Food Manager

The Food Manager plays a critical operational leadership role at FareShare South West (FSSW), ensuring that the charity maintains a consistent, safe and high-quality flow of food to community organisations across the region. Supporting the Head of Food & Membership, the post holder is responsible for managing day-to-day food supply, strengthening local sourcing, and building long-term relationships with suppliers and partners.

The role ensures that incoming food whether from national or local sources is compliant, well-managed and aligned with operational capacity. It plays a key part in the effective monitoring of stock, the food pipeline and logistics scheduling. The Food Manager leads local sourcing activity, expands food innovations such as frozen and re-labelling, and oversees key food-related projects including the regional Gleaning Programme.

Managing the Food & Community Officer and working closely with Operations, Membership, Fundraising and other internal teams, the Food Manager helps deliver FSSW s food strategy, reduce waste, and maximise the impact of surplus food redistributed to frontline organisations.

1) Strategy, Performance & Team Management

• Support the Head of Food and Community in the development and delivery of the food strategy, budget and annual targets.
• Monitor weekly performance against agreed plans; provide operational reporting for internal teams and funders.
• Line-manage the Food & Community Officer and HGV Drivers, including recruitment, appraisals, supervision, wellbeing and development.
• Champion values-led leadership and promote effective cross-team communication.
• Ensure compliance with organisational policies, food safety, health & safety and safeguarding requirements.
• Foster an inclusive, motivational team culture that reflects FSSW s mission and values.
• Takes visible leadership for health, safety, and food safety, ensuring all team members and participants work safely and effectively

2) Food Supply Management

• Support the Head of Food & Community in managing the national supply relationship with FareShare UK/The Felix Project, including communication, throughput data and supply alignment.
• Manage, analyse and report on over/under-deliveries, food quality, cancellations and trends, working closely with Operations and Membership teams.
• Monitor and report the changing food pipeline, helping devise strategies to redistribute gluts and reduce waste.
• Support Operations and the Head of Membership & Food Partnerships with stock-level monitoring across FSSW sites, including stock movement, product types and capacity.
• Working with Operations, Transport and the national partner, lead on logistics schedules for incoming food to maximise volume while ensuring cost-effective solutions.

3) Local Food sourcing:

• Lead delivery of the Local Food Sourcing Strategy, ensuring local sourcing achieves or exceeds % of total incoming food.
• Act as the first point of contact for local and regional suppliers, maintaining strong, long-term, trust-based relationships.
• Promote FSSW s surplus food redistribution capabilities through events, presentations, online presence and food sector networks.
• Grow and manage a sustainable pipeline of local surplus and donated food, complementing national supply.
• Work collaboratively with other FareShare Network Partners to share local food opportunities.
• Maintain accurate and accessible sourcing records and outcomes.
• Support food safety and compliance, including product recalls, legislative changes and liaison with national partners and the H&S Consultant (via the Head of Membership & Food Partnerships).
• Ensure all incoming food is compliant, within operational capacity and aligned with local logistics.

4) Food Development & Innovation

• Lead expansion of the Gleaning Programme across the region, working with Operations, Volunteering and Fundraising teams.
• Support development of new food innovations including:
  • Frozen food expansion
  • Breaking down ambient bulk
  • Re-labelling and product preparation
• Manage key food projects, including reporting to relevant funders, ensuring accurate procurement and financial data in partnership with the Finance Manager.
• Represent FSSW in local collaborations/partnerships addressing local food waste or surplus food

5) Health, Safety & Compliance

• Champion a positive safety culture, modelling safe working practices and encouraging team members to work safely and report hazards or incidents promptly.
• Ensure the incoming food supply complies with FareShare HACCP Food Safety Manual and all relevant legislation and audit standards.
• Provide support for product recalls, safety notices and compliance-related communication.
• Support with internal and external food safety audits

Person Specification
Essential Criteria

• Experience in a food, logistics, FMCG (fast-moving consumer goods), warehousing or similar operational environment, with an understanding of supply, stock flow and operational constraints.
• Proven ability to build and manage supplier or partner relationships, ideally involving food or operational partnerships.
• Experience supervising or managing staff, with the ability to motivate, support and develop team members.
• Confidence using data and reporting, with strong problem-solving skills and a practical, hands-on approach.

Desirable

• Knowledge of food safety, health & safety and compliance requirements, including HACCP or similar frameworks.
• Understanding of charity operations or social impact environments, particularly those involving volunteers or community partners.
• Experience managing or supporting projects, including reporting, coordination and cross-team delivery.
• Familiarity with logistics scheduling, transport operations or stock management systems, ideally in a multi-site context.
• Knowledge of procurement, supplier stewardship or food contract management.
• Experience managing or monitoring budgets, procurement data or cost-effective operational planning.
• Comfortable representing an organisation externally, including at events, supplier meetings or sector networks.
• Experience supporting innovation projects or process improvements.