Essex Food Strategy Manager

Job Title: Essex Food Strategy Manager

Salary: £41,383 

Responsible to: Chief Executive Officer

Location: Essex and Hybrid pattern to be agreed

Hours of Work: 36.5 hours, Monday to Friday

Contract: Fixed term 2 years, extension dependent on funding

The Active Wellbeing Society (TAWS) is a community benefit society and cooperative working with communities to identify, mitigate and remove barriers that prevent them from 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.

This a strategic post that leads on delivery of the Essex Public Health ambitions for the Essex Affordable Food Network, (made up of social or community supermarkets and other affordable food initiatives in Essex). The role will maximise the opportunities for impact, sustainability and investment.

The post holder will work collaboratively across the system in Essex, liaising with local partners and organisations within the food system, ensuring long term positive transformation and system change to ensure that communities in need have access to healthy and affordable food. 

You may like to watch this introductory video which showcases the positive work of The Active Wellbeing Society: TAWS Launch October 2018 - YouTube

The below is a reflective of what you'll be responsible for.



• Strategy and policy: Ensure that the Food Strategy links to the Public Health Investment programme and the individual component parts,  to ensure benefits are maximised for those in most need and especially in relation to healthy, affordable food.
• Impact & Sustainability Focus: Evaluate initiatives for impact, scalability, and sustainability, ensuring legacy and longevity are built into programme design for the food system across Essex.
• Systems Leadership: Shape and grow the Strategic Affordable Food Network for Essex, working with the Affordable Food Network Coordinator and across systems to connect partners, influence policy, and drive cultural change (e.g., peer-to-peer collaboration).
• Public-Facing Representation: Lead high-profile communications, including network events, launch events, and LinkedIn presence, ensuring alignment with the programme’s tone and strategic messaging.
• Influential Communication: Articulate the programme’s impact, vision, and strategic benefits clearly to a diverse range of audiences, including commissioners, stakeholders, regional groups, and national funders.
• Chairing and Servicing Meetings: Lead and service strategic working groups (e.g. Affordable Food Management Group) with clarity and direction, ensuring all voices are heard and actions are driven forward.
• Impact and evaluation: Capture impact and learnings through quantitative and qualitative data, share and report on progress to the Network and stakeholders such as the Affordable Food Management Group and Commissioners.
• Reporting & Storytelling: Prepare high-quality reports, presentations, and funding applications that tell compelling stories grounded in evidence, outcomes, and learning. Bring people with you on the journey and create followers and key supporters.
• Budget Management: Financial accountability and management of payments. 

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

1. Expert advisor: Knowledge and experience of creating and supporting affordable food schemes, food surplus work, and what healthy food options on a budget look like in reality.
2. Partnership and system support: Clear skills in and experience of working in partnership on shared strategic goals.
3. Leadership Agility: Able to balance strategic foresight with operational agility — able to pivot and respond swiftly without losing sight of long-term aims.
4. Stakeholder Engagement: Able to build and sustain strong, trust-based relationships with internal teams, partners, funders, and community networks, acting as a key liaison and ambassador.
5. Communication: Strong verbal and written communication skills
6. Analytical skills: Able to develop a strong evidence base for decision-making and funding cases; translate data and learning into strategy and forward movement.
7. Driving licence 

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 Food Strategy Manager, ensure your application includes detailed responses to each of the questions outlined below:

1. Expert advisor: Knowledge and experience of creating and supporting affordable food schemes, food surplus work, and what healthy food options on a budget look like in reality.
2. Leadership Agility: Able to balance strategic foresight with operational agility — able to pivot and respond swiftly without losing sight of long-term aims.
3. Stakeholder Engagement: Able to build and sustain strong, trust-based relationships with internal teams, partners, funders, and community networks, acting as a key liaison and ambassador.
4. Communication: Strong verbal and written communication skills.
5. Analytical skills: Able to develop a strong evidence base for decision-making and funding cases; translate data and learning into strategy and forward movement.

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.