Join City Harvest as Interim CEO and play an integral part in London's safe, sustainable solution to surplus food redistribution. City Harvest rescues food, people and the planet.
We ensure no good food is wasted and your surplus reaches those who need it most, diverted from landfill. We also help companies achieve Sustainable Development Goals. We provide free food to organisations supporting the homeless, food banks, children and family groups providing food parcels, community and faith groups feeding those in need, women’s refuges, the elderly and mental health groups.
‘The Office’ – award winning content series showing our staff explaining what they do and who we feed. Our drivers are our ambassadors who are paid the London Living wage and have unique bonds with the charities they deliver to on their weekly routes.
BBC Radio 1: The benefits of City Harvest’s Food Redistribution Solution.
Sky News: City Harvest CEO responds to news of £15 million fund.
City Harvest Food Charity: Investing in Volunteers Accredited.
Dining in the Depot: celebrating 10 years of City Harvest.
Who we are
City Harvest is London’s original surplus food redistribution charity, delivering free nutritious food to 350+ organisations. Due to the rising cost of living, 1 in 4 people face food poverty in London, with the use of food banks a ‘new normal’ for far too many.
City Harvest is a sustainable solution to food businesses and society, tackling food waste and food poverty. Rescuing Food, People and Planet. Every day, our fleet of vans rescues surplus food from retailers, manufacturers, markets and events, resulting in the reduction of food waste and greenhouse gas emissions. We currently deliver food for 15 million meals a year, that’s food for 41,000+ meals a day!
Ten years old, our roots are deep and far-reaching across London. First responders to Grenfell, emergency workers in the pandemic, City Harvest continues its mission to rescue and feed people in need across all London Boroughs.
We are the charity for charities supporting the homeless, food banks, children and family groups providing food parcels, community and faith groups feeding those in need, women’s refuges, the elderly and mental health groups. If people need food, we will do everything we can to help.
About the role
City Harvest is seeking an experienced, values-led Interim Chief Executive Officer to guide the organisation through a period of revitalisation.
This is a unique leadership opportunity to shape the future of one of the capital’s most vital social impact organisations, ensuring food reaches people who need it most, safely, efficiently and with dignity.
As Interim CEO, you will provide strategic clarity, operational stability and inclusive leadership. Working closely with the Board of Trustees and senior leadership team, you will:
- Build trust and alignment with people across the organisation and wider community.
- Strengthen our long-term financial situation, building sustainability and driving income growth.
- Lead a cultural shift to build a more transparent, inclusive, high-performing environment.
- Ensure the continued delivery of safe, reliable, and efficient food redistribution services.
- Develop and execute a short-term business plan within the first two months, with clear milestones across the duration of the contract.
This is an opportunity to apply your senior leadership experience to an organisation tackling some of today’s most pressing challenges.
Who we are looking for
You are a proven leader who thrives in periods of change. You bring a clear, compassionate and collaborative leadership style, along with commercial acumen, to deliver performance under pressure.
Essential:
- CEO/COO experience in a charity or social enterprise
- Successful track record of organisational development
- Deep experience in financial management (budgets of at least £4M)
- Exceptional stakeholder engagement and communication skills
Desirable:
- Experience with volunteer-based operations, logistics, or warehouse management
- Strong understanding of charitable fundraising and/or income generation strategies
- Familiarity with safeguarding and health & safety in a fast-paced environment
- Enthusiasm for the City Harvest mission “to reduce food poverty and protect the planet by diverting nutritious food from waste to those in need.”
Charity experience is essential, and it would be desirable to have experience in a complex operations business, such as logistics or supply chain.
This is a pivotal moment for City Harvest. The need for our services is growing. With your leadership, we can move into our next chapter with renewed confidence, clarity, and compassion — delivering life-changing impact for thousands of people across London.
If you share in our vision and have the change management and transformation experience to help make that vision happen, we would love to hear from you.
For further information about the role or to arrange a confidential discussion, please contact our advising consultant at Peridot Partners:
Louise Steer | louise@peridotpartners.co.uk | 07903 713862
Welcome from the Chair of Trustees
Welcome to City Harvest – Join Us in Feeding London and Fighting Food Waste
City Harvest plays a vital role in London — rescuing food, people, and the planet. As the capital’s original food redistribution charity, we are on a mission to reduce hunger and food waste, delivering free, nutritious food to those who need it most.
From humble beginnings in 2014, City Harvest has grown into a high-impact organisation. This year alone, we expect to deliver the equivalent of over 16.5 million meals across the city. Our work is powered by a dedicated team of around 70 staff and the incredible support of volunteers who contribute over 32,000 hours annually.
We are now seeking a dynamic and values-led Interim CEO to guide City Harvest through its next chapter.
This is an exciting and demanding role — one that requires energy, empathy, and a strong operational mindset. We’re looking for someone who can:
- Quickly build trust and strong relationships with our team, partners, and wider stakeholders.
- Champion an inclusive, positive, and mission-driven culture.
- Identify opportunities to improve operational performance and delivery.
- Find efficiencies and ensure long-term financial sustainability, safeguarding our future impact.
This is a pivotal moment for City Harvest. The need for our services is growing, and we’re evolving fast to meet it. The Interim CEO will play a key role in sustaining our momentum while preparing the ground for long-term leadership.
We welcome applications from individuals with the experience, resilience, and passion to take on this meaningful challenge. If you’re inspired by the opportunity to lead an organisation making a real difference every day, we would love to hear from you.
Thank you for your interest — we look forward to meeting you.
Warm regards,
Paul Freeston
Chair of Trustees
About City Harvest
Due to the rising cost of living, 1 in 4 people can’t afford to eat. Despite often working two jobs, the use of foodbanks has become the new normal for far too many. We support 350+ community partners over 30 London boroughs and beyond, rescuing an average of 140 tonnes of food a week. In 2024, we delivered food for 14.5 million meals.
We work with the food industry to reduce waste and ensure their surplus reaches people who face food insecurity and are unable to feed their families.
Our fleet of vans delivers free food that feeds over 130,000 people a week. All food collected and delivered is free of charge, supporting the homeless, food banks, children and family groups providing food parcels, community and faith groups feeding those in need, women’s refuges, the elderly and mental health groups.
City Harvest helps businesses deliver on their commitment to many of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals by diverting food from landfill, reducing costs for businesses and helping communities thrive. Our donor impact reporting provides valuable detail for ESG and CSR purposes.
Thank you for your interest in this role. Please download the Role Description and Person Specification.
To formally apply, please submit a CV and supporting statement (ideally maximum 2 sides of A4 each) that clearly outlines your suitability for the role against the criteria provided in the person specification, including your interest and motivation in applying for this position.
Please include your home address, contact email and mobile.
Please ensure that your application is emailed to response@peridotpartners.co.uk, inserting “Application: City Harvest—Interim CEO” into the subject field. You will receive an acknowledgement of receipt within 2-3 days. If you do not receive an acknowledgement, please contact our admin team.
For further information about the role or to arrange a confidential discussion, please contact our advising consultant at Peridot Partners:
Louise Steer | louise@peridotpartners.co.uk | 07903 713862
As a sector-leading executive search consultancy, we know the importance of creating recruitment processes that are fair, inclusive, and free from bias. We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and developing a process that values differences.
If you have a disability that meets the definition set out in the Equality Act 2010 and can show that you meet the ‘essential’ criteria described in the person specification, please let us know.
If you require any job information in an alternative format (e.g. large print), please contact Louise Steer. Please also let us know if you would like to submit your application in an alternative format.
Recruitment selection processes are based on evidence of competence stated in the person specification and in relation to our values.
Timetable
Closing date: 9 a.m. Wednesday 15th October 2025
Candidates informed of outcome: Thursday 16th October 2025
Interviews: Thursday 23rd or Friday 24th October TBC
We are in the process of confirming interview dates. Once confirmed, we will update the site and contact those who have applied.
Equal Opportunities Monitoring
Peridot and City Harvest are committed to promoting equality and diversity. To help us raise awareness and support a culture that is diverse and recognises and develops the potential of all, we need to appreciate the profile of candidates who apply for positions. We will send you an equality monitoring survey at the point of receiving your application and at the time of placement. This ensures that our processes remain inclusive and equitable throughout, and provides us with important data to help us showcase our impact.
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