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 25–30% 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.