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 the Role

Eat Club is looking for a visionary leader to bridge the gap between high-level culinary expertise and senior operational management. As the Director of Food & Partnerships, you will be the driving force implementing our strategic growth, ensuring our programmes are impactful and delivered to the highest standards.

This is a unique opportunity for a professional who is as comfortable designing sustainable nutrition curricula as they are securing high-value partnerships across London. If you have a passion for improving outcomes for young Londoners and the culinary arts, we want to hear from you.

Your role is to provide strategic leadership across Eat Club’s programmes and partnerships. You will act as our culinary creative, an operational expert, and a key ambassador for our mission.

Key Responsibilities

1. Culinary Strategy and Creative Leadership

• Serve as the organisation’s culinary creative, utilising expert knowledge of food and cooking, sustainability, and nutrition to improve the charity’s standards and further its development 
• Create food projects for young people focused on health, employment, and the environment
• Lead the review of existing course curricula to ensure organisational excellence and consistent dissemination
• Design and execute high-profile food experiences, such as supper clubs and corporate events, to raise funds and elevate the charity’s profile among stakeholders and public audiences

2. Partnership Development and External Relations

• Represent Eat Club at external events to identify and secure new partnerships with youth and community organisations while deepening existing relationships
• Effectively communicate our mission and activities to a wide range of stakeholders—from corporate and youth partners to young people

3. Operations, Impact and Governance

• Oversee the day-to-day operation and delivery of projects, ensuring they meet budget and quality standards
• Lead impact data collection and prepare comprehensive reports for funders, meeting all KPIs and financial targets
• Act as the organisational lead for Safeguarding (DSL), ensuring all policies remain legally compliant and are reviewed annually
• Align all team activities with Eat Club’s three-year strategic plan

4. Leadership and People Management

• Line manage the Programme Coordinator, facilitating weekly check-ins and supporting their professional growth
• Oversee recruitment of our chef team, approving all training and course materials and standards
• Manage the retention and upskilling of the chef team; holding consistent check-ins and identifying further training opportunities

Person Specification

Essential Requirements

• Professional culinary qualification or equivalent high-level industry experience; deep knowledge of nutrition and sustainable food systems
• Proven ability to design creative food-based projects for youth and execute high-profile culinary experiences
• Proven experience in management, ideally within the charity or social enterprise sector
• Track record of securing and managing high-value partnerships
• Experience managing complex programmes, budgets, and impact reporting.
• Exceptional ability to engage diverse stakeholders, from corporates to youth participants

Desirable Requirements

• Understanding of the London youth and community voluntary sector
• Experience developing educational or vocational training materials
• Previous involvement in implementing multi-year organisational strategies

Location

London based.  This role is for a London based candidate only. You will be required to work around twice a week from a co-working office (in Hackney).

Contract type

30 hours per week (80% of a full-time position) This role allows for some flexibility around working hours; however, you will be required to attend regular team meetings, board meetings, events and partner meetings in and around London that might take place outside normal working hours.

Contract Length

This is a permanent position. It will be offered subject to successful completion of a probationary period, and will be offered to the successful candidate subject to the receipt of satisfactory references and enhanced DBS check

Probation

There will be a three-month probationary period. After the three months the post holder will either be offered a permanent contract, be put on a further period of probation or have their contract terminated. A termination of contract will be for reasons that have been made clear prior to their probationary period being completed.

Notice period

The notice period is 1 week during the probationary period and 4 weeks thereafter.

Reports to: Chief Executive Officer / Board of Trustees 

Line Manages:  Programme Coordinator

Application information

Please send a CV and a cover letter outlining your suitability for the role and why you would like to join our team, to Ruth at: info@eat-club.org

Please mention Roots to Work when applying for these jobs