Programme Manager; Net Zero

Job Type Fixed-term contract until 31 March 2027

Location Edinburgh

Salary £53,250 with excellent benefits including 25 days holiday, private healthcare, leisure travel insurance, health & wellbeing allowance, interest‑free season ticket loan and cycle‑to‑work scheme

Hours 35 hours per week; hybrid working (2-3 days in the office per week)

This is an exciting opportunity to plan and manage the Scotland Food & Drink Partnership Net Zero Programme, ensuring alignment with the Net Zero commitment and the wider programme strategy.

We are looking for an experienced Programme Manager to lead the daily operations as well as overseeing the project development, scope, goals and deliverables, ensuring activities remain on track, evidence‑based, and impactful.

This position is hosted by FDF and serves the Scotland Food and Drink Partnership.

• Lead day‑to‑day programme delivery, ensuring activities align with the agreed strategic direction.
• Manage the full programme budget, monitoring costs and benefits across all projects.
• Oversee project development, scope, goals, timelines, and outputs, working closely with the Project Officer.
• Produce accurate financial, KPI and funder reporting, securing sign‑off from the Programme Director.
• Manage Programme board, External Advisory Group and Delivery Group secretariat, utilising the Net Zero team.
• Work with the Partnership Manager to support stakeholder engagement plans.
• Gather and interpret project data and evidence to identify opportunities, risks, and programme improvements.
• Maintain the programme risk register and ensure robust governance structures evolve with programme needs.
• Present progress updates to programme groups when required.
• Participate in conferences, workshops and industry events relating to Net Zero.

• Qualification in Programme or Project management - Managing Successful Programmes, Prince 2 or similar, with a sustainability and environmental qualification also desirable
• Experience of running complex programmes - implementing strategies and maintaining control over all aspects of programme management.
• Knowledge of the food & drink landscape in Scotland, preferably with industry experience and an understanding of the commercial issues businesses face would be desirable.
• A broad understanding of environmental sustainability.
• An understanding of the challenges food and drink producers are facing and how the net zero agenda could help mitigate some of these challenges.
• An understanding of relevant partners/stakeholders/agencies and the role they play
• Confident talking to, motivate, and enthuse both technical staff and senior decision makers.
• Good communication skills including the ability to understand technical data relating to projects.
• Ability to find innovative ways of solving or pre‑empting problems.
• Ability to work on own initiative and as part of a small but dynamic team.

Please send us your CV by 12 March 2026, 4pm
. Only successful applicants will be contacted.

We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all backgrounds. We are open to discussing flexible working arrangements and reasonable adjustments for disabilities or medical conditions.