Cardiff Sustainable Food Places Co-ordinator

Job overview

We are looking for an enthusiastic, skilled and motivated individual to lead Food Cardiff, the sustainable food network for Wales’ capital city.

This is an exciting time to join Food Cardiff as its ambitious strategy to build a strong good food network in the city means Cardiff has recently become only the fourth place in the UK to achieve the Gold Sustainable Food Places Award.

Food Cardiff is a city-wide partnership of individuals and organisations which acts as a hub for connecting the people and projects working to promote healthy, environmentally sustainable and ethical food across the city.

Food Cardiff is part of Food Sense Wales, which aims to influence how food is produced and consumed in Wales, ensuring that sustainable food, farming and fisheries are at the heart of a just, connected and prosperous food system.

The Cardiff Sustainable Food Places Co-ordinator will be responsible for leading and developing the Food Cardiff Partnership, using their specialist knowledge to enhance and embed the Food Cardiff profile across the city and Wales.

This post is fixed term/secondment for 12 months to meet the needs of the service.

If you are interested in applying for the secondment position, you must obtain permission from your current line manager prior to applying for this post.

Main duties of the job

• To lead and drive successful delivery of a Food Cardiff strategy including inspiring and enabling the active participation of and contributions from a wide range of local partners.
• To lead the effective functioning of Food Cardiff’s Partnership e.g. identifying and co-opting members; planning, organising and servicing meetings; setting up processes and procedures.
•   To implement and lead local and national food sustainability policies in Cardiff that will impact on a number of public, private and third sector organisations.
•    To organise and attend events to encourage networking and the sharing of specialist practice, at both a local and network level and to contribute to national events delivered by the Sustainable Food Places programme and Food Sense Wales, requiring regular travel across Cardiff and occasional travel across Wales and the UK.
• To work with external agencies to successfully deliver the city-wide food campaigns, communicating with the public, institutions and policy makers
• To identify and secure additional funds from a range of sources, to support delivery of the action plan and an ongoing sustainable food programme in the city
• To maintain Cardiff’s Gold Sustainable Food Places Award
• To work as a team member with Food Sense Wales, the Cardiff and Vale Public Health Team, and other Food Cardiff partners.

The ability to speak Welsh is desirable for this post; English and/or Welsh speakers are equally welcome to apply.

Working for our organisation

Food Sense Wales: Co-creating a food system for Wales that’s good for people and the planet

Founded in 2018, Food Sense Wales was established to drive forward a cross-sector approach to the food system in Wales.

Food Sense Wales works with communities, organisations, policymakers and Government across Wales to create a food and farming system that is good for people and good for the planet. We aim to influence and impact on how food is produced and consumed in Wales, ensuring that sustainable food, farming and fisheries are at the heart of a just, connected and prosperous food system. Food Sense Wales also leads on the development of Cross-Sector Food Partnerships across Wales and sits on the Sustainable Food Places Programme Management Board.

Food Sense Wales is a fund within the Cardiff & Vale Health Charity and is hosted by the Cardiff and Vale University Health Board Public Health team. 

Cardiff and Vale University Health Board is one of the largest Integrated Health Boards in the UK, employing over 17,000 staff, providing over 100 specialist services.   Working across 6 hospital sites, we have a diverse range of career opportunities to offer. Serving over 500,000 people living in Cardiff and the Vale, we are focussed on the health and care needs of our local population whilst working with our partners to develop regional services. Together we are committed to improving health outcomes for everyone, delivering excellent care and support.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Educated to degree level or equivalent. Evidence of post graduate diploma level or equivalent experience

Desirable criteria

• Evidence of CPD

Experience

Essential criteria

• Experience of food sustainability / sustainable food systems
• Experience of co-ordinating multi-partner programmes, including: • Experience of establishing, developing and managing complex projects • Experience of coordinating and/or delivering on a multi-strand action plans
• Experience of administration, and organising meetings, events, and campaigns.

Desirable criteria

• Practical experience of project monitoring and evaluation.
• Experience of identifying and pursuing funding opportunities.
• Experience of working in Welsh food system

Skills

Essential criteria

• Excellent communication skills, including: • the ability to distil complex information into simple messages • Report writing skills.
• Ability to inspire and enable active partnership participation and contributions. Negotiation and diplomacy skills. Ability to work as a team member.
• Excellent organisational skills, Analytical Skills, Excellent IT Skills and fully competent in the use of MS Word, Outlook and Excel. Ability to plan, prioritise and manage workload.

Desirable criteria

• Knowledge and experience of using popular social media platforms on behalf of a group or organisation

Special Knowledge

Essential criteria

• Knowledge of Sustainability and Public Health policy/strategies. An understanding of health and sustainability issues- particularly relating to food.

Desirable criteria

• Sustainable Food partnership models and approaches.
• Knowledge of food system and networks in Cardiff and/or Wales

Personal Qualities

Essential criteria

• Sociable. Reliable. Flexible, dynamic approach. Enthusiastic/motivated. Self starter and ability to work independently and use initiative.
• Tactful and Diplomatic. An empathetic approach. Committed to diversity equality and inclusion. Observe discretion and confidentiality.

Other

Desirable criteria

• Access to transport
• Welsh speaker