Head of Partnership Management | Faitrade Belgium

Context and Your Role

Every year, Belgian consumers buy over €350 million worth of Fairtrade-labelled products. Bananas and cocoa alone each represent roughly one-fifth of their respective categories. Behind every purchase are farmers and workers in Africa, Asia and Latin America receiving a fairer deal.

Fairtrade Belgium is looking for a Head of Partnership Management to help grow this impact.

As Head of Partnership Management, you will be responsible for Fairtrade Belgium’s full PUSH strategy: encouraging retailers, brands, food-service companies and other value-chain partners to offer, sell and use more Fairtrade products. It is your ambition to position Fairtrade Belgium as a 360° supply-chain partner. Our partnerships range from Fairtrade licensing and on-pack labelling to strategic guidance on living income, traceability and supply-chain risks. We also connect companies with farmer organisations and develop supply chain projects in origin countries.

You will lead a team of professionals and combine strategic leadership with hands-on business development. As a member of the Management Team, you will contribute to the overall strategy and organisational development of Fairtrade Belgium.

Your key responsibilities

1. Strategy and market development

You define and implement Fairtrade Belgium’s partnership and market development strategy, taking ownership of the organisation’s full PUSH agenda. You translate our strategic ambitions into clear priorities, account management plans, objectives and KPIs, with a strong focus on strategic companies, priority commodities and long-term market growth.

2. Team integration and leadership

You help the integration of the current Sales and Offer to Business teams to one coherent and high-performing Business Partnerships team. You lead, inspire and coach your team, create a shared culture and way of working, and ensure clarity around roles, priorities and responsibilities. You help team members strengthen their commercial and partnership expertise.

3. Business development and strategic partnerships

You drive the acquisition, retention and growth of strategic partners across retail, brands, food service and other relevant sectors. While the team manages the day-to-day partner relationships, you personally lead selected high-potential opportunities and build trusted relationships with senior decision-makers. You introduce a focused key-account approach and strengthen the quality and consistency of business development.

4. Partner journey and value proposition

You position Fairtrade Belgium as a 360° supply-chain partner, offering companies a coherent journey from Fairtrade licensing and on-pack labelling to more advanced collaboration. This includes support on topics such as living income, living wages, due diligence, traceability and supply-chain risks, as well as selected projects that connect companies with producer organisations.

5. Programme and project leadership

You oversee the business-related components of our donor programmes (such as the EU LIFE-programme and EC DEAR) and ensure that they contribute directly to our partnership and market objectives. You connect subsidised projects with the needs of companies, our broader Fairtrade expertise and opportunities to create measurable impact for farmers and workers.

6. Performance and cross-organisational collaboration

You monitor commercial and impact performance and contribute to budgeting, forecasting and data-driven decision-making. You work closely with Communication, , Advocacy, Licensing and Finance to provide partners with a consistent, high-quality experience. As a member of the Management Team, you also contribute to the strategic development and effective functioning of Fairtrade Belgium.

What you bring

• Significant experience in strategic partnerships, business development and/or commercial leadership.
• Proven experience in leading, coaching and developing a team.
• The ability to build trusted relationships with senior decision-makers.
• A strong commercial mindset combined with a genuine commitment to social and environmental impact.
• The ability to translate complex sustainability challenges into clear value propositions and practical solutions.
• Experience in FMCG, retail, food service, responsible sourcing or sustainability is a strong advantage.
• Confidence working with targets, forecasts, data and CRM systems.
• Professional fluency in Dutch, French and English.
• An entrepreneurial, collaborative and resilient mindset.

What success should look like after 6 months

• After six months, you have developed the 360° business approach, bringing the two teams of Sales and Offer to Business together around shared priorities and a common way of working.
• Building on the strategic direction already in place, you have contributed your own insights and translated the strategy into a clear, actionable plan for the next two years, with defined priorities, ownership and measurable commercial objectives.
• You have also created renewed momentum in sales by identifying and actively pursuing concrete growth opportunities. In our small organisation, you have shown that you can move quickly, delegate effectively and step in hands-on where needed

What we offer

A meaningful leadership position in a purpose-driven organisation, with substantial autonomy and the opportunity to shape the future of Fairtrade in Belgium. You will join a committed and caring team in Brussels, connected to a broad international network, with hybrid working possibilities and an attractive package of benefits.

Before starting your application, please note some important & non-negotiable elements:

• It is a full-time job under a long-term contract.

• Setting is in Brussels with hybrid presence: 2 days on-site (Tuesday & Thursday) per week + 2 Mondays per month.

• Salary bracket is linked to years of experience and bonded in accordance with Fairtrade Belgium's official and transparent salary grid. As examples: 10 years of experience = €4,857.06 gross/month + benefits; 20 years of experience = €5,745.24 gross/month + benefits; 30 years of experience = €6,633.41 gross/month + benefits + 20 (+12 ADV) holidays.

• Benefits include hospitalisation and group insurance, meal vouchers (€7), net allowances (€150), phone costs (€20), eco-cheques (€250/year) and an end-of-year bonus.

• You will work in a fully trilingual environment (French / Dutch / English), within a broad international Fairtrade network. Fluency in Dutch, French and English is a must.

How to apply

Please click on the link below to access the form.

Head of Partnership Management — Fairtrade Belgium