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Contract: Full-time, permanent
Hours: Full-time
Reports to: Chair; Board of Directors
Location: Hackney
Salary: £50,000-60,000 depending on experience.
Pension: HSoF participates in the National Employment Savings Trust (NEST) pension scheme and contributes 3%.
Benefits: 25 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays, free onsite lunches .
Probation period: Six months.
About Hackney School of Food
Hackney School of Food is an award-winning food education hub based in the grounds of Mandeville Primary School in Clapton, East London. Through our teaching kitchen and educational garden, we help children, families and communities build the skills, confidence and knowledge to grow, cook and eat good food.
Each year, we welcome more than 10,000 visits to our kitchen and garden, delivering curriculum programmes for schools alongside community cooking courses, gardening projects, holiday clubs, corporate volunteering and public events. Since becoming a Community Interest Company (CIC) in 2023, we have expanded our facilities, strengthened our governance and built a strong reputation as a leader in food education.
We're now looking for an exceptional Managing Director to build on these strong foundations and lead Hackney School of Food through its next phase of growth and impact.
About the role
Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Managing Director (MD) will provide both strategic and operational leadership, ensuring the organisation delivers its mission while remaining financially resilient, well-governed and responsive to the needs of the communities it serves.
The Managing Director is responsible for all aspects of the organisation, including strategy, income generation, finance, governance, partnerships, programme delivery and people leadership. Working closely with a small, committed team and an engaged Board, they will build on strong foundations to grow Hackney School of Food's impact, reach and long-term sustainability.
This is a varied, hands-on leadership role for someone who enjoys balancing big-picture thinking with practical delivery. One day you may be developing a new partnership, meeting a prospective funder or working with the Board on future strategy; the next you could be supporting the team, welcoming visitors to the garden or solving day-to-day operational challenges.
Key priorities
In your first 12 months you will:
Build on Hackney School of Food's strong foundations to deliver the next phase of our strategy and growth.
Increase and diversify income through fundraising, partnerships and commercial opportunities to strengthen long-term sustainability.
Lead, support and develop a small, ambitious team, fostering a positive and inclusive culture where people can thrive.
Strengthen relationships with funders, partners and local businesses, helping Hackney School of Food deepen its impact.
Work closely with the Board to embed strong governance, organisational systems and long-term planning for the future.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership
Provide overall leadership and strategic direction for Hackney School of Food, ensuring delivery of its mission, vision and long-term objectives.
Lead the development and implementation of Hackney School of Food's annual business plan and organisational priorities.
Work with the Board to evolve organisational strategy, identify opportunities, manage risks and support sustainable growth.
Monitor, report on and respond to organisational performance against agreed objectives and impact measures.
Champion Hackney School of Food externally, strengthening its profile and influence.
Financial sustainability and income generation
Oversee organisational budgeting, financial planning, forecasting and cashflow management, working closely with the Treasurer and accountant.
Lead income generation across the organisation, including trusts and foundations, corporate partnerships, sponsorship and earned income.
Build and maintain strong relationships with funders, sponsors and strategic partners.
Ensure all funding commitments are met, including grant reporting, monitoring and evaluation requirements.
Identify new opportunities to diversify income and strengthen long-term financial sustainability.
Partnerships & External Relations
Act as the main point of contact for HSoF’s key partners, LEAP Federation and Chefs in Schools to ensure the partnerships are effective and positive.
Build and maintain strong relationships with other key stakeholders, including local authorities, funders and sponsors.
Represent Hackney School of Food at meetings, events, and public forums.
Champion the value of food education and contribute to wider local and national conversations.
Ensure programmes remain responsive to community needs through ongoing engagement and consultation.
Governance and public benefit
Ensure the organisation operates in line with its CIC objectives and delivers clear public benefit.
Support the Board of Directors to fulfil its governance responsibilities through high-quality reporting, planning and decision-making.
Prepare Board papers, reports and agendas, ensuring timely and accurate information is available to support effective governance.
Oversee and report on organisational performance to the Board of Directors quarterly.
Act as the primary link between the Board and the operational team.
Maintain effective governance, delegated authority and accountability frameworks.
Support the Board in meeting all statutory and regulatory obligations relating to the CIC.
People, Culture and safeguarding
Provide leadership to a small core team (currently c.4 employees), directly managing staff and fostering a positive, inclusive culture.
Provide oversight and support for a wider network of approx. 15 freelance contractors to ensure consistently high-quality delivery.
Lead recruitment, induction, performance management and professional development in line with safer recruitment and equality principles.
Ensure effective organisational structures, clear roles, and performance accountability.
Oversee HR processes including appraisals, performance management, and professional development.
Act as Designated Safeguarding Lead, embedding safeguarding throughout the organisation maintaining compliance with all relevant requirements.
Develop organisational systems, policies and practices that support an inclusive, high-performing workplace.
Risk Management & Compliance
Maintain and regularly review the organisational Risk Register and report key risks and mitigations to the Board.
Oversee organisational policies, procedures and continuous improvement, ensuring policies and legal requirements are up to date, clearly communicated and embedded across the organisation.
Ensure compliance with employment law, health and safety, safeguarding, GDPR and other relevant legislation.
Personal specification
Essential experience
Senior leadership experience with responsibility for organisational performance and accountability.
Experience securing income through fundraising, partnerships and/or commercial activity.
Experience of financial leadership, including budget setting, forecasting and cashflow oversight.
Experience working closely with a Board, Trustees or governing body to translate strategic vision into operational delivery.
Experience building and managing successful partnerships with funders, businesses and community stakeholders.
Experience in managing and motivating a team, creating a positive and inclusive workplace culture.
Experience of governance, compliance and organisational risk management.
Experience of safeguarding within an education, youth or community context.
Excellent organisational skills, with the ability to prioritise competing demands, make sound decisions and remain resilient in a resource-constrained environment.
Essential skills and attributes
Passion for Hackney School of Food's mission and the role of food education in improving health, wellbeing and community connection.
Strategic thinker who is equally comfortable with hands-on operational leadership.
Entrepreneurial, resourceful and committed to building long-term financial sustainability and identifying growth opportunities.
Ability to lead a team through change with sensitivity, clarity and kindness.
Strong communicator with excellent relationship-building skills.
Confident decision-maker with a high level of personal accountability.
Committed to equity, inclusion and community-led practice.
Desirable
Experience working within a Community Interest Company (CIC), social enterprise or charity.
Knowledge of Hackney, its communities and local stakeholder landscape.
Experience of working in food education, community food, gardening, environmental education or a related field.
Experience reviewing and managing contracts, service agreements or other legal documentation.
An inclusive workplace
We know that diverse teams make stronger organisations and are committed to building a workforce that reflects the communities we serve. We are committed to fair and inclusive recruitment and will consider all qualified applicants regardless of age, disability, gender identity, marriage or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.
We particularly encourage applications from people who are under-represented in our sector and in leadership roles, including people from the global majority and those whose lived experience brings valuable perspectives from the communities we serve. We also welcome applications from people who live in Hackney or East London.
How to apply
The deadline to apply is Monday 20 July at 9am. Please apply by filling out this application form.
You'll find the link to the application form on our Recruitment Pack which provides more information.
Stage 1: A one-hour online interview with the Senior Team and Board (24 July)
Stage 2: On-site interview at Hackney School of Food (30 July), including a short presentation.
We may also invite the preferred candidate to an informal meeting with the wider team and Board before making a final appointment.
The successful applicant will need to pass an enhanced DBS check and provide two suitable references.
We may close the application window earlier if we are inundated with applications, so please don't wait to apply.
If you have any questions about the role or your suitability, please feel free to get in touch with us. You will find a Recruitment pack and email address to contact via our website.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Shaftesbury is a national disability charity that supports more than 4,000 children, young people and adults with a disability every year to live a life that truly adds up for them. That is at the heart of everything they do.
Their vision ‘all together better for disability’, is about working alongside the people they support so they can participate, contribute and be valued for who they are.
Their work is spearheaded by 1,500+ dedicated staff and volunteers who deliver a wide range of disability care, special education and rehabilitation services across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, around the clock.
To achieve their vision, they are looking for an Individual Giving Manager with a focus on acquisition to work alongside the Head of Individual Giving across regular gifts, appeals, lottery, raffle and other new products.
The Individual Giving Manager drives the recruitment of new supporters and supports the stewardship of warm audience, generating sustainable income for Shaftesbury. The proportion of acquisition focus v retention focus is likely around 70/30.
This role focuses on maximising long-term value through innovative and impactful multichannel campaigns including reactivating lapsed supporters, optimising supporter conversion and delivering engaging onboarding experiences. The Individual Giving Manager will work on growing regular giving, cash and gaming pipelines and manage exciting projects which could include digital, DRTV, face-to- face, telemarketing, direct mail and radio. The role will provide assistance to the Head of Individual Giving with all retention activity, including cash appeals and newsletters.
Shaftesbury is happy to consider fundraisers or officer level candidates looking to step up into their first manager level role. At present this role doesn’t line manage, so management experience is not necessary. The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate an enthusiasm for fundraising, supporter journeys and creative thinking and may have experience within a UK based charity in either IG and legacies, community fundraising, corporate or philanthropy.
This role is hybrid, with 4 days per month on average at either the Gateshead office or London office. The one role is being advertised twice to ensure candidates from both geographic locations see the role within their search remit and feel able to apply.
Application notes
Please download the Candidate Info Pack provided for further information about the role, timelines and next steps.
To progress your application, please contact THINK Recruitment using the information in the Candidate Pack to organise an informal screening call. Please note, we cannot progress candidates through to longlist without speaking with them, so please ensure you leave enough time to organise a screening call before the role closes.
If you need assistance with downloading the pack, please send an email to THINK and our team will support you.
Closing date for applications: Midnight Sunday 12th July
Stage 1 interviews are likely to be held on Tuesday 21st July and Stage 2 on Tuesday 28th or Friday 31st July.
About Adolescent Health Study
The Adolescent Health Study (AHS) is an ambitious new UKRI-funded initiative to establish a prospective, longitudinal population study that will generate a globally leading open science data platform and research resource. AHS aims to recruit at least 100,000 young people aged eight to 18 years from across the UK and to follow their mental and physical health and wellbeing over at least 10 years. It plans to collect data through questions and measures; to obtain bio-samples for a wide range of genomic and other high-throughput assays; and to capture linked data relevant to health and wellbeing from participants’ health, education and other administrative records. Recruitment will take place mainly through schools. There will be a strong emphasis on engaging with and involving young people, schools, parents and other relevant stakeholders in the design and delivery of the study, as well as on including young people that represent as wide as possible a range of backgrounds, experiences and characteristics. AHS will focus on enabling a wide range of research, including studies of the critical biological and social developments that occur during the transition from childhood to adulthood and the determinants of both mental and physical health and wellbeing in adolescents and young adults.
Purpose of the post
The Procurement Lead is responsible for developing and delivering a robust procurement and commercial strategy that ensures value for money, compliance with Procurement Act 2023 regulations in line with AHS being primarily public funded and supports AHS study and operational objectives. The role will lead on sourcing, contracting, supplier management, and commercial governance, ensuring ethical, transparent, and efficient use of public funds.
Main responsibilities
Procurement Strategy & Leadership
Tendering and Contract Management
Commercial Governance & Compliance
Supplier & Stakeholder Management
Financial & Value Management
Knowledge, skills and experience
Essential
Desirable
Dimensions
Application Process
All candidates are required to complete the application form which can be found when clicking 'Apply Now' via Charity Job.
Please refer to the ‘How to Apply’ section of the downloadable application form.
Please note that only applications submitted directly to Gravitate HR will be accepted for this position.
The closing date for applications is 11:00pm on Sunday 12th July 2026.
Interviews are currently expected to take place on Wednesday 19th and Thursday 20th August 2026.
Equal Opportunities Policy Statement
AHS is an equal opportunities employer, and as such aims to treat all employees, consultants and applicants fairly. It is our policy to provide employment equality to all, irrespective of:
We are opposed to all forms of unlawful and unfair discrimination. All job applicants and employees who work for us will be treated fairly and will not be unfairly discriminated against on any of the above grounds. Decisions about recruitment and selection, promotion, training or any other benefit will be made objectively and without unlawful discrimination.
Values
It is an exciting time for the Adolescent Health Study (AHS) as we establish our senior leadership team and begin to plan the pilot studies. As the senior executive team evolves, the AHS values will be grounded in inclusivity, integrity, accountability, and collaboration.
All candidates are required to complete the application form which can be found when clicking 'Apply Now' via Charity Job, within Supporting Documents.
Please refer to the ‘How to Apply’ section of the downloadable application form.
Please note that only applications submitted directly to Gravitate HR will be accepted for this position.
The closing date for applications is 11:00pm on Sunday 12 July 2026.
Interviews are currently expected to take place on Wednesday 20 and Thursday 21 August 2026.
About Toynbee Hall
Based in the East End of London since 1884, Toynbee Hall is a charity working alongside people facing poverty, injustice, and inequality to build a fairer East London. We provide vital advice and support, working in partnership to tackle unfairness and ensure everyone has an equal chance to thrive.
Directorate background
The Advice Services directorate at Toynbee Hall is central to our commitment to address and alleviate poverty in London and beyond. Specialising in debt, welfare benefits, legal support, and generalist advice, our directorate has proven instrumental in significantly enhancing the financial wellbeing of those we serve. Last year alone, our efforts helped individuals and families to be over £23 million better off, showcasing the direct impact of our work.
Job purpose
The Director of Advice Services provides strategic leadership for Toynbee Hall’s Advice Services Directorate, ensuring the delivery of high-quality, accessible and impactful services that support people experiencing poverty, financial hardship, social exclusion and inequality.
Scope of role
The Interim Director of Advice Services is responsible for the strategic and operational leadership of all Advice Services delivered by Toynbee Hall.
This includes direct delivery services, partnership programmes, grant-funded projects and commissioned contracts delivered across community, healthcare and criminal justice settings.
The postholder will oversee a complex portfolio that includes:
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership
Financial Planning and Performance
Business Development and Growth
Contract and Partnership Management
Service Portfolio Leadership
Person Specification
Essential Criteria:
Desirable Criteria:
Our Benefits
Annual Leave
Pension
Additional Perks & Support
Please refer to the attached job description for more details.
Since 1884 Toynbee Hall is a charity working alongside people facing poverty, injustice and inequality to build a fairer East London
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.