Sustainable Food Systems Curriculum Manager

The Role:

The Sustainable Food Systems Curriculum Manager will have overarching and day-to-day responsibility for leading The King’s Foundation’s Sustainable Food Systems education initiatives, including leading on the content development, strategic vision and overseeing delivery of existing and new programmes including the flagship Food for the Future Programme in partnership with Jamie Oliver and Jimmy Doherty. They will lead on creating and delivering relevant day and multi-day programmes that demonstrate the connection between the food we grow, that identify opportunities to reduce food waste and the effect of good nutrition in the food we eat.

The post holder will also be responsible for convening industry and education events to ensure relevance of the programme as well as demonstrate best practice. Delivery of programmes is mainly at Dumfries House, utilising the organic education garden and cooking classroom as well as making connections between other curriculum areas delivered on site including STEM, textiles and farming.

The post holder will take a strategic and operational role in the development and implementation of education activity, training programmes and public events. They will ensure all programmes link to the priorities laid out in the organisation strategic plan. The post holder will manage evaluation approaches across the related programme areas and be responsible for producing a number of reports in line with funding requirements.

The post holder will be an enthusiastic individual, knowledgeable about best practice in growing food and be able to educate learners at different stages while managing a small team.

Drawing on the experience and knowledge of the King’s Foundation and the Harmony approach in delivering education, the post holder will be responsible for assisting in the maintaining and growing a network of affiliate educational institutions, industry partners, placement providers and supporters and ensuring the delivery of high-quality education courses to students.

Key Tasks

Specific Duties will include:

Curriculum

• Support the Education Director in the delivery of the King’s Foundation’s education strategy and reviewing against aims and targets annually.
• Design, Develop and Deliver innovative education activities that match our aims, to our various audiences with support from the Sustainable Food Systems Educator and other curriculum areas.
• Responsible for line managing staff and tutors involved in the delivery of the relevant programmes.
• Identify opportunities to develop innovative new programmes to complement the existing education landscape both as commercial opportunities and those that match organisational priorities in response to sector, environment and policy changes.
• Implement a City and Guilds certification for Food for the Future with support of the Vocational Qualifications Coordinator.

Stakeholder and Funder Relationships

Manage external stakeholders and consultants utilised in the delivery of education programmes and maintain relationships with collaborating organisations, industry and education sectors.

Administrative

Maintain effective administrative systems, policies, and procedures to provide an organised and efficient structure for the delivery of programmes. These will include:

• Timetables/programming
• Student Recruitment
• Attendance records
• Facilities and resource management and budget planning
• Evaluation of programme delivery
• Annual and funding report content

Budget and Finance

• Alongside the Education Director, plan and manage the budget for the King’s Foundation’s curriculum specific education programmes.
• Set course fees and programme budgets where appropriate.

General

• Where appropriate represent the Foundation as a subject expert.
• Work with other King’s Foundation departments to ensure links between theory and practice are integrated with education.

It is in the nature of the work of the King’s Foundation that tasks and responsibilities arise that can be unpredictable and varied. All staff are therefore expected to work in a flexible way when the occasion arises.

Person Specification

The essential skills, knowledge and experience required are:

• Relevant HND/degree level qualification related to industry or in another relevant subject.
• Five plus years of industry experience leading similar initiatives.
• Excellent knowledge of current and future trends in UK wide food education relating creating a secure food system from soil to plate.
• Understanding UK wide food strategy and horticulture skills gaps.
• Excellent educator and communicator able to make and improve the connection between the practical process of growing food, reducing food waste and links to nutritious seasonal food and health.
• Prior experience educating and engaging with young people or community groups.
• Able to develop and implement learning resources linked into curriculum themes.
• Three years plus project management experience, including experience in the running of educational and/or apprenticeship programmes and of managing staff teams.
• Experience in managing multiple projects with both internal and external stakeholders.
• Experience managing grant or foundation funded programmes, including of the reporting and financial management requirements.

Personal Qualities:

• Strong interpersonal skills, communication and presentation skills, organisation skills.
• Ability to work proactively and flexibly to achieve set objectives.
• The ability to work well within a team, maintaining positive relationships with the wider education staff.
• Ability to create high quality presentations/visual aids. Working knowledge of Microsoft Office software (e.g., PowerPoint, Excel and Word), Windows, Adobe.

Please note due to the location of the site it would be advantageous to have a clean driving licence and access to a vehicle.

Desirable experience, knowledge and qualities are:

• Knowledge of the current and future trends in UK wide food education, food strategy and horticulture skills gaps, growth industries and how this impacts employers and future employees.
• Awareness of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and how these relate to industry and education.

Other:

• The post will be based at Dumfries House with the requirement to travel on occasion.
• Your working hours will be 37.5 hours per week with occasional evening and weekend working.
• You must have the legal right to work in the UK.
• This post is considered to be a regulated activity therefore any offer will be subject to a satisfactory disclosure check with the Disclosure Scotland.
• Please submit a cover letter and CV (please note one A4 page maximum for cover letter and three page CV) to Gordon Watson, email address: – and request an application form.