Find your place in the field of good food

Our goal is to connect good people with good food. We advertise sustainable food jobs and training opportunities to help jobseekers and employers find each other.

Roots to Work is a project of Sustain: the alliance for better food and farming.

Job description

Job Title:                               Policy and Advocacy Manager

Position Type:                      Maternity Cover

Reports to:                           Founder/Chief Executive

Based at:                               School Food Matters, Blackfriars Settlement 9 Rushworth Street SE1 0RB

Salary:                                   £40,500

Working Hours:               9am-5pm (flexible)

Pension:                                School Food Matters pays pension contributions at 7% of pensionable earnings

Holiday:                                 31 days including bank holidays

School Food Matters is closed between Christmas and New Year

Job Purpose

• To lead and shape School Food Matters’ policy and advocacy strategy, ensuring our voice influences national and local decision-making on school food and food education
• To design and deliver campaigns that support and advance SFM’s mission
• To line manage the Policy and Communications Assistant and Press and Communications Officer

Key Tasks

• Lead and provide strategic input to campaigns, convene groups and partnerships
• Represent SFM at external meetings and coalitions such as the School Food Review
• Monitor, analyse and interpret relevant research, policy developments and news, identifying implications or opportunities for SFM
• Oversee the strategic direction of SFM’s external affairs and communications, ensuring all policy, campaigns, and public messaging align with the charity’s mission and priorities
• Provide policy research and analysis to support the activities of the School Food Review
• Oversee meetings and governance for the School Food Alliance
• Provide policy and communications expertise for the Food Education Network workstreams
• Represent SFM at relevant policy consultations, meetings and conferences to influence and inform policy discussions, and deliver presentations as required
• Lead drafting of responses to government consultations
• Working closely with the Press and Communications Officer, provide insights to inform timely media responses to policy developments
• Ensure colleagues are regularly briefed on policy activities, priorities and messages, and run internal workshops to keep them up to date with the school food sector
• Provide strategic input to meeting content for the School Food Review, and support the Policy and Communications Assistant to organise meetings for workstreams
• Oversee the development web content, articles, blogs and newsletter content by the Press and Communications Officer and the Policy and Communications Assistant
• Keep up to date with safeguarding requirements and reporting procedures
• Maintain the ethos of the charity and positively promote our work at all times
• The Policy and Advocacy Manager will also 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

• Experience of research and analysis, ideally in a policy environment
• General knowledge of issues around school food, children’s health and food education
• Comprehensive understanding of the UK’s political system
• Experience of coordinating policy/research-based projects
• Experience designing, coordinating and delivering campaigns
• Experience of working in coalitions
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to maintain relationships with a range of individuals and organisations
• Confident and competent IT skills across Office suite of programmes
• Exceptional oral and written communication skills in fluent spoken and written English, with strong attention to detail and the ability to translate complex data and policies into accessible language and engaging stories and communication materials
• Strong understanding media landscape and social media platforms to oversee the communications activity of the organisation
• Ability to work independently, with high levels of self-motivation
• Good project management, time management and organisational skills and the ability to work under pressure and to meet deadlines
• Energy, enthusiasm, creativity and tenacity

Desirable

• Strong knowledge of the public health, food and education policy landscape
• Experience managing others
• Experience managing projects
• Experience managing meetings
• Experience of working with Drupal CMS
• Experience of working within a network or coalition of campaigning organisations
• Established contacts with media outlets/journalists/bloggers
• Digital campaigning and social networking skills
• Experience writing news articles and blog posts with clear structure, purpose and an engaging narrative
• Experience managing or supervising team members to deliver communications projects effectively

Application information

Applying for this job

Once you have thoroughly read this job description and had a careful look at our website, 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 22 February 2026. Interviews will be held at our offices at Blackfriars Settlement, 9 Rushworth Street, London SE1 0RB on Wednesday 4 March 2026.

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. We are unable to help find accommodation in London.

Please mention Roots to Work when applying for these jobs