Salary: £36,000 to £38,000 (Grade 6)
Hours: 35 hours per week, flexible working considered
Responsible to: National Operations Manager
Location: Based within the allocated Food Train region, with regular travel throughout the region and occasional travel to other Food Train locations across Scotland as required
Closing date: 11.59pm, Sunday 30 August 2026
Interviews: Week commencing 14 September 2026
Help older people eat well, age well and live well
Food Train is looking for an experienced and enthusiastic Regional Manager to lead our work across Forth Valley and West Lothian.
This is a key leadership role, responsible for supporting our staff and volunteers, ensuring our services are high quality and sustainable, and developing the partnerships that will help us reach and support more older people.
You will bring strong people leadership and operational management skills, alongside the confidence to build relationships with partners and represent Food Train across the region.
We are looking for someone who can see the bigger picture while making sure things work well day to day. You will be comfortable leading people, managing competing priorities, improving services and turning opportunities into action.
Most importantly, you will share our commitment to ensuring older people have access to nutritious food, compassionate support and the connections they need to live independently and with dignity.
If you are looking for a leadership role where you can make a real difference in communities across Forth Valley and West Lothian, we would love to hear from you.
Full details of the Regional Manager role are below. Please submit an updated CV which reflects how your skills and experience match the requirements of the role.
Closing date: 11.59pm, Sunday 30 August 2026
Job Purpose
The Regional Manager provides strategic, operational and people leadership across Food Train services within their region.
Working closely with staff, volunteers, members, partners and national colleagues, the postholder is responsible for ensuring services are safe, sustainable, high quality and person centred, while leading regional growth, developing partnerships and supporting teams to deliver excellent outcomes for older people.
The Regional Manager provides leadership across all aspects of regional performance, ensuring services are delivered in line with Food Train's values, strategic priorities and organisational objectives. The postholder works collaboratively across Food Train, maintaining service continuity, supporting organisational development and contributing to the achievement of national goals.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership
- Lead the development and delivery of regional service plans aligned with Food Train's strategic priorities and business objectives.
- Develop and maintain productive relationships with local authorities, Health and Social Care Partnerships, NHS organisations, community planning partners and other key stakeholders.
- Represent Food Train within regional partnerships, strategic forums and community networks.
- Contribute to organisational business planning, service development, risk management and budget planning.
- Contribute to organisational policy development, influencing activity and Food Train's national profile.
Operational Leadership
- Lead the safe, efficient and sustainable delivery of Food Train services across the region.
- Provide leadership and oversight of day to day operational performance, supporting local teams to maintain continuity of services during periods of operational pressure.
- Ensure services are delivered in line with organisational policies, procedures, quality standards and best practice.
- Monitor regional service performance and implement service improvements that enhance quality, efficiency and member outcomes.
- Ensure operational, financial and administrative processes are completed accurately and within agreed timescales.
- Oversee the management of regional premises, fleet, equipment and other operational resources.
- Ensure appropriate contingency arrangements are in place to maintain continuity of services.
People Leadership
- Lead, motivate and support regional staff teams to deliver high quality, person centred services.
- Provide effective line management, supervision, coaching, performance management and professional development.
- Foster a positive, inclusive and high performing team culture that reflects Food Train's values.
- Support workforce planning, succession planning and organisational development.
- Ensure volunteers are effectively supported through local management arrangements, working closely with regional staff.
- Promote staff wellbeing, learning and continuous professional development.
Partnerships and Community Leadership
- Build and maintain productive relationships with statutory, voluntary, community and commercial partners.
- Promote Food Train services and represent the organisation across the region.
- Support local fundraising, awareness raising and community engagement activities.
- Develop opportunities to increase membership, volunteering and community impact.
- Act as an ambassador for Food Train, promoting the organisation's vision, mission and values.
Operational Performance
- Monitor regional performance against agreed objectives, service standards and key performance indicators.
- Oversee regional budgets, financial performance and delegated resources.
- Ensure contractual reporting, monitoring, invoicing and funding requirements are completed accurately and within agreed timescales.
- Complete operational, financial and management reporting in accordance with organisational requirements.
- Identify strategic and operational risks, implementing appropriate mitigation and escalation where necessary.
- Lead regional service planning and continuous improvement activity.
Team Working and Collaboration
- Work collaboratively with colleagues across Food Train to support organisational objectives and national priorities.
- Provide leadership and support across regional boundaries where required.
- Maintain the knowledge and understanding required to support all aspects of regional service delivery and organisational resilience.
- Share knowledge, learning and good practice across Food Train.
- Contribute to a positive, supportive and solution focused organisational culture.
Decision Making
The Regional Manager is expected to:
- Lead and prioritise the delivery of regional services and operational activity.
- Allocate staffing and operational resources to meet changing service demands.
- Make decisions relating to service delivery, operational performance and regional priorities.
- Develop strategic partnerships and identify opportunities to strengthen regional services.
- Manage regional budgets within delegated authority.
- Escalate significant operational, safeguarding, financial, staffing or strategic issues to the National Operations Manager.
Health, Safety and Quality
- Ensure compliance with health and safety requirements across the region.
- Lead safeguarding and adult protection responsibilities.
- Maintain compliance with data protection and information governance requirements.
- Contribute to organisational quality assurance and continuous improvement.
- Promote a culture of safety, inclusion and wellbeing.
Person Specification
Essential Knowledge and Experience
- Demonstrable experience of leading and managing services, projects or operational teams.
- Experience of leading, motivating and developing staff.
- Experience of developing effective partnerships with a wide range of stakeholders.
- Experience of operational and financial management, including budgets and resource planning.
- Experience of planning, monitoring and improving service performance.
- Excellent leadership, communication and relationship building skills.
- Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage competing priorities and complex workloads.
- Experience of working independently while contributing to wider organisational objectives.
- Competent IT skills, including Microsoft 365, Teams, database systems and digital reporting tools.
- Commitment to Food Train's values and person centred approach.
- Full driving licence and access to transport, with the ability to travel throughout the region.
Desirable Knowledge and Experience
- Experience within the voluntary, community, health or social care sectors.
- Knowledge of issues affecting older people.
- Experience managing volunteers and community based services.
- Knowledge of local government, Health and Social Care Partnerships and relevant policy.
- Experience of fundraising, service development or business growth.
- Knowledge of safeguarding and adult protection responsibilities.
Key Competencies
Strategic Leadership
Provides clear direction, leads change effectively and supports the achievement of Food Train's strategic ambitions.
People Leadership
Develops, motivates and empowers staff and volunteers, creating a positive, inclusive and high performing culture.
Relationship Building
Builds trusted relationships with colleagues, members, volunteers, partners, funders and stakeholders.
Communication
Communicates clearly, confidently and professionally with a wide range of audiences.
Planning and Organisation
Leads complex services effectively, balancing competing priorities while achieving agreed objectives.
Problem Solving
Uses sound judgement, resilience and creativity to resolve operational and strategic challenges.
Continuous Improvement
Uses performance data, feedback and learning to improve services, strengthen partnerships and increase organisational impact.
Our Commitment
Food Train is committed to ensuring every older person has access to nutritious food, compassionate support and meaningful connections. We value diversity, promote inclusion and encourage applications from people with a wide range of backgrounds and experiences.
Why this role matters
Every day, older people across Scotland rely on Food Train to provide nutritious food, compassionate support and meaningful connections that help them live independently. The Regional Manager plays a vital role in ensuring these services are safe, sustainable and responsive by providing strategic leadership, supporting high performing teams and developing the partnerships that enable Food Train to thrive.
Through effective leadership, sound operational management and a commitment to continuous improvement, the Regional Manager helps ensure more older people can eat well, age well and live well. By supporting staff and volunteers, strengthening local partnerships and driving service development, this role enables Food Train to deliver its strategic ambitions while keeping older people at the heart of everything we do.
Pay: £36,000.00 per year
Work Location: In person
