Community Food Partnership Manager

Suffolk County Council; Ipswich; Hybrid; GBP 34,000; Full time

Job summary

A reputable charity is looking for a Manager to join their Community Food Team in Ipswich. This role involves strategic leadership to support food projects, ensuring they become resilient and capable of addressing challenges in food and income insecurity. Candidates should have managerial experience, strong financial skills, and a proactive attitude towards partnership development. The position offers a salary of £33,500 per annum, along with generous benefits such as flexible working options and an extensive holiday allowance.

Benefits

Flexible working options

33 days of holiday increasing to 36

4% matched pension contribution

Pro rata volunteering days

Staff Discounts Scheme

Company Sick Pay Scheme

Professional Development

Family Friendly policies

Qualifications

• Experience in a managerial role.
• Understanding of the challenges facing the voluntary sector.
• Ability to develop partnerships.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic direction and management to a team of four.
• Work with partners to ensure project outcomes are met.
• Support Food Projects to enhance operational resilience.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Financial Acumen

Job description

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Job Description

• Community Action Suffolk
• Address: Ipswich, Suffolk IP2 0HH
• Salary: £33,500 per annum
• Hours: 37.5 hours per week
• Contract: Fixed Term until 31 November 2026, required as soon as possible
• Reference: 0330

About us

Community Action Suffolk (CAS) is the county's infrastructure organisation for the Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) sector. We exist to ensure our sector, and its volunteers are supported, safe and sustainable and that our communities are active and resilient.

Our values of collaborative, enabling, person centred, responsive and trusted are the golden thread which runs through who we are and how we operate, and we aim to make them real every day.

About the role

We are looking for an experienced Manager to join the Community Food Team.

The CAS Community Food Partnership is intended to support Food Projects (Foodbanks, Food Pantries, Top Up Shops and Community Fridges to name a few) with capacity building and diversifying their operations, enabling them to support their communities and users, with overcoming challenges related to food and income insecurity. The project delivers activities across the county, with each Officer acting as a dedicated point of contact for each district. Activities range from supporting awareness raising of local services (Healthy Start, Affordable Food information, Cooking Projects) through social media channels to supporting Food Projects to become more resilient, including looking at their food supply chain and supporting the development of innovative solutions.

As the Community Food Partnership Manager, you will provide strategic direction, and management to a team of four, and work with partners to ensure the outcomes of the project are met. You will have a good level of knowledge of infrastructure/capacity building support and be an experienced Manager of people.

You should have an awareness and understanding of the challenges facing the voluntary sector and be skilled at developing partnerships, be able to demonstrate sound financial acumen, and the ability to navigate multiple priorities.

You will be a proactive individual with a can-do attitude and appetite for learning. We are looking for those who can communicate with a wide range of people with varying degrees of experience.

About us

We are a friendly organisation, committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive culture in all that we do, and welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds. We aim to create a workplace which is welcoming, fair, and inclusive, where people can be themselves and contribute to our vision and values.

We are happy to discuss any reasonable adjustments you may require in the recruitment process, or on commencement of the post.

What we offer

You will work within a reputable charity which offers its employees benefits which include:

• Blended working where role allows
• Flexible working options to support work/life balance
• 33 days (FTE) increasing to a maximum 36 (FTE) annual holiday which includes an allowance for bank holidays
• Up to 4% matched pension contribution
• 2 days pro rata volunteering days to support volunteering in Suffolk
• Staff Discounts Scheme for a range of retailers including shopping, holidays, insurance, eating out and health and leisure activities
• Company Sick Pay Scheme
• Continued Professional Development for job related development
• Family Friendly policies and practices
• Tailored induction

For more information

To find out more about us, please visit our website.

If you are interested in the role and would like to learn more, please contact Alice Wade, Deputy Director of Operations and Business Development by emailing [e-mail] an informal conversation.

How to apply

Retrieve an application pack by visiting the vacancies page of our website.
Completed applications should be submitted by email to Louis Bradshaw at [e-mail].

Alternatively, you can post your completed application to Louise Bradshaw, Community Action Suffolk, 160 Hadleigh Road, Ipswich, IP2 0HH by the above closing date.

Closing date: 18 August 2025.

Applications for this role will be reviewed and considered until the role is filled. Interviews will be arranged according to availability.

We therefore encourage you to submit your application at the earliest opportunity to avoid disappointment, as we reserve the right to close this job listing once a successful candidate is appointed.

Should you not hear from us within 7 working days from receipt of your application you have not been selected for an interview.

About the Team

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