www.legislation.gov.uk/anaw/2015/2/contents  

 

Together, these set out the framework for which HCC’s specific goals are established.

 

In addition, the organisation is required to integrate all its work into supporting all of the seven well-being goals as well as the five governance elements of the Sustainable Development Principle.

 

HCC’s ‘Vision to 2025’ was launched in May 2018. It has the vision of supporting a profitable, efficient, sustainable and innovative Welsh red meat industry, which benefits the people of Wales, is resilient to political and environmental change, and is capable of responding competitively to ever-changing market trends. The following nine priority areas form the foundation of the vision:


1.    Positioning red meat from Wales as a premium product;

2.    EU trade opportunities developed for Welsh red meat;

3.    Domestic (GB) consumption of red meat from Wales maximized;

4.    New consumers for Welsh red meat sought in established markets;

5.    A greater percentage of Welsh red meat exports outside the EU;

6.    Development of a competitive Welsh red meat industry;

7.    Reduction in the impact of Welsh red meat production and processing on the climate, the environment and waste;

8.    Contingency planning in terms of future trade, production and processing post-Brexit; and

9.    Effective communication throughout the industry to ensure unity of purpose

 

For more information, please visit https://meatpromotion.wales/en.

Role description

The Chair of Hybu Cig Cymru (HCC) is being recruited during a time of considerable change for the farming industry.


The HCC Chair is primarily responsible for leading the Board of non-executive Directors and ensuring the effectiveness of HCC. The HCC Chair provides leadership and governance to HCC and performs the important role of scrutinising all of HCC’s investments and activities.

 

The Chief Executive has responsibility as Accounting Officer for the operation of HCC. As a Welsh Government Sponsored Body, HCC is required to comply with the provisions of Managing Welsh Public Money.

 

The key responsibilities of Chair of HCC are as follows:

  • Lead the Board in the delivery of the ‘Vision 2025 - Vision and Strategic Direction for the Welsh Red Meat Sector to 2025’; 

  • Lead on the development of the HCC Corporate Plan and the HCC Operational Plan through the Board; 

  • Provide leadership for an industry-wide ambition to increase productivity sustainably, in the context of significant farming policy reform, an ambitious global trade agenda, and the challenges of both contributing to net zero greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to climate change; 

  • Play a key role in promoting the views of HCC to the public, Chair Board meetings and lead Sub-Committees of the Board to ensure their effectiveness;

  • Ensure systems are in place to monitor the effectiveness of the Board and all Board Members have accurate, timely and clear information on the company’s performance;

  • Maintain sound corporate governance and ensure all activities are discharged with probity and propriety as required of an organisation expending public monies; and

  • Ensure effective arrangements are in place to provide assurance on risk management, governance and internal control. The Board is expected to assure itself of the effectiveness of the internal control and risk management systems.

Welsh language skills

The Welsh Government acknowledges the importance of developing and growing bilingual capabilities in public appointments in Wales, and welcomes applications from candidates who demonstrate their capability to work in both English and Welsh.  The following list of language requirements represents an objective assessment by the recruiting body of the Welsh language skills required to undertake the duties of this particular post.
Desirable
Can read some routine work-related material with support e.g. dictionary
Can prepare routine work-related material with checking
Can understand routine work-related conversations
Can hold some work-related conversations

Person specification

To be considered, you must be able to demonstrate you have the qualities, skills and experience to meet all the essential criteria for appointment:


Essential Criteria 

 

Leadership, team working and communication skills

  • Comprehensive understanding of inclusive leadership;

  • Excellent communication and influencing skills, with the ability to inspire and motivate;

  • Ability to manage a group with diverse opinions and lead them to making effective decisions and developing coherent policies; 

  • Promote equality and diversity with communities and respective stakeholders; and

  • Skills and ability to communicate clearly and convincingly within the organisation and with stakeholders, the media and a range of public and private sector organisations.

 

Appreciation of the agriculture and wider industry needs

  • Be able to demonstrate an appreciation of the issues facing the industry and Welsh red meat levy payers; 

  • Have knowledge of or have an ability to grasp issues relevant to the Welsh red meat supply chain; and

  • Good interpersonal skills, able to develop sound relationships with Red Meat Levy payers, wider stakeholders and others.

 

Strategic Development

  • Ability to think strategically and develop a long-term vision for the organisation; 

  • An understanding of corporate governance and HCC Board’s role and remit, ensuring they discharge their roles with probity and propriety; 

  • Understand the wider strategic context and takes account of this when making decisions; and

  • Ability to analyse highly complex information.

  

Welsh Language

Welsh Language skills are highly desirable for the role of Chair of HCC.

In addition, all candidates should demonstrate an awareness of the importance of the Welsh language in a bilingual Wales with an appreciation of the Welsh Government's policies and strategies for the language.

Interview dates

7 December 2020
11 December 2020

Closing date

21/10/2020, 16:00

Additional information

Please note, 72 is maximum number of days required for this role, not the minimum (as stated above).

How to apply

To apply for this role, click on the ‘Apply’ button below. The first time you apply for a post, you will need to complete a registration form for the Welsh Government’s online application system.  You will only need to register once, and you will be able to keep yourself updated on the progress of your application, and any other applications you make, via your registered account.

Once you’ve registered, you’ll be able to access the application form.  To apply you will need to submit two supporting documents. The first, a document outlining how your knowledge, skills and experiences meet the criteria for the role as outlined in the information for candidates.  This document should be no more than 2 sides of A4.  Your application may be rejected if you exceed this limit.  The second document is a full, up to date CV.  The two documents should be uploaded to the ‘Reasons for applying’ section of the online application form.

In your application, you will also be asked to provide details of any activities which have helped you to develop skills that would be useful in a public appointment role, and list the organisations for which you undertook these activities.  We also need to know about any political activity that you’ve undertaken over the last 5 years. 

It is recommended that you register for an account and access the application form as soon as possible so that you see how the application form is structured, before starting to prepare your evidence.  You don’t have to complete the application form all in one go.  You can save your responses, and log in and out as required, until you’re ready to submit – just follow the guidance in the application form.

If you’d like to apply for this opportunity in Welsh, please use the ‘Newid Iaith / Change Language’ link at the top of this page, to take you to the Welsh version of this advert, from which you can apply in Welsh.

If you need any further assistance in applying for this role, please contact the Welsh Government’s Public Appointments Team on  PublicAppointments@gov.wales.

For further information about Public Appointments in Wales, please visit www.gov.wales/publicappointments

Commissioner for Public Appointments logo

This vacancy is closed to applications.