The Organisation:
Akshaya Patra’s guiding principle is that no child should be deprived of education because of hunger.  We began in India over 22 years ago with a view to combining outstanding science with impeccable systems, all led by a deep spiritual core to ensure that we solve the problem of classroom nutrition with speed and at scale. We believe in the transformative power of food which can turbo-charge education of our children for a better future. Akshaya Patra pioneered the tri-sector model where State authorities, public and private sector companies and charities come together to create massive and lasting change.
In India we now serve over two million meals a day to school children and aim to serve over three million meals a day by 2025.

In the UK, Akshaya Patra has historically raised funds from individuals and organisations based in the UK to support the work we do in India.  In 2019, we took the decision to directly address the growing problem of holiday hunger in the UK, and opened our first state-of-the-art kitchen in Watford, with support from the GMSP Foundation.  

We estimate that over three million children suffer from food poverty in the UK.  This problem is particularly acute during school holidays, when children are not able to benefit from the Free School Meals programme. Our mission in the UK is to serve hot, nutritious meals to children in Greater London boroughs during holiday periods, and to other vulnerable people in need (via distribution in central London).  We fundraise in the UK to support our operations in the UK and India. 
Our longer-term objective is to expand the geographic scope of our Nourish to Flourish programme, by establishing kitchen operations in other locations in the UK.  The pandemic and the subsequent downturn in the global economy have led to an increase in food insecurity for children across the UK.  Our goal is to develop a sustainable, scalable model for providing nutritious meals to children in need, expanding operations to meet demand and as funding permits.  

For more information about our work, visit our website: https://tapf.org.uk/

The Role:
In our 10th year of operations in the UK, we are at an exciting stage in our development.  This is an opportunity to join our dynamic organisation and to be instrumental in the delivery of our ambitious strategy. 

As the new Chief Executive, you will lead the charity through the next phase of our development, identifying and developing our contribution to address these challenges and the immense opportunity to create massive social transformation. Working collaboratively with the Board, staff team, volunteers, donors, partners and our colleagues in India, you will identify the key strategic priorities for the charity, and the partnerships, relationships and resources required to successfully deliver them. You will work strategically with other stakeholders in the meal preparation and delivery space, as well as thought leaders, opinion formers and policy leads. As the Chief Executive you will live our values – evidence based, empowering, community focussed, inclusive, compassionate, ayurvedic, collaborative and dynamic. 

Person specification:
•    Senior leadership experience within a large complex organisation
•    A demonstrable track record of leading and motivating a high-performing growth orientated leadership team and organisation.
•    An impressive track record of developing and retaining relationships with a wide range of stakeholders.
•    Commercial business development and financial leadership experience with a track record of leading business growth.
•    Understanding of logistically complex operations and how to drive efficiency and operational excellence.

For a full role description and person specification, please download the Candidate Information Pack. 

How to Apply:
If you are interested in applying for this role, please ensure you provide:

•    A comprehensive CV, including your recent achievements, and the details of two referees.
•    A supporting statement addressing your motivations for applying. This should be no longer than two sides of A4.

For a confidential discussion about the role, please contact Melissa Baxter (melissa.baxter@russam.co.uk / 07789 985229)

Closing date for applications: Monday 9th January 2023
Preliminary Interviews with Russam: Friday 13th and Monday 16th January 2023
Interviews with The Akshaya Patra Foundation UK: w/c 23rd January 2023

We look forward to receiving your application.