Food Sourcing Project Manager

Oxford Food Hub (OFH) is at the heart of surplus food redistribution in Oxfordshire. With two warehouses, six vans, 100 volunteers and a small staff team in Botley, we have been saving surplus food and sharing it with over 200 local charities for 15 years. The success of the charity has led to Oxford Food Hub securing funding for the new and exciting role of Food Sourcing Project Manager.

This role will lead on a 6–9-month project to support Oxford Food Hub to develop and establish strong relationships with suppliers including farms, retailers and distributors, in order to maximise the impact the charity has on the charities it serves by redistributing surplus food to those that need it most.

We are looking for someone to work with us (either as a contractor or an employee on a fixed term contract) who has a good understanding of food supply chains, distribution or food waste reduction. We particularly welcome candidates who have experience working in the food sector, ‘farm to fork’. Working with the CEO, this person will create and deliver on a strategic plan for Food Sourcing, developing new relationships with food producers with a view to saving greater volumes of surplus food.

ROLE PURPOSE

The Food Sourcing Project Manager will:

• Develop and drive our food strategy with the emphasis on increasing the volume of surplus food for Oxford Food Hub to distribute.
• Proactively seek out new opportunities to increase the visibility of the charity through building and strengthening our partnerships with new and existing suppliers and our charity partners.
• Work closely with key stakeholders to maximise the impact of the charity and support the implementation of a Food Sourcing Strategy.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Develop and deliver on a Food Sourcing strategy that encompasses the mission of Oxford Food Hub and increases our impact on the charities we support.
• Assess existing supplier relationships and identify ways to engage and strengthen these for successful future partnerships.
• Proactively seek and establish new relationships with farmers and local businesses to increase the volume of surplus food.
• Develop initiatives to promote Oxford Food Hub and raise awareness of the mission of the charity within the food distribution networks and local businesses.
• Work with the CEO and Operations Manager to identify the most impactful ways to increase access to surplus food
• Establish mechanisms for monitoring the impact of this project and future food sourcing work.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

• Experience, Qualifications and Qualities Essential
• Significant knowledge of existing food surplus distribution routes and food waste management
• Thorough understanding of food supply chains and knowledge of key players in the food sector in and around Oxfordshire from farm to fork.
• Knowledge of and interest in Sustainable Development, Corporate Social Responsibility and experience of its application within the business environment
• Ability to think strategically as well as strong project management skills
• Demonstrable ability as a strong communicator, negotiator and influencer
• Proven ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships at a range of levels and across multiple functions with a variety of internal and external stakeholders
• Resourceful and able to work on own initiative, as well as with a wider team
• Responsive and expedient with the ability to manage multiple, diverse and competing priorities while meeting deadlines
• Educated to degree level, or with equivalent competence gained through relevant experience 
• Be able to travel frequently within and beyond Oxfordshire Desirable
• Experience working in a sales or account management role within the food sector
• Existing contacts within food production, distribution and retail businesses in the region
• Understanding of confidentiality laws and GDPR
• Commitment to the mission and values of OFH
• Good knowledge of Microsoft Office and Google software

This role could partly be undertaken remotely, with some time spent at our Botley base. We envisage this role being 3-4 days a week but welcome suggestions from candidates on how they feel the role would work. We welcome expressions of interest in this role from sole traders, consultants or individuals looking for a fixed term employment who feel they have the expertise required to carry out this project

Please send a CV and cover letter explaining how your skills and experience could make an impact in our Food Sourcing Project Manager role to hr@oxfordfoodhub.org by 5pm on 30th April.

If you wish to apply for this role as a contractor, please indicate your day rate in your covering letter. If you would like an informal conversation about the role contact hr@oxfordfoodhub.org to arrange a call