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

About us

The Ecological Land Cooperative (ELC) is working to make land more accessible for ecological farming and land-based livelihoods. We acquire land and create affordable, secure opportunities for small-scale farmers and land-based enterprises. We currently manage seven farm sites, supporting 18 businesses, and are a growing cooperative of over 500 members.

Our work is grounded in ecological principles, cooperation, and long-term stewardship. We believe that small-scale, sustainable land use can help address climate change, biodiversity loss, and social inequality -  while building resilient rural economies.

About the role

This is a new and pivotal role focused on strengthening the financial resilience of our farm sites and the Cooperative as a whole.

As Business Development Coordinator (Sites), you will identify and develop new, values-aligned income opportunities across our land and infrastructure. You’ll work closely with site stewards to support enterprise development, while building a more diversified and sustainable income model for the organisation.

This role balances strategy and hands-on support - combining commercial thinking with a strong commitment to ecological and social impact.

Why this role matters

For our model to succeed long-term, our sites must be financially viable as well as ecologically sound.

You will play a central role in developing income streams that:

• Strengthen individual site businesses
• Contribute to the Cooperative’s overall resilience
• Reduce reliance on grant funding over time
• Your work will help secure the future of affordable, community-led access to land.

What you’ll be doing

• Site-based income development
• Review ELC land and assets to identify new income opportunities
• Develop site-specific and portfolio-wide income strategies
• Build business cases and financial projections for new initiatives
• Explore opportunities such as renewable energy, training, events, or eco-tourism
• Supporting site enterprises
• Work directly with site stewards to strengthen and diversify their businesses
• Support business planning, feasibility assessments, and early-stage ideas
• Provide research on markets, funding, and policy developments
• Partnerships and collaboration
• Identify and develop partnerships that support site-based enterprise
• Connect sites with relevant networks and opportunities
• Contribute to proposals and joint initiatives
• Learning and organisational development
• Monitor and evaluate income-generating activities
• Share insights and recommendations with internal teams and the Board
• Contribute to long-term financial planning and strategy

About you

We’re looking for someone who combines practical business development experience with a strong commitment to ecological and social values.

You will bring

• Experience in business or enterprise development (ideally in social enterprise, rural, or environmental contexts)
• Confidence developing business plans and financial projections
• Experience supporting small or community-based enterprises
• Strong analytical and research skills
• The ability to build relationships and work collaboratively
• It would also be great if you have:
• Knowledge of ecological farming or land-based enterprises
• Experience in cooperative or sociocratic organisations
• Understanding of renewable energy, land use, or community enterprise
• Experience with social finance or investment readiness

How you’ll work

We are a small, collaborative team working within a sociocratic governance model. You’ll be part of our Business Development Circle and contribute to wider organisational decision-making.

This role would suit someone who is:

• Proactive and entrepreneurial
• Comfortable working independently and collaboratively
• Motivated by purpose as well as financial sustainability
• Adaptable in a developing organisation

Practical details

• Contract: Fixed-term (2 years)
• Hours: 2 days / 15 hours per week (flexible)
• Location: Remote, with occasional travel to Bristol and ELC sites
• Salary: £33,560 pro rata (£13,424 actual salary)
• Benefits: Up to 4% matched pension contribution
• The ELC operates a flat pay structure, with all staff paid at the same rate

Application information

Visit our website for more details https://ecologicalland.coop/home/work-with-us/

Apply by 9am on Tuesday 7th April

Please send your CV and a covering letter (maximum two pages) to board@ecologicalland.coop

To be eligible for this role, you must be based in the UK and hold the legal right to work in the UK.

We assess applications against a structured score sheet based on the criteria in the Job Description and Person Specification.

In your covering letter, please clearly demonstrate how your experience, skills, and knowledge meet the essential criteria, using the headings in the Person Specification as a guide. We recommend providing specific examples to show how you meet each area, rather than general statements. Applications are scored solely on the evidence provided, so please ensure you explicitly outline relevant experience, including transferable skills where appropriate.

Please mention Roots to Work when applying for these jobs