SCHOOL FOOD MATTERS
28,000 per year
Remote
Full-time
30th November 2025
Job Description

Job Title:
Salary:
Position Type:
Reports to:
Based at:
Working Hours:
Pension:

Holiday:

Birmingham Project Officer
£28,000
Full time / Fixed term (12 months)
Scaling Manager
Remote, with travel to schools in Birmingham
5 days a week, 9am-5pm (flexible)
School Food Matters pays pension contributions at 7% of pensionable
earnings
31 days including bank holidays that fall on working days. Holidays must be
taken during the school holidays

This role requires occasional work outside of core hours (for example, if visiting a school breakfast
club). It also requires travel to schools across Birmingham, so access to a car would be desirable.
Training for delivery of the programme will be provided online and in person, and you will be expected
to travel outside of Birmingham for some of these training sessions.

Background to School Food Matters
At School Food Matters we believe that school food can unlock a happier, healthier, more sustainable
future for every child. We want a school food system that delivers for all children, so they can enjoy
nutritious, delicious and sustainable school food and leave school with an informed and positive
relationship with food. To achieve this, we campaign for a better school food system, bringing the
voices of children, parents, and teachers to government policy, and deliver fully funded food
education programmes in schools across the country.

Background to Nourish
Our Nourish programme supports schools to create a food environment that puts children and young
people's nutrition first. The evidence-based, multi-component programme helps schools to develop
action plans and policies to cover the food served across the whole school day. Nourish uses a
collaborative whole school approach to food involving everyone across the school community to
create lasting positive change.

Job purpose

•  To deliver Nourish in 6-8 schools in Birmingham (primary, secondary and SEND settings)

Key tasks include

•  Support with recruitment of schools to take part in Nourish
•  Complete in person food audits in schools looking across the whole school day
•  Support schools to create and deliver a food improvement plan (action plan)

•  Develop and deliver workshops in schools to staff, parents and students based on their action
plan (e.g. assemblies, cooking sessions, school food standards training, packed lunch advice,
food ed/sensory tasting sessions)

•  Support schools to write a school food policy
•  Build relationships and work closely with teachers, teaching assistants, chefs, kitchen teams

and senior leaders in schools to improve the food on offer to students

•  Collect data and maintain accurate records relating to the project
•  Work closely with our Evaluation team to complete all monitoring and evaluation
•  Work in collaboration with other Birmingham school food partners
•  Share learnings with other SFM regional Project Officers
•  Gather content for our Comms team (website and social media platforms)
•  Keep Scaling Manager fully updated on progress
•  Keep up to date with safeguarding requirements and reporting procedures
•  Maintaining the ethos of the charity and positively promoting our work at all times
•  You will also be expected to undertake any other tasks relevant to the affairs of SFM that may
arise from time to time.  Therefore, being flexible and approaching the job with an open and
positive mindset is essential.

Person specification
Essential

•  Registered nutritionist or advanced understanding of nutritional guidelines and health

promotion

•  Good interpersonal skills, with experience of building relationships
•  Confident engaging with a variety of audiences (students, headteachers, school staff and
parents), including communications via email, virtual and face to face meetings with the
ability to deliver workshops & presentations

•  Excellent administrative and organisational skills with great attention to detail
•  Excellent IT skills including excel, word and email
•  Able to work independently and remote
•  Self-motivated and optimistic with a can-do attitude
•  Ability to work in a team and seek help when needed

Desirable

•  Experience of engaging and working with schools and/or communities
•  Experience of working for a charity or not for profit organisation
•  Knowledge in food education and children’s health
•  Access to car

Applying for this job
Once you have thoroughly read this job description and had a careful look at our website including
our charter, please complete the application form here. The electronic form can be saved but you
may also find it helpful to use the word document here as a template.

Applications must be submitted by midnight on Sunday 30 November 2025 with interviews held
online on Friday 12 December 2025.

Please note:
School Food Matters is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young
people and expects all employees to share this commitment. If you are offered employment, you will
be subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service record check.

School Food Matters is a London Living Wage employer and is committed to creating an inclusive
work environment, where our team members are supported in expressing themselves and delivering
their best work. So, however you identify and whatever background you bring with you, please apply
if the role is one that would make you excited about coming into work every day.

School Food Matters is only able to employ people who are entitled to work in the UK and cannot
assist with work permit or immigration issues.