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

• Hours/term: 15 hours per week – potential to increase to 22.5 hours per week (funding dependent). Initially 1-year fixed term – with the potential to extend (funding dependent) 
• Location: Hybrid, with office in central Bristol 1-2 days per week 
• Reports to: General Manager 
• Salary range: £28,500-£32,000 pro-rata (PAYE salary)
• Holiday: 33 days annual leave per year (pro-rata), including 8 bank holidays 
• Benefits: Company Pension – 3% company contribution, min. 5% employee contribution 
• Flexible Working Options: flexible working hours, flexi-time 

The opportunity

Are you passionate about using your creative skills to engage the public and organisations, to continue building Bristol’s Good Food Movement? This is an exciting opportunity to join a mission-driven, collaborative team at the heart of food systems change in Bristol. We’re looking for a passionate and resourceful individual who can shape and deliver our Bristol Good Food 2030 Communications strategy and deliver engaging, exciting events aimed at both Bristol Food Network’s (BFN’s) partners and the general public.

We offer flexible working, a supportive team environment and the chance to build a stronger more resilient food system for everyone.

The role

We are seeking a Communications & Engagement Coordinator to join our small, dynamic team at Bristol Food Network. This role is pivotal to Bristol Good Food 2030’s work to engage the general public in the Good Food Movement and to support both BFN and our partners’ work to transform our local food system, by promoting it via digital communications, events and storytelling.

This role works closely with our Content Coordinator, General Manager, Bristol Good Food 2030 Partnership Manager and our Projects & Impact Coordinator, as well as a wider range of cross-sectoral partners and communities involved in local food systems change.

About Bristol Food Network

Bristol Food Network (BFN) supports, informs and connects people across Bristol working to make our food system more sustainable, just and resilient. We are a Community Interest Company (CIC) and have been engaging and working with food systems stakeholders in the city for over a decade.  

We coordinate major projects and campaigns including Bristol Good Food 2030, Bristol’s Silver and Gold Sustainable Food Places Awards and the annual Get Growing Trail which opens up community growing spaces to the public each year. 

We are a small team of five staff currently (roles outlined above) and are supported by a Board of voluntary Directors and several fabulous volunteers, who particularly support out communications and engagement work. We value high-quality work, collaboration, inclusion, and continuous learning and are motivated by a shared vision of a better food future for Bristol.

Role Purpose

To develop and – working alongside the Content Coordinator –  deliver communications and engagement activity for Bristol Good Food 2030, with a focus on growing Bristol’s ‘Good Food Movement’ and public engagement with the city’s food plans.

To deliver engaging and exciting events aimed at both the general public and Bristol Food Network partners, which educate, inspire action and foster collaboration to transform Bristol’s food system.

To build and hold strategic relationships with a range of partners across businesses, charities and community groups, the local authority and public institutions, to ensure that Bristol Good Food communications activity reaches and impacts desired audiences.

To work with the BFN team to ensure that Bristol Good Food communications activity supports achievement of the overall aims of the programme, recording impact, consulting with and reporting progress to funders.

Key responsibilities

• Oversee the strategic direction of BGF2030 communications activity, in line with the overall objectives of the BGF2030 programme.
• Lead the planning, development and delivery of multimedia communications activity for public facing engagement in BGF2030. 
• Coordinate the development and delivery of events, ensuring that they achieve the desired impact, including delivery of the Business Improvement District (BID) series of events
• Build relationships and regularly communicate with community organisations to ensure that the BGF2030 website is the go-to place for information on Bristol’s ‘Good Food Movement’. 
• Liaise with the Content Coordinator to maintain a rich pool of Bristol-specific Good Food online resources.
• Manage the BGF2030 website in conjunction with the Content Coordinator, overseeing development, drafting new core content and liaising with developers and designers to maintain functionality, accessibility and relevance. 
• Work with BGF2030 Working Groups (working on specific food themes) to ensure that their work is represented in communications and that campaign activity supports their objectives.
• Work with partner organisations to ensure that BGF2030 reaches and has impact in diverse communities across Bristol, and that BGF2030 communications activity is conducted in a way that increases inclusivity within the city’s food system.
• Manage the comms and engagement budget. 
• Support funding applications and funder reporting as necessary.
• Work with the Projects & Impact Coordinator to identify and report impact – measurements for communications activity in line with communications objectives, leading to continuous improvement across all communications activity. 

Knowledge and Experience 

Essential 

• Experience developing and managing a complex communications strategy aimed at engaging multiple audiences.
• Experience managing design and web development briefs and working with suppliers to deliver communications assets. 
• Experience working with stakeholders, networks and external organisations, managing and maintaining strong relationships.
• Experience monitoring and reporting on the impact of a project or campaign, particularly in relation to communications and engagement. 
• Experience developing and delivering successful multi-channel campaigns including websites, social media, print and PR.
• Experience developing and adapting plans to meet the strategic objectives of a project.
• Creative campaign development experience and storytelling skills, in particular in relation to food systems, climate or nature, with the ability to successful engage audiences in building a Good Food Movement.
• Knowledge of the food systems or the food sector within the context of environmental and social sustainability, and/or food justice.
• Experience planning and delivering food sector/food systems events, particularly for a B2B audience.
• An understanding of the principles of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) and how these might apply to food systems communications work.

Desirable 

• Social media advertising experience.
• Delivering creative projects and campaigns on a tight budget. 
• Professional or voluntary experience developing and delivering EDI-informed digital communications, ensuring the voices, needs and perspectives of diverse and under-represented communities are meaningfully represented. Alternatively having relevant lived experience to inform this work. 
• Good all-round IT skills, including website content management using WordPress or similar platforms and Canva skills.

Values and Ways of Working

• Committed to equality, diversity and inclusion, and amplifying community voices in food systems work
• A team player who brings a proactive and positive attitude
• Values high quality work and strives for continual improvement
• Curious, adaptable, and able to problem solve
• Motivated by the vision of a fair, sustainable, and resilient food system

Application information

How to apply 

• Please send a CV (maximum 2 pages) and covering letter (maximum 2 pages) to recruitment@bristolfoodnetwork.org by 23.59 on 1st March 2026. 
• Please complete an Equal Opportunities Monitoring form and return this with your application. 

Tips on writing a strong application 

• In your cover letter, please tell us why this role interests you  
• Provide specifics examples of previous work, study or personal activities undertaken to demonstrate how your skills and experience meet the job requirements  
• Do apply even if you don’t meet 100% of the criteria – so long as you can demonstrate relevant skills and passion, we’d like to hear from you. 

Recruitment process 

• We are happy to consider reasonable adjustments that candidates may need during the recruitment process – please email us to discuss at recruitment@bristolfoodnetwork.org. 
• Interviews are expected to be held in person in Bristol during the weeks commencing 9th March or 16th March, but we can accommodate virtual interviews if necessary.   
• Interviews will include a short task, which we will ask candidates to prepare in advance. 
• References will be requested from successful candidates post interview.   

Download Equal Opportunities Recruitment Monitoring Form (downloadable Word file).

Go to a PDF with the information about the Communications and Engagement Coordinator Role

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