Logistics Operative - Immediate Start! in Southampton

At FareShare, we fight food poverty by tackling food waste. We source food that is surplus to requirements from food retailers and manufacturers and engage many volunteers to help redistribute this to local charities and community groups that provide meals to vulnerable people (individuals who are homeless, unemployed, socially isolated, recovering from addictions). The majority of these are run by local charitable organisations we call our Delivery Partners. This enables us to be a UK-wide organisation yet also think and behave with local concerns at the heart of our actions. We support over 7,000 local charities and groups – our Community Food Members. Over the past year, 13,000 tonnes of food were redistributed by FareShare Regional Centres nationwide, feeding 500,000 people every week. We operate across 1,300 towns, cities and villages and we save UK charities and community groups more than £23 million each year. Hunger is a growing issue in the UK and while there is surplus food that is otherwise going to waste, we believe that this food should be used to feed people first.

Vision: We have the vision of a UK where “No good food goes to waste”.

• Work with the Warehouse Manager to develop new operational processes as required and take an active role in their implementation.
• Be responsible for the Health & Safety and security of FareShare Southern Central buildings, vehicles, staff and volunteers, including the delivery of appropriate health & safety briefings.
• Carry out & update risk assessments as defined by the FareShare operating manual and complete risk assessments for all new activity as required.
• Ensure compliance with all FareShare policies and procedures and industry standards as required by food donors and regulators.
• To ensure that the vans used by FareShare Southern Central are roadworthy and legal (taxed and insured) and to ensure there is payment of appropriate charges.
• Support the development of relevant policies and procedures for FareShare and to ensure that all staff, volunteers, food suppliers, charities and visitors adhere to them as appropriate.
• To comply with monitoring and evaluation systems as required for the Regional Centre’s activities and report regularly to the Warehouse Manager as required.
• Operating hours of the warehouse are 07:00 – 16:00, Monday – Friday and 08:00 - 12:00, on occasional Saturdays. Flexibility to provide cover for planned and ad-hoc absences as well as Public and Bank Holidays is highly desirable in this role and also offers the opportunity for additional hours to supplement the core hours.
• To use surplus, fit for consumption, food to feed those who are vulnerable in the UK by supporting front line charitable organisations that tackle the cause and not just the symptoms of food poverty.
• We are a community. We change lives.
• Focus on providing the best service possible so that we deliver and achieve the most for our clients/customers.
• To co-ordinate the day to day operations, supervise a large team of volunteers and ensure the ongoing success of the FareShare Southern Central food warehouse in Southampton. This will involve working closely with warehouse colleagues and volunteers to ensure that all operational activities are completed to the agreed timetable and to the food safety standards set out in the FareShare operating manual.
• Work as a team with the Warehouse Manager, Warehouse Coordinator colleagues and volunteers to ensure all shifts are adequately planned, supervised and meet operational needs.
• Support the Warehouse Manager in managing the FareShare Southern Central office, responding to emails and taking phone calls.
• Responsible for organising food distribution using the FareShare food management systems.
• Maintain excellent relations and communications with volunteers, staff, food suppliers and charities.
• Ensuring all key activities and milestones per shift are met.
• Commitment to gain, if not already held, intermediate certificate in food hygiene Level 2 Food Safety Qualification.
• Experience of working in a team with evidence of demonstrating a flexible approach to team working.
• Experienced driver, with full, clean driving licence.
• Computer literate with experience of working with MS Office and other bespoke software packages.
• Experience of taking responsibility for health and safety issues within a food distribution and/or warehousing operation.
• Experience of working in a highly regulated environment and demonstrable risk assessment capabilities.
• Experience of driving vans / medium sized vehicles.
• You are someone with an interest in food insecurity.
• You’ll have strong knowledge of Microsoft Office packages, ideally at an advanced level and have a good level of numeracy and literacy.
• You’ll be great at building relationships across the business and providing a great level of service.