Foodbank Manager

South Wishaw Parish Church; Wishaw; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

A local church organization in Wishaw seeks a dedicated Foodbank Manager to oversee operations at the Community Foodbank. Responsibilities include managing volunteers, ensuring compliance with safety standards, and providing support to those in need. The ideal candidate should be a committed Christian with excellent interpersonal skills and experience working with marginalized communities. A degree in a relevant field is desirable. This position offers a chance to make a significant impact in the community.

Qualifications

• Awareness of current issues affecting marginalized communities.
• Proven ability to work collaboratively with teams.
• Experience with health and safety regulations.

Responsibilities

• Oversee operations at Wishaw Community Foodbank and ensure compliance.
• Lead and manage the team of volunteers and ensure effective communication.
• Monitor stock levels and deal with incidents professionally.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Project management

Communication

Legislative framework application

Team leadership

Time management

Education

Degree in relevant discipline

Job description

Main duties:
Wishaw Community Foodbank is a ministry of South Wishaw Parish Church and is based on, shaped, and guided by Christian principles. These principles are underpinned in prayer through Jesus Christ; with each session beginning with a team prayer time, and includes prayer being offered to clients, and a Thought for the Day item in each session, facilitated by the Foodbank Manager.
As Manager, you will oversee the operations at Wishaw Community Foodbank, which includes a free cafe, giving particular attention to operational efficiency and standards in line with the terms of the Food Standards Agency, including the implementation of existing policies and standard operating processes. You will be instrumental in enabling our Foodbank to continue to support our community.

Key Responsibilities

Foodbank Operations

• Monitor operational standards; ensuring that the foodbank is a safe space for all clients and volunteers, that safeguarding procedures are understood and implemented and that client confidentiality is respected.
• Deal with incidents, unforeseen circumstances and emergencies in a prompt and professional manner.
• Monitor operational efficiency, and ensure compliance with statutory requirements and best practice.
• Monitor stock levels, issuing appeals as required and organise supermarket collection days, in liaison with Fareshare-Go where appropriate.
• Maintain the Foodbank phone and email account; act as the first point of contact for enquiries and respond on behalf of the Foodbank.
• Co‑ordinate fundraising as and when required.
• Ensure compliance with the Foodbank’s financial policy; including providing the volunteer treasurer with details of payments and receipts, and supporting documents, to enable proper accounting.

Team management

• Lead and manage the team of volunteers at Wishaw Community Foodbank; including organising team rotas and training, and inducting new volunteers.
• Ensure strong communication with volunteers by email and WhatsApp groups as appropriate.
• Cultivate a vibrant, supportive and dignified culture for working and volunteering.
• Organise volunteer team meetings on a quarterly basis to highlight successes, address concerns and provide appropriate ongoing training.
• Encourage feedback and look for opportunities to enhance the overall experience and wellbeing of staff and volunteers.

General Duties

• Meet with and report to the Minister for line management and prayer and undertake such other relevant duties from time to time as may be agreed with the Line Manager.
• Attend other meetings as required.
• Use various communication channels for the work in an appropriate manner.
• Work within the church Safeguarding policies to ensure standards are of the highest level and to ensure the proper recruitment of volunteers for project work.
• Ensure that all activities, events, and programmes comply with Church of Scotland policies and procedures.
• Adhere to all relevant health and safety requirements and ensuring that a risk assessment is carried out for all activities undertaken.
• Attend relevant training as required for legislative or developmental purposes to ensure that good working practices and knowledge are maintained.
• Provide input/support to the Session Clerk and Foodbank Project Elder and assist with preparation of reports to Kirk Session on issues regarding the integration of the work in the wider church.

Skills and Experience

Essential

• Committed Christian with a live church connection (this is a Genuine Occupational Requirement in terms of the Equality Act 2010).
• A passion for working with people from disadvantaged, marginalised, or socially excluded backgrounds and an awareness of current issues affecting such people and gift for communicating with them in a relevant way.
• Excellent interpersonal skills in working with a wide range of people including church volunteers, schools, local leaders and other Christian workers.
• Experience of starting projects and delivering to completion.
• Excellent time and priority management skills.
• Ability to produce meaningful reports and presentations.
• Ability to work unsupervised and manage own work performance effectively.
• An understanding of the foodbank as a space for Christian outreach and as a missional activity.
• Experience of applying the relevant legislative frameworks (health and safety, safeguarding, risk assessments, financial regulations) to support the work of a foodbank.
• Proven ability to work collaboratively with colleagues and contribute to effective team working, and leading when required.
• Experience in developing project-based work and the associated finance.
• Confident in diffusing situations with individuals or groups calmly & supportively.

Desirable

• A degree qualification or equivalent in a relevant discipline.

Additional information

• Membership of Disclosure Scotland PVG Scheme will be required.
• It is essential you have the right to work in the UK before applying to work for us. You will be asked to provide proof of your eligibility to work and remain in the UK if you are invited to attend for an interview.
• In order to comply with the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996, the successful applicant will be asked to provide document(s) confirming their eligibility to work in the United Kingdom.
• An employment medical check will be undertaken as part of our recruitment process.