Job Description

Job description
The Network Lead plays a central role in helping us achieve our vision to end the need for food banks in the UK. This is a varied, proactive and fast-paced role leading work to support our food banks to deliver a warm welcome, emergency food, and access to tailored support and advice for people experiencing poverty in communities across Northern Ireland, while we work together for long-term structural changes to tackle drivers of food bank need.


The role involves line management of Area Managers working directly with Food Banks, and the coordination of projects and partnerships to support food banks in our network to reduce the need for their services locally.

Role responsibilities

Food Bank Support:

Manage the delivery of support to food banks in Northern Ireland ensuring our community of food banks remain resilient and can provide a compassionate service to people in need of emergency food for as long as services are needed.

Strategic Leadership:

Coordinate the delivery of strategic programmes of work that are part of Trusell's five-year strategy to end the need for food banks, including through developing and delivering Northern Ireland specific priorities.

Projects and partnerships:

Build partnerships with organisations to develop and build services and systems that help end the need for food banks in Northern Ireland, including with national government, elected representatives, churches, community organisations and research bodies.

Team Leadership:

Provide leadership, support, coaching, development, and line management to the area managers.

Risk Management:

Ensure consistent quality assurance of food banks across Northern Ireland, in line with the risk framework and support area managers to deal with complaints and manage food banks with high risks.

Cross-organisational working:

Act as a liaison between the area team, other teams within the Food Bank Resilience Programme, and other Programme colleagues, managing the flow of ideas and feedback to positive effect.

Person Specification

Technical skills and minimum knowledge:


Confidence in representing Trussell with a range of stakeholders, including community and church leaders, civil servants and elected representatives, to enable the effective roll-out of the organisational strategy in Northern Ireland.

Knowledge and experience of community development or local service provision and a good understanding of local systems of support relied upon by people experiencing poverty.

Experience of managing projects and partnerships, from inception to evaluation, to achieve strategic goals.

Experience of team leadership including line management and supervision, including dealing with performance issues and using coaching skills.

Competent and efficient use of IT, including the main Microsoft Office programmes and database management.

Behaviours and competencies:


Demonstrates a commitment to Trussell values and our vision and mission

Demonstrates empathy for people from disadvantaged, marginalised or socially- excluded backgrounds

Role models inclusive behaviour, values and leadership

Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, particularly listening skills.

Confident, resilient and self-motivated team player

Well-organised and able to juggle competing priorities.

* The ability to build effective relationships in contexts where Christian faith plays a major part, and in which people of all faiths and none collaborate to make a difference together.