Find your place in the field of good food

Our goal is to connect good people with good food. We advertise sustainable food jobs and training opportunities to help jobseekers and employers find each other.

Roots to Work is a project of Sustain: the alliance for better food and farming.

Job description

HGV Driver (7.5T) – Surplus Food Redistribution

Hours: 37.5 hours per week (Monday to Friday, 08:00–16:30 with flexibility required between 07:00–18:30 depending on shift pattern)

Terms: Rolling 12 month fixed term, 25 days holiday pa (pro rata, exc. Bank Holidays), 5% pension contribution after 3 full months: there will be a requirement to work some bank holidays

Location: Bristol – West of England

About FareShare South West FareShare South West (FSSW) joins the dots between food waste and hunger, empowering communities to turn an environmental problem into lasting social good. We rescue tonnes of quality surplus food from the industry and share it with charities and schools to bring health, dignity, and routes out of poverty for people across the South West. Our supportive volunteering and employability programmes offer local people the opportunity to thrive. By joining us, you’ll be part of an inclusive, friendly team in a small but fast-growing charity that helps fight the injustice of who gets to afford a healthy diet. FareShare South West is an independent local charity, working in partnership with FareShare UK. By being part of the national FareShare network, we can help rescue more food. By being small and independent, we can remain close to our local partners and people and continuously adapt to meet the needs of local communities. The member charities we share food with transform lives, using food to connect people with other support and routes out of poverty, including children and families, people on low incomes, homeless people, refugees, domestic abuse survivors, people in recovery, older people, and many others.

Purpose of the role The HGV Driver plays a key role in FareShare South West’s mission to reduce food waste and fight hunger across the South West. You will be responsible for collecting surplus food from suppliers and delivering it to our Plymouth depot. The role primarily involves driving a 7.5T vehicle and may also require operating other vehicles in our fleet. As an ambassador for FareShare South West, you will provide excellent customer service to food suppliers and work closely with our operations team to ensure food is transported safely, efficiently, and with care.

Key Responsibilities Driving, Collection & Delivery

• Collect surplus food from food suppliers, farms, and warehouses across the region
• Deliver stock to our depot in accordance with delivery schedules
• Communicate proactively with the operations team about route issues, delays, or changes
• Carry out visual checks on all goods, highlighting any quality issues or discrepancies before loading
• Maintain accurate delivery and collection records in line with internal and legal requirements

Customer Service & Representation

• Provide excellent service to all food suppliers, acting as a professional and friendly ambassador for FSSW
• Build positive relationships with suppliers
• Act as a point of contact between supplier sites, the food team and operations, escalating any issues as needed
• Build positive relationships with suppliers, providing feedback from suppliers and contribute to the continuous improvement of our logistics service

Vehicle Maintenance & Compliance

• Carry out daily vehicle checks and report any accidents, incidents, defects, or concerns
• Comply with all relevant driving laws and working time regulations, including tachograph use and payload limits
• Liaise with the Fleet manager on vehicle servicing and repairs
• Follow FareShare’s procedures for Food Hygiene, Health & Safety, and vehicle cleanliness

General Operational Support

• Support warehouse operations between driving activities, including loading, unloading, and occasional forklift use (if qualified)
• Undertake relevant training in Food Hygiene, Manual Handling, and Health & Safety as required
• Contribute to a positive, inclusive, and safety-conscious working environment

Person Specification Essential

• Full, clean UK driving license with Category C1 (7.5T) entitlement
• Valid Driver Qualification Card (CPC)
• Minimum of 1 years’ experience driving a 7.5T or larger vehicle
• Physically capable of lifting and moving goods as part of daily duties
• Experience working within a health and safety-focused environment
• Good geographic knowledge and confident navigation skills
• Strong communication and customer service skills
• Reliable, proactive, and able to work independently
• Positive and professional attitude
• A strong alignment with FareShare South West’s mission and values

Desirable

• Experience in multi-drop delivery driving
• Accredited forklift truck license (counterbalance)
• Experience in a food handling or distribution environment
• Level 2 Food Hygiene qualification (or willingness to obtain)
• Previous experience working in a charity or community organization

Application information

We welcome applications from people with convictions. This role requires an enhanced DBS check so applicants will be asked to disclose relevant unspent convictions at a later stage of the recruitment process. If you are asked to disclose, the information will be handled confidentially and used to assess your suitability for the role. 

We want to work with you to make sure that the recruitment process is accessible for you. If you have any questions about the post, please contact recruitment@faresharesouthwest.org.uk or call 0117 954 2220 to let us know how we can support your access needs. 

To apply, please send your CV and a cover letter explaining why you would be a good fit for the role to recruitment@faresharesouthwest.org.uk. 

Closing date: 5 June

Please visit our website to view the full job specification and application instructions: https://faresharesouthwest.org.uk/careers

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