Job Details:
Part Time Project Manager

Job Description

At Cracking Good Food, we have a Part Time Project Manager job opportunity within our team. Contract is for 12 months and we can offer hybrid working. 

As an organisation we are committed to ensuring our team, management and Board reflect the customers we serve and the communities we support. We believe it is our team and volunteers who make us what we are, and we want to strive towards being inclusive at every level. Please see our Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity Policy for further information.

We are happy to consider any reasonable adjustments that candidates may need during the recruitment process, and you will be asked whether you require any during your application. If there are additional options you would like to request, please contact Tracey Torley. We also offer reasonable adjustments on the job.

About Cracking Good Food

Cracking Good Food is a non-profit community driven Community Interest Company, established in 2010. We teach communities how to cook affordable, healthy, and sustainable food from scratch, within an agenda to minimise food waste. We are a values-driven grassroots organisation, striving to ensure food is grown ethically, in harmony with the environment in line with fair trade standards. We campaign against food waste, food, and fuel poverty due to the impact of austerity and promote measures and policies that mitigate poverty and the effects of climate change. 80% of our work is community outreach as a result of the rise in poverty and homelessness. We also run Catering services, Restaurant Takeovers, Cookery Schools, Foraging, Team Building and Training programmes which help support our core running costs. 

Our Team

You would be joining our hardworking and committed team of over 30 home-working freelancers and employed team members. Our team roles include Cooking Leaders, Coordinators, Project Managers, Bid Writers, IT and Website Developer, administrators and over 20 active volunteers. We are proud our team retention is strong having recruited many from a previous volunteer or paying customer status.

Our mission and operations are governed by six Board of Directors, each contributing their experience, skills, and expertise to serve and support our wider mission. 

Role Summary 

Our aims are to collaborate with networks, agencies, grassroot organisations and cross-sector commissioners to understand and alleviate barriers prohibiting community health and learn best practice to help shape our delivery. The role of Project Manager is instrumental to ensuring the flow of business is performed and operationally remains at the high standards we have sustained since 2010, and to take Cracking Good Food into the next phase of our ambitions to grow our organisation. The successful candidate will facilitate and enable us to continue meeting and understanding the growing needs of communities and households experiencing financial hardship, impacting on diet, physical health, mental wellbeing and cooking resources across the 10 local authority areas which form the Greater Manchester boroughs. 

The primary purpose and function of the role is to uphold strong communications and robust operations between internal business generators and team members delivering our programmes. Using multiple communication channels, you will clearly and timely communicate project briefings, have responsibility to recruit team members from our pool of freelancers and volunteers to secure a delivery team, draft contracts, book venues and keeping all stakeholders up to date to ensure the smooth delivery of our projects. The post holder will have an eye for detail, enabling us to swiftly respond and address any issues occurring to uphold our flexible and approachable reputation, they will also naturally want to progress our communication and operational practices.

You will have a small number of Session Co-ordinators report in to you who will require support should any issues unfold in respect of project delivery. You will also brief and update them of any operational changes directly impacting on their role.

There are a number of supplementary areas of responsibilities which are key to the smooth effective running of our business.

The postholder will be an exceptionally well organised and motivated individual who can confidently and competently represent and communicate Cracking Good Food’s products and service portfolio to ensure our stakeholders are receiving the best level of service and support we are able to provide. 

Our services are designed to empower community members with the skills, confidence, knowledge, and equipment to foster a good food culture whilst nurturing a mindset to minimise food waste. We aim to support the local economy, and to harness seasonal and sustainable cooking practices, all providing the foundations of our mission to support communities at risk of food poverty.

Role Duties:

Working in the 3rd sector requires a flexible, adaptable, resourceful, and open attitude and approach to make things happen! Our passion to help communities thrive when facing adversity is huge, however, our resources are limited! Therefore, an understanding of our constraints is desirable and willingness to flexibly support a wide range of projects will be key to your personal development, sense of value and learning.

• Maintain and develop our database of communication, contacts, activities and actions.
• Understand and keep up to date knowledge of our product and service portfolio features.
• Building relationships with our networks, partners and customers to develop and maintain CGFs profile, responding to all stakeholder enquiries and communications in an effective, friendly and timely manner.
• Review and highlight data indicating early-stage issues from stakeholder surveys 
• Lead on producing project evaluation reports
• Working closely with our bid writing team, Business Development Executive, Marketing and Growth Manager, delivery team and CEO to communicate and provide project detail
• Being the first point of contact for our team of Session Co-ordinators, providing support through responding to adhoc requests
• Monitor and ensure our regulated paperwork and operations are fulfilled e.g FSA, GDPR practices  
• Produce internal newsletter keeping all team members up to date with operational, statistical data and project delivery
• Adhere to internal communication practices to ensure personal workload is up to date
• Adhoc responsibilities will comprise of maintaining our stores (equipment and paperwork are stocked, stored correctly and up to date), low maintenance of our small growing plot, ensuring company vehicle is fuelled 

You will report directly to the CEO who is accountable to a Board of Directors.

Person Specification

• You will be driven, resourceful and independently hardworking and focused on ensuring deliverables align with our ‘be good to yourself and kind to our planet’ ethos.
• The role requires a high level of accuracy and time management efficiency to ensure relationships with our customers and supporters are maintained at all times
• Your strong written and verbal communication, organisational skills and flexible attitude will be valued throughout all elements of the role.
• You will have a creative and resourceful nature steered towards solution finding not, problem raising 

Essential

• Written and verbal communication skills to effectively build relationships and partnerships across all sectors, at all levels.
• Competently use Outlook, Google document suite, Whats App and willingness to learn other platforms.
• Flexible and supportive approach to ad hoc tasks

Desirable

• Willingness to build an interest in drivers of food poverty, systems and policy.
• You may wish to boost income through our freelance Sessional Co-ordinators paid at £13.75 p/hr. Request further information if you are interested in the role either as part of the Project Management application, or a sole application for the Sessional Co-ordinators role as we are currently recruiting.
• Clean drivers licence

Your lived experiences may give you greater understanding and insight into some of the challenges the communities we support face.

Pension plus 22 days’ holiday p/a, plus English public holidays (pro-rata for part-time staff). Free access to face to face and online ‘mental health at work’ support.