Join our team! We are recruiting.
Jade Madden • August 11, 2021
Logistics and Quality Coordinator - Closing Date Friday 20th August
We are a small, friendly team making a big difference. We value and invest in our staff (as highlighted by this example: https://www.jts.co.uk/the-jts-i-know). If you would like to join us and have the right skills and experience, we will make sure that you have the training required to undertake your role and that you are rewarded for your commitment and expertise. We offer 34 days holidays (including bank holidays and a Christmas/New year shutdown) and are happy to consider requests for flexible working.
Context
JTS is an ethical food business with a strong focus on people and planet. At JTS we see our fundamental role as providing smallholder farmers and producers from the developing world with a UK market and educating UK consumers. Our current plans seek to ensure JTS capitalises on the significant opportunity it has been given for growth and our focus is on building JTS towards sustainability.
This role, reporting to the Operations Manager, will be pivotal to the implementation of our growth plans as we continue to develop our current business and put in place building blocks that will enable significant future growth.
Role and Responsibilities
• To co-ordinate the procurement, inbound logistics and product processing for any product purchases including taking part in quality checking
• To work with other members of the team and external support to develop and implement new business development plans
Key Tasks
Core tasks
• Work with others to understand requirement for any product purchases and then co-ordinate the procurement, inbound logistics and product processing for these including raising and managing POs, arranging and managing freight-in, including all document requirements and dealing with logistics and processing companies to ensure safe and timely receipt of stock (including Gold Seal Samples as required)
• Goods in processing – work with the Operations Manager to ensure all quality and weight checks are carried out and recorded, ensuring appropriate retained sample processes are in place and adhered to.
• Own the JTS Quality Management System (QMS) and associated procurement processes and act as the key point of contact for external food labelling and food standards expertise
• Develop good supplier relationships and liaise with suppliers re certifications and product specs and other aspects of the QMS as well as to monitor partnership agreements
• Book freight out and coordinate despatch admin
• Work with other members of the team and external support to develop and implement new business development plans including liaison with producers on possible range changes
Key business reporting and administration
• Ensure all product purchases and associated documentation is appropriately stored on the system
• Provide inputs to management/KPI/board reporting as requested
Miscellaneous
Support the operations manager with warehouse tasks as required and support wider sales and warehouse activity particularly during holiday periods.
Carry out any other work necessary to maintain excellent customer service, and any other duties commensurate with this post, or as reasonably requested by management.
Skills required
• Knowledge of logistics and importing
• Numerate with an organised, logical approach
• Competent user of IT – specifically Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Word and Sage
• Good communication skills, written and verbal
• Good team working skills, with an ability to support and challenge others and work on your own initiative in a target driven environment
How to apply
Send your CV and covering letter to info@jts.co.uk.
Our MD Tracy Mitchell was delighted to take part in the launch of the UK Malawi Chamber of Commerce Scotland (UKMCC) Chapter in Edinburgh today. The event was hosted by the Scotland Malawi Partnership and chaired by Mr Hannington Gondwe, Chief Executive of the UKMCC. It was an inspiring afternoon thinking about growing meaningful trade partnerships between Malawi and Scotland (and the UK more widely). Guests heard from several distinguished speakers including; by video link the President of Malawi, Lazarus Chakwera and the Minister of Trade and Industry. Vitombiko Mumba, The focus was on wealth creation, job creation and food security as part of its Vision 2063 and clearly sees trade as crucial for transformation.
At True Origin, we know many of you love our range of jams, marmalades, chutneys, and sauces from Eswatini Kitchen and have been awaiting an update on their availability. Unfortunately, after six months, we have still not received any clear answers or reassurances to give us confidence that the food safety issue that came to light in November 2024 has been properly addressed. As a result, we are not able to restock these products. As a fair trade business, guided by the Ten Principles of Fair Trade, True Origin sought the guidance and advice of WFTO on this matter to ensure that we have done as much as we possibly could to avoid this outcome. We are, however, seeking a new supplier to continue supporting farmers and producers in the Kingdom of Eswatini and to provide you with fair trade jams, marmalades, chutneys and sauces. We will of course let you know as soon as we have replacement products confirmed. The following products are being discontinued: • Peach & Ginger Jam • Lime Marmalade • Orange Marmalade • Orange & Cinnamon Marmalade • Ruby Grapefruit Marmalade • Medium Curry Sauce • Swazi Fire • Lime Pickle • Mango Pickle • Vegetable Pickle • Hot Mango Chutney • Mixed Fruit Chutney • Pineapple Chutney • Piquante Peppers Marula Jelly The details for the recall are here . Please note that the following jams and sauces are still available as these come from different suppliers: Guava Jam Hibiscus Jam Papaya & Lemon Jam Pineapple Jam Tomato & Chilli Sauce Tomato & Garlic Sauce If you have any questions, please do get in touch info@trueorigin.org.uk
After six years of leadership, Mary Popple has retired from her role as Chair of the True Origin Board to assume the role as an ordinary board member. She leaves a legacy of steadfast, values-led leadership, resilience and commitment to Fair Trade during a period of significant transition for the social enterprise. First appointed to the True Origin Board in 2013, Mary became the first woman to take on the role of Chair in April 2019. Her journey into the position was shaped by a successful career in the IT industry and a passion for Fair Trade. Mary was an active member of the influential St Andrews Fair Trade group which successfully campaigned to designate the town as a Fairtrade area, and for The Open Golf championship to become the first UK sports tournament to commit to using Fairtrade products. This was complemented with over twenty years’ experience of involvement in other trade justice and development opportunities for women. During her six-year tenure as Chair of the True Origin board, Mary strategically led the social enterprise through a challenging external environment at a challenging time for many small businesses. Less than a year into her new role, the Covid pandemic emerged, causing significant uncertainty for staff, producers and customers as well as disruption in global supply chains. The war in Ukraine and cost-of-living crisis soon followed. Despite the challenges, under Mary’s leadership, True Origin generated over £2.3million in sales income that included £733,000 worth of Kilombero rice from Malawi. That’s equivalent to 245 tonnes or nearly 5 million servings of rice! The sale of the rice provides families in Malawi, one of the least developed countries in the world, with sustainable incomes and better food security. Mary played an instrumental role in rolling out the social enterprise’s rebrand and positioning the organisation as the go-to place for fair and fine products under the new True Origin banner. The product range subsequently increased during her tenure, solidifying True Origin’s reputation in the fine foods market. New products included a range of condiments such the soon-to-become both a customer favourite and one of Mary’s favourite products, sun-dried fig balsamic reduction as well as the popular beer bread of which over 150,000 packets were sold during her term. Mary’s leadership as Chair will also be remembered for her values-led approach, guiding the organisation to decisions with its founding fair trade principles in mind and the interests of producers always at the forefront. She invested time in expanding the board’s skillset and further developing the organisation’s robust governance procedures, upholding True Origin’s commitment to transparency with its stakeholders and leaving the organisation in a strong position to tackle future challenges. She also brought an instinctive knowledge of Fair Trade customers in Scotland and beyond to the role.
Our former Operations Manager and now volunteer, Liam McLaughlin caught up with Kenneth Mwakasungula on the challenges of being a Kilombero Rice farmer
R eflections on the recent visit of Howard Msukwa, Rice Farmer from Kaporo Smallholder Farmer Association (KASFA)