Managing Director at Blend Culinary Foundation

Blend Family; Sheffield; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job description

Blend Culinary Foundation (BCF) is seeking an entrepreneurial and hands-on Managing Director to lead the organisation into its next stage of growth and development. As a newly established social enterprise within the Blend family, BCF is dedicated to alleviating food poverty and insecurity, enhancing food education, and uniting diverse cultural communities through food.

This role offers a unique opportunity to shape the strategic direction of BCF, working closely with the existing team, including the Operational Manager, and serving as a liaison between operations and the board. The Managing Director will play a pivotal role in expanding BCF's reach and impact, ensuring financial sustainability, and preserving the organisation's vibrant culture.

About Blend Culinary Foundation:

Blend Culinary Foundation (BCF) is a dynamic and growing Community Interest Company committed to:

• Alleviating Food Poverty and Insecurity: BCF strives to address food poverty by providing meals and supporting initiatives that ensure access to nutritious food for all.
• Enhancing Food Education: Through a variety of cooking classes and educational programmes, BCF aims to empower individuals with the skills and knowledge to make healthy food choices and prepare nutritious meals.
• Uniting Diverse Cultural Communities Through Food: BCF believes in the power of food to bring people together, celebrating diverse culinary traditions and fostering community cohesion.

As a social enterprise, proceeds from BCF's activities are reinvested to support its mission, ensuring a sustainable and impactful approach to community engagement.

Role Overview:

The Managing Director will be responsible for the overall strategic direction and sustainable growth of BCF. This role involves working closely with the existing team, including the operational manager, and will serve as a liaison between operations and the board. The Managing Director will initially spend time understanding the day-to-day operations and culture of BCF, building relationships, and identifying opportunities for development and growth.

Responsibilities:

• Strategic Growth: Develop and implement strategies for expanding BCF's reach, impact, and financial sustainability. Identify and pursue opportunities for growth, including new sites and partnerships.
• Fundraising: Lead fundraising efforts, including identifying grant opportunities, developing proposals, and managing relationships with funders. Secure funding to support BCF's operations and growth.
• Governance Support: Support the board of directors, including developing board materials, facilitating meetings, and ensuring compliance with legal and regulatory requirements. Work to build a strong and effective board.
• Operational Development: Work closely with the operational manager to support and facilitate BCF's growth into new areas.
• Culture Capture: Understand, capture, and encode the existing BCF culture, ensuring it is preserved and strengthened as the organisation grows.
• Relationship Management: Build and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders, including staff, volunteers, partners, and community members.
• Team Leadership: Work collaboratively with the existing team, providing support, guidance, and mentorship. Empower the team to achieve their goals and contribute to BCF's success.

Candidate Profile:

• Entrepreneurial and hands-on approach.
• Ability to balance short-term challenges with long-term strategic goals.
• Passionate about BCF's mission and values.
• Experience in fundraising, grant writing, and financial management.
• Strong understanding of governance and board relations.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively and build consensus.
• Flexible and adaptable to changing priorities.
• Willingness to 'get their hands dirty' and participate in day-to-day operations initially.
• Ability to grasp and capture the existing BCF culture rather than creating a new one.

Essential Skills and Experience:

• Social Enterprise/VCSE Experience: Understanding of the social enterprise and wider VCSE sector, including its unique challenges and opportunities.
• Proven Fundraising Experience: Demonstrated success in securing grants, managing stakeholder relationships, and developing fundraising strategies.
• Financial Management: Experience in budgeting, financial reporting, and ensuring financial sustainability.
• Strategic Planning: Ability to develop and implement strategic plans to achieve organisational goals.
• Governance and Board Relations: Experience working with a board of directors, including preparing board materials and ensuring compliance.
• Team Management: Ability to work with others in the team and oversee and support the Operations Manager in their day-to-day operations and implementing process improvements.
• Team Leadership and Management: Ability to lead, motivate, and manage a team, fostering a collaborative environment.
• Relationship Building: Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build and maintain relationships with diverse stakeholders.
• Business Development: Experience in identifying and developing new business opportunities, partnerships, and revenue streams.
• Project Management: Experience in managing projects, including planning, implementation, and evaluation.
• Impact Measurement: Skills in measuring and reporting on the social impact of programmes and initiatives.
• Understanding of BCF's Mission and Values: A genuine passion for and understanding of the Blend Culinary Foundation's mission and values.

Desired Skills and Experience:

• Culinary or Hospitality Experience: Background or interest in the culinary, food industry, or hospitality sector. This could include experience in restaurant management, catering, or food-related social enterprises.
• Community Engagement: Experience working with local communities, building partnerships, and developing community-based programmes.
• Marketing and Communications: Skills in marketing, public relations, and communication to promote BCF's work and attract supporters. This could include social media management, content creation, and event planning.
• Volunteer Management: Experience in recruiting, training, and managing volunteers.
• Local and National Network: Established connections within the Sheffield local community as well as some national networks, particularly in the social enterprise, food, or charity sectors.
• Technology Proficiency: Familiarity with relevant software and technology, such as CRM systems, project management tools, and online communication platforms.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion:

At BCF, we are committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse environment where everyone - regardless of background, identity, or experience - feels valued, respected, and empowered.

Our work is rooted in the belief that food is a powerful tool to bring people together, bridge cultures and address social inequalities. With this in mind, we actively champion equality, diversity and inclusion by:

• Creating Accessible Opportunities - Ensuring our programmes, training and services are included and accessible to individuals from all backgrounds, including those facing social and economical challenges.
• Celebrating Diversity - Embracing the richness of different cultures, traditions, and lived experience in our culinary programmes, events and initiatives.
• Championing Fair Employment Practices - Striving to create a workplace that values diversity, promotes equity, and supports the personal and professional growth of our team members.
• Encouraging Representation - Working to ensure diverse voices are represented at all levels of our organisation, from leadership and governance to volunteers and community partners.
• Embedding Inclusive Policies - Regularly reviewing and updating our policies and practices to reflect our commitment to anti-discrimination, fairness and inclusivity.

We believe that an inclusive organisation is a stronger organisation, and are dedicated to continuously learning, evolving, and taking meaningful action to create a fairer and more equitable society through our work.

How to Apply:

To apply for the Managing Director Role, please send an updated CV and Cover letter to [e-mail].

If you would like to discuss this role further before applying or have any questions you can also contact us to arrange a conversation at the email address above.

Interviews will take place at Cambridge Street Collective, 14th-15th May 2025.