Job description – Food Project Co-ordinator
Reporting to: Commercial Manager
Location: London (Deptford) - with London/ UK travel as required
Hours: Full time (35 hours)
Salary: £26,000
Fixed term: Two Years
About FareShare
FareShare is a unique charity fighting hunger and its underlying causes by redistributing surplus food to hundreds of local charities across the UK. By ensuring good food is not wasted, we turn an environmental problem into a solution, helping to feed thousands of vulnerable people every day.
You can watch our new film to see how FareShare is helping to transform lives.
About the role
Twice a year we work with one of our key food partners to implement a ‘Food Collection’. This involves volunteers across the country working in store to encourage members of the public to donate food staples such as pasta, rice and tins. FareShare uses this food to supplement the surplus food we receive from the food industry to ensure charities we support receive a reliable and varied service.
Your role will be to project manage the preparation and organisation of Fareshare’s element of the Food Collection. You will lead the recruitment of a nationwide team of appropriate and enthusiastic volunteers. You will recruit, engage with, and manage the volunteers, ensuring they are ready and able for the weekend of the food collection. You will also help to co-ordinate this national event; responding to queries and helping with database management, general administration and communication with certain internal and external stakeholders.
You will also assist with other varied and exciting projects which our Food Team are implementing.
We are looking for someone who enjoys a challenge and will show real dedication to both their role and FareShare’s mission. In return we will work to ensure that your time at FareShare makes a positive difference to your career.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Food Collection Responsibilities
Volunteer Recruitment & Management – Food collection
· Co-ordinate the recruitment of 1,000’s of volunteers
o using previously successful channels
o and use initiative to develop new ones
· Day to day contact and consultation with the team at FareShare’s key event partner
· Communicate and motivate prospective volunteers, encouraging them to donate four hours or more of their time on the designated weekend
· Help create volunteer briefing packs, carry out surveys, gather feedback and thanking our volunteers for their help!
· Contribute to delivering a great experience for volunteers
· Respond to volunteer queries by email or phone, as appropriate
· Liaise with FareShare Regional Centres on all aspects of the recruitment drive
· Identify and plan improvements to current approach
Publicity & Marketing
· Liaise with the FareShare Marketing Team to develop communication materials
· Lead on utilising the most appropriate comms channels for volunteer recruitment
· Respond to queries from the general public regarding FareShare and the Food Collection
Administration
· Work with a web-based system which matches volunteers with stores
· Keep data up to date with key information about volunteering shifts matched to stores
· Communicate clearly and in timely fashion the stores and shifts to suit both volunteers’ and FareShare’s requirements and deal with volunteers’ requests to change shifts
Food Projects Support
· Support the Commercial Officer – Special Projects on a variety of initiatives with key retailers and suppliers in the food industry
· Work alongside Commercial Managers and Commercial Officer delivering projects with food industry partners
General
· Respond to and deal with queries from external stakeholders and partners, attend meetings and input to the successful delivery of the event.
· Be the day-to-day contact for delivery partners such as organisations providing volunteers, regional centres etc.
· Line manage the interns who assist with the Food Collection, including leading on the recruitment and day-to-day coordination.
· You will also be expected to support the Food Team as required
PERSON SPECIFICATION
Experience and Skills – Essential
1. Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to tailor communications to suit different audiences
2. Previous experience of directing volunteers
3. The ability to be pleasantly persuasive
4. The ability to prioritise different tasks and manage time
5. The ability to manage sensitive and potentially difficult communications well
6. Competence in IT and general office skills, including the ability to manage a database, excel spread sheets and outlook
7. Very organised with an ability to work systematically and to fixed deadlines
8. Ability to use own initiative working independently, and having responsibility as an individual
9. An enthusiastic and pragmatic approach to work
10. Experience of volunteer recruitment /management
Experience and Skills – Desirable
1. Understanding of food waste and food poverty, and environmental issues in the UK
2. Experience in a customer facing role
3. Experience working as part of a small team
4. Line management experience
5. Familiarity with project management techniques and experience
Application Process
If you think that this is a role that you would like to apply please complete an application form together with a covering letter detailing your perception of the work that FareShare does and how your skills and experience would meet the requirement of this role (please use actual examples). Covering letters should be addressed to Kristopher Gibbon-Walsh, Food Coordinator and be no more that 2 A4 sides. You are also requested to complete Equal Opportunities monitoring form.
All forms can be downloaded from the FareShare website.
Please return completed forms to quoting reference FPC/01.
Closing date for receipt of applications is noon Monday 28 July 2014
Interviews will be held on the Tuesday 5 August 2014
FareShare is an equal opportunities employer