At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead impactful social value programmes that transform lives and communities.
- Company: SOFEA, a charity dedicated to empowering disempowered young people.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, travel opportunities, and the chance to make a real difference.
- Other info: Join a passionate team committed to community wellbeing and sustainable impact.
- Why this job: Shape strategies that create lasting change for young people and communities.
- Qualifications: Senior leadership experience in charity or social enterprise, with a focus on social value.
The predicted salary is between 40500 - 49500 £ per year.
🌱 Social Value Projects Director | SOFEA
Multi-site (Oxfordshire & Milton Keynes) - You will be expected to travel between both sites regularly.
Are you a senior leader who can turn strategy into real impact for young people and communities?
SOFEA is looking for a Social Value Projects Director to lead our food, digital inclusion and wellbeing programmes, and to shape how we grow our reach across Oxfordshire, Milton Keynes and beyond.
At SOFEA, we are a charity who support disempowered young people in transforming their lives.
Within this we run social value programmes, one of which our biggest is distributing 000’s tonnes of surplus food through our network, helping communities access food while reducing food surplus.
📋 What you'll oversee
A diverse portfolio spanning our internal end-to-end food distribution process and our community-facing programmes:
- Food Larders
- Community Food Members
- Getting Oxfordshire Online
- Nourish & Flourish
- Wellbeing Services
You'll ensure each service has strategic goals aligned with SOFEA's mission and values, meets annual targets, and realises growth opportunities across Oxfordshire, Milton Keynes and beyond.
- 🎯 Key responsibilities
- Provide strategic leadership across all social value programmes, including long-term strategy, community partnerships, delivery plans, measurable impact, and team management
- Provide senior oversight to the Head of Food, ensuring our two food distribution warehouses operate efficiently, safely and sustainably, with growing distribution volumes and reach
- Directly manage sales, income generation and partnerships across Community Larders and Community Food Members
- Line-manage and oversee Getting Oxfordshire Online (GOO) and its new Milton Keynes equivalent
- Take overall responsibility for Nourish & Flourish (nutritional social prescribing), including quality delivery and impact measurement
- Oversee community-facing wellbeing services, including social prescribing initiatives and partnerships with health, local authority and voluntary sector bodies
- Line manage a team of managers and project leads, providing leadership, development opportunities and a clear progression pathway
- Ensure programmes have sustainable budgets, meet contractual obligations and KPIs, and produce high-quality reports for funders, trustees and partners
- Work closely with senior leadership on funding sustainability, including supporting bids and proposals
- Seek ways to engage young people to support their vocational development across all programme areas
- Act as the SOFEA champion for external communications and community relationships
- ✅ What we're looking for
Essential
- Significant senior-level experience managing multi-project or multi-service operations, ideally within the charity, social enterprise, or public sector
- Experience setting strategy and delivering operational objectives in a commercial environment
- Proven leadership capabilities and management support across diverse programme areas
- Strong understanding of social value, outcomes and impact measurement
- Experience in at least one of: food supply chain & logistics; charity work with a focus on food poverty and/or community networking partnerships; digital inclusion; or community social prescribing/wellbeing services
- Excellent stakeholder and partnership management skills
- Strong operational, organisational and decision-making capabilities
- Proven experience in project management and new project implementation
- Commitment to SOFEA's mission, values and beneficiaries
- A continuous improvement and opportunities-driven mindset
Desirable
- Experience of income generation or sales within a social or community context
- Experience working across multiple locations or geographic areas
- Familiarity with local authority, NHS, or VCSE partnerships
- Understanding of safeguarding within community and health-related services
- 💚 Values & approach
You will champion person-centred, dignified and inclusive services; be hands-on where needed and strategic where required; balance compassion with performance and accountability; act as an ambassador for SOFEA with partners, funders and communities; and build capable and motivated teams and individuals who strive to reach their full potential.
Social Value Projects Director in Didcot employer: SOFEA
At SOFEA, we pride ourselves on being a purpose-driven charity that not only transforms the lives of disempowered young people but also fosters a supportive and compassionate work environment. As the Head of Food Operations, you will have the unique opportunity to lead impactful food operations across Milton Keynes and Oxfordshire, driving excellence while working closely with community organisations and partners. We offer a collaborative culture, opportunities for professional growth, and the chance to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others through our social value programmes.
