Compost Coordinator in Birmingham

Responsible to: Community Delivery & Development Lead

Hours of Work: 2 days or 10 hours a week

Location: Flexible working will be required across evenings and weekends at our Compost sites and main office; Hay Hall, Tyseley All Saints Church, Omnia Medical Practice

Contract Type: Fixed Term Contract 2 Years

Salary: Circa £7000

The Active Wellbeing Society (TAWS) is a community benefit society and cooperative working to develop healthy, happy communities living active and connected lives. Our vision is for a society where people have the autonomy, capacity, resources and skills to become the architects of their own destiny; where our individual wellbeing is recognised as being bound up in our collective responsibility to and dependency on each other; and where all of us feel empowered as agents of social change to make a difference – whether at an individual level or more widely.

By working collaboratively with communities, we aim to bring about sustainable change on a social, environmental and economic level; to do the social knitting required to create stronger and more resilient communities and to support communities to identify, mitigate and remove the barriers that prevent them from living active and connected lives.

Compost Culture is a five-year project taking place in Birmingham, supported by the National Lottery’s Climate Action Fund (NLCAF) and led by Incredible Surplus, that seeks to change the narrative on compost and support behaviour change, following a two-year initial project. This project will involve practical compost and growing initiatives alongside creative media and storytelling to show the relevance and importance of compost in how society moves forward. The project will build a resilient, self-sustaining network of composting and growing activity across Birmingham. It will inspire and support individuals, community groups, organisations and businesses to try composting and embed it as part of their daily activity and press the local authority and other agencies to support hyper-local composting as a valuable element of food waste management.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop a “Compost Village” approach across project sites by building strong relationships with households, community organisations, churches, local groups and schools.
• Facilitate community knowledge-sharing around composting, soil health, waste reduction, and the role composting plays in climate action and local sustainability.
• Support the development of local composting loops, encouraging communities to reuse organic materials effectively and reduce waste.
• Deliver a strong schools-focused programme, including educating pupils and school staff on composting, biodiversity, and environmental responsibility.
• Support the installation and ongoing use of Ridan composting systems within schools alongside other composting methods appropriate to each setting.
• Work collaboratively across project delivery, supporting wider engagement activities and site-based practical work.

Skills, Knowledge & Experience:

• A genuine passion for nature, sustainability, composting, and environmental education.
• Basic understanding of soil health, composting processes, growth cycles, and the organisms that support healthy ecosystems.
• Interest in biodiversity, wildlife, and “mini beasts” that contribute to healthy soil systems.
• Confident communicator with the ability to engage positively with schools, community groups, and volunteers.
• Good level of physical fitness, with the ability to undertake practical outdoor work while following safe lifting and manual handling guidelines.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a small delivery team.

Desirable:

• Experience working with schools, young people, or community engagement projects.
• Experience in composting, horticulture, environmental projects, or outdoor education.
• Knowledge of climate action, circular economy principles, or community sustainability initiatives.

We offer our team members a comprehensive staff benefits offering to include:

• 9 Day working week - every other Monday is Non-working!
• Annual Leave – 38 days! (Pro Rata) 25 days AL (increasing to 29 days with service) plus 5 wellbeing days and 8 bank holidays.
• Flexible working, home working and remote working options available.
• Nest Pension – 8% employer contribution - 3% employee contribution.
• Health Cash Plan – giving you discounts on everyday healthcare such as dental, optical, physio, prescriptions & more.
• Employee Assistance Programme (counselling and DRs on call 24hrs a day).
• Fantastic volunteering opportunities within The Active Wellbeing Society every month.

Please submit a cover letter demonstrating how you meet the competencies required for the Compost Coordinator. Ensure your application includes detailed responses to each of the questions outlined below before the closing date of the 22/05/2026.

• Practical knowledge of composting methods (eg aerobic methods, bokashi etc)
• Experience in community engagement or education around composting and sustainability
• Strong interest in sustainability and environmental stewardship
• Ability to plan, prioritise, achieve targets, and deliver to deadlines
• Excellent communication skills.

Due to the high numbers of applications we received for our job vacancies, we may close application windows early, so we would encourage you to submit your application ASAP. We will provide all applicants with an outcome on your application, this will usually be within 1 week of the application window closing. Successful applicants will be required to be DBS checked prior to starting.

Our customers come from all walks of life and so do we, in recruiting for our team we welcome the unique contributions that you can bring. The Active Wellbeing Society is committed to being an equal opportunity employer, we recruit based upon capability and all applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership status, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.

At The Active Wellbeing Society we are searching for people who share the passion for what we do with different backgrounds, perspectives and experiences, collectively making a difference.

If there is anything we can do to assist you in your application or preparations to be interviewed for one of our job vacancies please let us know and we can ensure you have a positive and comfortable experience. Thank you for your interest in working for The Active Wellbeing Society, we look forward to receiving your application.

If you have any questions once you have read the Job Description or would like an informal chat about us, and/or, the role, please contact: [email protected] and we will be happy to help. As part of your application, please specify which vacancy you are interested in. Please note if you don't make reference to your preference, we will assume you are interested in either vacancy. Thank you once again.