Community Supermarket Coordinator (Uttlesford)

 Job Title: Community Supermarket Coordinator Essex

Salary: £22,776 - £26,000 pro rata

Responsible to: Community and Business Development Manager Essex

Location: Uttlesford – the role will require extensive driving across Uttlesford

Hours of Work: 22 hours per week. Flexible working will be required

Contract: Fixed Term Contract 31/03/26

The Active Wellbeing Society (TAWS) is a community benefit society and cooperative working to develop healthy, happy communities living active and connected lives.

Our vision is for a society where people have the autonomy, capacity, resources and skills to become the architects of their own destiny; where our individual wellbeing is recognised as being bound up in our collective responsibility to and dependency on each other; and where all of us feel empowered as agents of social change to make a difference – whether at an individual level or more widely.

By working collaboratively with communities we aim to bring about sustainable change on a social, environmental and economic level; to do the social knitting required to create stronger and more resilient communities and to support communities to identify, mitigate and remove the barriers that prevent them from living active and connected lives.

Uttlesford Community Supermarket delivered in partnership between TAWS and UCAN

The Uttlesford Community Supermarket will increase the proportion of people able to live healthy lifestyles by giving convenient access to affordable, healthy food and ingredients close to where they live. Uttlesford is a large rural district with a low population density. Most shops and services are located in the main market town of Saffron Walden. Public transport links are poor, however, and travel to the town is difficult for residents without a car. We will therefore provide a Mobile Community Supermarket, delivered by a partnership of TAWS and UCAN, and including other local, public, voluntary and community sector stakeholders.

All criteria are essential, and your application will be assessed on all points detailed below.

1.     Driving the mobile community supermarket to make 4 stops per week over 2 days

2.     Stocking the vehicle in order to make the required rounds and stops per week

3.     Cashing up 2 x a week and balancing the cash in and cash out within the budget

4.     Ensuring all suppliers are paid and that the partner receives reimbursement as agreed within the over budget

5.     Completing all banking, finance payments and reconciliations, membership costs are recorded in order to manage the operational budget and spend

6.     Oversee the food safety processes to ensure that the operation meets the food safety standards set out by Environmental Health at Essex City Council

7.     Sourcing new stock and working with UCAN volunteer coordinator to pick up food

8.     Support and supervise volunteers to help deliver this activity.

9.     Work with partners UCAN, Uttlesford Food Bank, Other Essex community supermarkets, Touchpoint and other local organisations to ensure a joined up approach.

10.  Ensure the correct use of TAWS processes and systems when using assets.

11.  Support line manager to manage the overall project budget

12.  Ensure compliance with The Active Wellbeing Society processes and procedures including but not limited to; Safeguarding of children and adults at risk, equality and diversity, Health and Safety and Risk Assessments

13.  Develop relationships within communities across Uttlesford to become a trusted source for the community supermarket  

14.  On occasion represent The Active Wellbeing Society across a variety of forums and stakeholder meetings

15.  Contribute to oral and written reports on engagement level, activity delivery and stories

16.  Carry out all other duties as maybe reasonably assigned from time to time and with the level of this Job Description

All criteria are essential, and your application will be assessed on all points detailed below.

1.     Driving licence

2.     Excellent partnership working and relationship management skills

3.     Knowledge and ideally experience of working with waste and surplus food providers and sourcing and costing non-surplus food

4.     Experience of working with food with the necessary food safety knowledge

5.     Experience of volunteer management

6.     Good organisational, numerical and administrative skills

7.     A flexible and proactive approach to all working practices

8.     Experience in working with volunteers

9.     A commitment to equal opportunities and an understanding of the impact on individuals and community’s health and deprivation

10.  Experience in customer facing roles and knowledge of local communities

11.  Ability to coordinate and consult internal and external organisations including community groups

12.  Be empathetic and have a knowledge of the barriers that exist to activity within communities   

13.  Adaptable and able to work at pace, working autonomously and collaboratively in a dynamic and challenging environment   

14.  A genuine passion for the wellbeing of others and a drive to improve the lives of individuals and communities by bringing them together to improve their mental and physical wellbeing

15.  A flexible approach to all working practices with the willingness to support other team members in their work as required including presence at events 

We offer our team members a comprehensive staff benefits offering to include: 

• Annual Leave – 38 days! 25 days AL (increasing to 29 days with service) plus 5 wellbeing days and 8 bank holidays. 
• Flexible working, home working and remote working options available 
• Nest Pension – 8% employer contribution - 3% employee contribution. 
• Heath Cash Plan – giving you discounts on everyday healthcare such as dental, optical, physio, prescriptions & more. 
• Employee Assistance Programme (counselling and DRs on call 24hrs a day). 
• Fantastic volunteering opportunities within The Active Wellbeing Society every month.

Please submit a cover letter demonstrating how you meet the competencies required for the Mobile Supermarket Coordinator, ensure your application includes detailed responses to each of the questions outlined below:

1. Full driving licence and confidence to drive a van based mobile supermarket, collecting items from storage locations and stop points.

2. In-depth financial and administrative skills, including cash handling, budget management, and supplier payments.

3. Experience in managing and supporting small groups of volunteers, and working effectively with community partners and organisations.

4. Knowledge and experience in food sourcing and safety, particularly with surplus/waste food and compliance with regulations.

5. Excellent community engagement skills, with a commitment to wellbeing, equality, and understanding of barriers in underserved communities.

Due to the high numbers of applications we received for our job vacancies, we may close application windows early, so we would encourage you to submit your application ASAP.

We will provide all applicants with an outcome on your application, this will usually be within 1 week of the application window closing.

Successful applicants will be required to be DBS checked prior to starting.

Our customers come from all walks of life and so do we, in recruiting for our team we welcome the unique contributions that you can bring. The Active Wellbeing Society is committed to being an equal opportunity employer, we recruit based upon capability and all applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership status, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation. At The Active Wellbeing Society we are searching for people who share the passion for what we do with different backgrounds, perspectives and experiences, collectively making a difference.

If there is anything we can do to assist you in your application or preparations to be interviewed for one of our job vacancies please let us know and we can ensure you have a positive and comfortable experience.

Thank you for your interest in working for The Active Wellbeing Society, we look forward to receiving your application.

If you have any questions once you have read the Job Description or would like an informal chat about us, and/or, the role, please contact: [email protected] and we will be happy to help. As part of your application, please specify which vacancy you are interested in. Please note if you don't make reference to your preference, we will assume you are interested in either vacancy. Thank you once again.