Executive Director of Shrewsbury Food Hub
Download the job advert here or read below.
Salary: Commensurate with experience
Hours: Full-time, 37.5 hours per week. Flexible arrangements may be considered for an exceptional candidate.
Location: Shrewsbury, with some home working possible. This is a strongly place-based role requiring a regular and visible on-site presence.
Contract: Permanent
Application deadline: 5pm on Friday 25 September 2026
As we celebrate our 10-year anniversary, Shrewsbury Food Hub is looking for an inclusive, practical and strategically minded Executive Director to lead us through the next phase of our development.
We are an award-winning, volunteer-powered environmental charity with a simple vision: a community where food is valued and not wasted.
Founded in 2016, we collect surplus food seven days a week from local suppliers and redistribute it through charities, community groups, schools and Foodshares. In the year to March 2026, we rescued more than 270 tonnes of food and estimate that our work reached over 4,000 people each week across Shrewsbury and the surrounding area.
We have also developed a growing programme of community cooking activity, bringing people together to build skills and confidence, share food and strengthen community while ensuring that good food does not go to waste.
The opportunity
Shrewsbury Food Hub has grown significantly over the past decade. That success has created both opportunity and challenge.
We expect our impact to continue to grow, but our immediate priority is to strengthen the foundations beneath that growth: our structures, systems, processes, management information and ways of working. We are therefore looking for a leader who can help us move into our next phase with greater clarity, focus and organisational resilience.
Our Board is committed to focusing increasingly on governance and delegating day-to-day leadership and management to the Executive Director. You will have the authority and responsibility to lead the organisation, work closely with our Senior Leadership Team and create the conditions in which staff and volunteers can perform at their best.
This is not a role for a figurehead. We are looking for someone who can see the bigger picture, make difficult choices and turn strategy into practical action. You will be comfortable rolling up your sleeves when needed, but your greatest contribution will be enabling others to succeed.
Our ambitions remain strongly rooted in place. We believe there is significant potential to deepen our environmental and social impact across Shrewsbury and Shropshire rather than become a national organisation.
What you will lead
• lead the development and delivery of a clear, focused and financially sustainable strategy;
• strengthen the organisational foundations needed for our next stage;
• ensure safe, reliable and effective food-rescue and redistribution operations;
• lead organisational change with clarity, sensitivity and purpose;
• create an inclusive, enabling and accountable culture in which people can thrive;
• oversee financial sustainability and the development of a strong and balanced income base;
• support and develop our Senior Leadership Team;
• build trusted relationships with funders, suppliers, businesses, local authorities and community partners; and
• act as a visible, accessible and credible ambassador for Shrewsbury Food Hub.
The person we are looking for
You will already have successful senior leadership experience within a charity, social enterprise, public service or other purpose-led organisation.
You will be able to demonstrate experience of shaping strategy and turning it into clear priorities and results, alongside leading organisational development or change.
You will bring strong financial acumen, sound judgement and the ability to create clarity and focus in a busy organisation.
Just as importantly, you will be a genuine people leader.
We are looking for someone who is emotionally intelligent, approachable and able to build trust across a diverse community of staff, volunteers, trustees, founders and partners. You will know how to motivate and develop people, address difficult issues constructively and create an environment in which others are confident to take responsibility.
We do not expect one person to be a specialist in every aspect of the role.
We are particularly interested in candidates who bring substantial strength in either:
• operational and organisational leadership — including systems, processes, risk and organisational effectiveness; or
• income generation and external development — including fundraising, sustainable income, partnerships or business development.
You will need credible experience of working effectively with the other area, but you do not need to be an expert in both.
Previous Executive Director level experience is welcome but is not essential.
Above all, you will share our commitment to reducing food waste and strengthening our community, and you will lead in a way that reflects our values of Passion, Accountability, Inclusiveness, Integrity, Caring and Resilience.
A visible local leadership role
Shrewsbury Food Hub is built on relationships.
Although some home working may be possible, this role requires regular and visible presence at the Hub and across our local community. You will need to be comfortable spending time with volunteers, staff, suppliers, community partners and other stakeholders as well as working at Board and strategic level.
Flexible and part-time arrangements may be considered for an exceptional candidate where these can meet the leadership, visibility and accountability required by the role.
How to apply
Please submit your CV and cover letter (maximum of 3 pages outlining your suitability for the role) by 5pm on Friday 25th September 2026 to [email protected].
Shortlisted candidates will be invited to visit Shrewsbury Food Hub on Monday 5th October 2026. This will provide an opportunity to meet members of the team, see the Hub in action and gain a deeper understanding of the organisation ahead of the formal interview stage.
Further details about the formal interview process will be provided to shortlisted candidates.
Shrewsbury Food Hub values the strength that comes from different experiences and perspectives. We welcome applications from candidates with diverse backgrounds and are committed to a fair and accessible recruitment process.