Director Recruitment

Welcome to our Director Recruitment information pack. Applications are now open for 2028 to 2030. 

Would you like to help shape future OFC conferences and join the charity to deliver the 2028, 2029 and 2030 events?

How about guiding the many outreach OFC programmes (Inspire, Scholars, Breaking Barriers, Bursaries) that support and give back to individuals within rural and agricultural communities?

Keen to be at the forefront of some of the monumental announcements in the industry?

We are now inviting expressions of interest for joining the Council for the 2028 - 2030 conferences.

About OFC

The Oxford Farming Conference (OFC) is a charity and a limited company. The conference itself, which runs in early January every year, has become ever more high-profile within the farming industry, but more importantly to wider audiences and stakeholders. The OFC's mission is to 'Include, Challenge and Inspire'. 

The conference is designed and run by the OFC Council, a secretariat, events and AV team, and a marketing professional agency. You can view the Council at www.ofc.org.uk  

The OFC Council is made up of 10 voluntary directors, one of whom is the treasurer. With the exception of the treasurer, each director serves a three-year term. The make-up of the Council therefore changes every year, with three new directors joining and three retiring. Its members are drawn from a range of agricultural, agri-business, land management and food industry areas.  

The chairmanship of the OFC changes each year too, with the Chairman being chosen by the Council from among the three directors serving their third year. The annual report and accounts can be obtained by contacting the secretariat@ofc.org.uk

The OFC is a charity with a remit to educate and transfer knowledge in the agricultural sector. As part of our charitable undertakings, the OFC supports young people, those who face social and economic barriers, and future agricultural and rural leaders to attend the conference and offers a bursary program to first-time attendees.   

The requirements of an OFC Director 

We are now inviting expressions of interest for joining the Council for the 2028 – 2030 conferences. Candidates are expected to have attended at least two OFC’s. Positions are wholly honorary but reasonable expenses are reimbursed. 

Those selected as members will be invited to attend and observe two Council meetings in November (Birmingham or London) and December (Oxford) (prior to formal appointment in January 2027 at the conference) and will then be expected to attend approximately ten Council meetings each year (some are online meetings) and the Oxford Farming Conference itself for their three-year term in office. Heavy use of IT is made (documents are shared through Teams, for example).  

In addition to meetings, the time commitment expected of directors is expected to be a minimum of two days average per month, perhaps more depending on particular responsibilities taken on. The time commitment of the Chairman is considerably greater. Your availability to travel to meetings, and your ability to give the time needed to the organisation of the conference, reading board meeting minutes, etc, is vital, but we also use online platforms to ensure participation is as inclusive as possible. 

Successful candidates will be expected to attend the 2027 Conference (6 – 8 January), before being formally appointed as a Director, at the close of the Conference. Reasonable accommodation and travel expenses will be paid (full details of the expenses policy can be obtained from the secretariat by emailing secretariat@ofc.org.uk). 

More information about the Conference is available at www.ofc.org.uk and more details about the Council can be obtained from the Secretariat by email secretariat@ofc.org.uk. The Secretariat will also supply contact details for directors should you wish to talk about the role in more detail.  

The closing date for 2028 – 2030 Council applications is 5pm on Friday 31^st July 2026

Interviews 

We will score applications against the Candidate profile shown below and will be in touch with shortlisted candidates by the end of August to arrange interviews, which will be held in person (venue to be confirmed) or online in September 2026.  We will only seek references from shortlisted candidates.

Appointments will be approved at the OFC Council meeting in October 2026 and successful applicants notified shortly after this meeting. Successful applicants will be expected to keep their appointment confidential until confirmed via a press announcement in November 2026, following photographs captured at the board meeting

Candidate Profile

Core skills and attributes that we seek from Directors are:  

Team Player	Track record in working as a key player as part of a team, including conflict resolution and negotiation skills.
Organisational Ability	A well organised individual with good administrative abilities, who can manage their business or employment along with the commitment of being a Director of OFC and other responsibilities.
Time Management	The ability to respond to internal and external communications in a timely manner, meeting deadlines and keeping appointments.
Project Management	Being confident in the application of processes, methods, skills, knowledge and experience to achieve specific project objectives.
Communication	Effective written and verbal communication skills, including in stakeholder management and/or public speaking.
Commercial Skills	The ability to understand budgets, profit and loss, set prices and other business management skills. Fundraising and sponsorship skills are particularly welcome.
Leadership	Demonstration of ability in leading a business, team, sector, or community.
I.T. Skills	Ability to use Teams and other I.T. systems effectively.
Network	Broad network of contacts, established or growing industry profile, and a willingness to expand your network for the benefit of the Conference

This year, in addition, we are particularly interested in individuals who can demonstrate skills in one or more of the following areas:  

Governance and board/ committee experience	Experience of developing and implementing governance processes in charitable or private sectors and being well-versed in the workings of organisational boards or committees.
Sponsorship and Partnership Development	Experience of pursuing strategic opportunities for a particular business or organization, for example by cultivating partnerships or other commercial relationships. This is particularly important in terms of generating potential leads for income and collaborations.
Science and Research	Experience in the scientific or research sector, with a good understanding of current trends and priorities for the industry.
Farmers	We seek to have a balance of production sectors represented on the Council and this year would be particularly interested to hear from those with experience in environment/natural capital, dairy, beef, sheep, poultry, pigs, and those within the tenanted and organic sector.

Diversity and Inclusion

The OFC believes creating an inclusive and diverse culture supports the attraction of talented people, improves effectiveness, and enhances the success of OFC. We value diversity of experience, skills, knowledge and expertise, as well as gender, race and socio-economic background, as can be seen by the existing members of our Council listed on our website.

Our Board brings together people with different experience and backgrounds, and sometimes divergent opinions, but with shared goals. Whilst we have set out here the main criteria that we are looking for, applications are welcome from all individuals who want to contribute to the future of the Conference and the farming industry – please do not feel that you have to ‘tick every box’ to be considered.

All of our Council members are available to speak with anyone who may wish to find out more about the roles.    

A copy of the Oxford Farming Conference Volunteers’ Handbook can be obtained from the Secretariat via secretariat@ofc.org.uk 

Download the information pack and application form

To download a copy of the information pack including details on the interview process and the core skills we are seeking for the next three years, CLICK HERE

To download a copy of the application from, CLICK HERE