RETHINK FOOD is a not-for-profit organisation with a mission to improve health and well being outcomes for children, young people and communities by changing the way we think about food.  Our activities are based around the UN Sustainable Development Goals with a focus on people coming together around food while preventing surplus food going to waste being at the very heart of our work to educate and empower people to live food secure lives.

Our programmes – Rethink Food Education, Rethink Food Futures and Rethink Food Lifestyles - have grown and demand for our services has increased.  We are now looking for a pro-active and motivated individual to join our team as a Surplus Food Procurement Manager to develop existing and new partnerships with food industry retails, distributors and increase our interception levels.

The increase in interceptions will support all our work to support schools, healthy holiday projects and community groups and ensure that vulnerable families have stigma free access to food when they need it and that children do not experience hunger as a barrier to learning. 

The role be based at our Pudsey site but some homeworking, especially as we complete Covid secure working conditions, will be available.  Some travel around West Yorkshire will be required so access to a vehicle will be helpful and petrol costs will be met.  Public transport use is encouraged where possible.

Contract : initial 6 months with possible extension.  3 months initial review period.

Hours : 25 hours per week

Salary : £22,100 p.a.  (£30940 FTE)

Pension scheme available

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Rethink Food are looking for an individual to source, manage and develop the supply of surplus food donations from retail, distribution and production sources.  This is an opportunity for a creative, customer service focused and environmentally minded individual to bring about change with a well-established organization dedicated to addressing the issues of food waste, food insecurity and sustainability across the West Yorkshire region.

The role is central to our work and will require the ability to work in an evolving environment using problem solving skills to develop our food partnerships and increase the amount of surplus food we are able to intercept and re-distribute.  Using outstanding customer care skills and innovative thinking you will provide a professional, reliable service to strengthen existing relationships and pro-actively seek new suppliers across all areas of the food chain.

You will work closely with our suppliers and liaise with our Operations Director and Warehouse Supervisor to ensure inputs can be accommodated and re-distributed efficiently and sustainably. You will have the opportunity to represent Rethink Food at meetings where you will communicate effectively across a range of audiences to champion our environmental, educational and social aims and how they accord with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

To expand understanding of our activities, and to present recommendations and analysis to internal and external stakeholders, you will be able to develop data, reporting and customer relationship management processes in relation to Rethink Food’s operations.

Supplier engagement

Use excellent customer service skills and relationship management to strengthen existing food partners and supporters.

Seek out and welcome new food partners and create understanding of the environmental, educational and social impact their involvement has both locally and globally.

Support Rethink Food and food partners to work towards re-distributing surplus food in an environmentally, socially and financially effective way.

Monitor food interceptions to ensure they are usable and to encourage suppliers to provide surplus that has a reasonable life and quality.

Ensure best practice across interceptions with compliance and food safety at its core.

Resolve service issues with suppliers and Ops Director.

Attend meetings and site visits with suppliers.

Data and reporting

Use data, report creation and reporting processes to support:

• customer service and ongoing interaction with suppliers

• internal reporting on volumes intercepted and distributed

• monitor and report on waste outputs from warehouse

• feedback to funders

• strategic planning and applications for future funding with accurate data of work to date

• identify trends or issues and identify them to Ops Director or Warehouse Supervisor

Planning

Attend strategy team meetings where required

Identify new and innovative working models to improve food interceptions.

ESSENTIAL SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

Strong written and oral communication skills across a range of audiences.

Engaging telephone manner and evidence of strong commitment to customer service skills.

Proven time management and prioritisation skills to support project work alongside daily tasks.

Computer literate and proficient across the Microsoft Office Suite

Proven experience in a customer service or sales role.

An understanding of issues around food security including food waste and sustainability.

Able to work with minimum supervision and remotely when required.

Proven experience of reporting and developing data management/reporting processes.

DESIRABLE SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

Understanding of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Experience in food retail or food supply chain.

Experience incorporating nutrition or food safety.