Kitchen Support & Employability Mentor

Job Title: Kitchen Support & Employability Mentor

Location: Birmingham, B24 5HZ

Hours: Full Time, 37.5 hours per week.  Fixed Term contract ends 31.3.27

Salary: £26655 per annum

About FareShare Midlands

FareShare Midlands is the region’s largest food redistribution charity, tackling inequality, transforming lives and ensuring no good food goes to waste. We rescue surplus food and redistribute it to 650 local charities and community organisations, feeding 60,000 people every week. We also invest in communities, providing education, training and volunteering opportunities, helping over 700 individuals to date to build a better future. Together, we’re fighting hunger, reducing food waste and creating opportunities across the Midlands. Learn more here or read our latest Annual Report Snapshot here.

The Role

 We’re looking for a Kitchen Support & Employability Mentor to work with our Culinary Chef Trainer, our Warehouse Manager and our Employability Coaches at our brand-new purpose built Coronation Food Hub, Birmingham, helping combat food insecurity and helping disadvantaged people move closer towards employment.

This role combines hands-on food preparation and warehouse operations with mentoring participants, some of whom have additional learning, mental health or social support needs.

You will help people to deliver high-quality meals from surplus food, maintain excellent food safety standards, learn skills in loading, storage, picking and packing while creating a supportive, inclusive environment where participants can build their confidence and skills.

Key Responsibilities

Kitchen Operations & Learning Environment

• Support the delivery of kitchen activities that provide real work experience while producing nutritious meals from surplus food.
• Supervise and guide participants through safe and efficient food handling, preparation and cooking.
• Ensure kitchen sessions are structured and purposeful, with clear learning outcomes aligned to participants’ development goals.
• Encourage good teamwork and communication among participants, creating a sense of pride and shared purpose.
• Maintain a positive, safe and well-organised kitchen space that supports both learning and production.

Warehouse Operations & Learning Environment

• Support the delivery of warehouse activities that provide real work experience of loading, unloading, storing, picking and packing items
• Supervise and guide participants through safe and efficient use of equipment
• Ensure warehouse sessions are structured and purposeful, with clear learning outcomes aligned to participants’ development goals.
• Encourage good teamwork and communication among participants, creating a sense of pride and shared purpose.
• Maintain a positive, safe and well-organised warehouse space that supports both learning and production

Outreach Duties

• To attend job fairs and community events in order to promote employability programmes

Health, Safety & Food Standards

•  Ensure that all participants understand and follow food hygiene, allergen and health & safety procedures.
• Monitor safe working practices and report any concerns or incidents promptly.
• Work alongside the Culinary Chef to maintain high standards of cleanliness, organisation and record-keeping.
• Promote a culture of safety, responsibility and respect in all aspects of the kitchen environment.

Supporting Participants

• Provide day-to-day guidance and mentoring to employability participants working in the kitchen, helping them build confidence, routine and practical work skills.
• Create a welcoming and inclusive environment where participants feel safe, valued and supported.
• Deliver on-the-job support in key kitchen tasks such as food preparation, hygiene, teamwork and time management.
• Adapt your approach to meet individual learning styles and support needs, including those with learning difficulties, mental health challenges or barriers to employment.
• Promote positive attitudes towards work, teamwork and communication — modelling professional behaviours and encouraging participants to do the same.
• Help participants recognise and celebrate their progress and achievements, supporting them to set goals and develop their employability skills.
• Work closely with the Employability Team to monitor attendance, engagement and development, and to identify any additional support required.
• Provide constructive feedback and encouragement that builds confidence and prepares participants for external work placements or employment.

 Collaboration & Continuous Improvement

• Work closely with the Kitchen Manager, Employability Coaches and Volunteers to provide a consistent and high-quality experience for all participants.
• Contribute ideas to improve the training environment, resources and participant engagement.
• Participate in team meetings, reflective sessions and training opportunities to enhance your own practice and the effectiveness of the employability programme.
• Represent FareShare Midlands positively to visitors, partners and stakeholders, showcasing the impact of our employability work.

Person Specification

Essential

• Experience working in a catering or kitchen environment.
• A compassionate and patient approach, with the ability to support individuals with diverse needs.
• Good communication and interpersonal skills.
• A commitment to promoting inclusion, dignity and respect.
• Understanding of food hygiene and health & safety principles (Level 2 Food Hygiene or willingness to complete).
• Flexible and reliable team player.

Desirable

• Experience of working with or mentoring people facing barriers to employment.
• Teaching, coaching or support work experience.
• Knowledge of surplus food use and sustainable catering practices.

How to Apply

To apply, please submit:

• A supporting statement demonstrating your suitability for the role and explaining your interest in FareShare Midlands.
• Your CV.

We continue to strive to ensure that the profile of our staff and volunteers reflects the diverse communities we serve across the Midlands. As such we encourage and welcome applications from all our communities. We particularly welcome applications from people from ethnically diverse backgrounds as they are currently under-represented within FareShare Midlands. 

“Right to Work” in the UK status is required.

The closing date for applications is Monday 25th May 2026