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

Join Street Trees for Living and lead our transformative community-led tree-planting programmes in Lewisham and South London.

Reporting to Executive Director

Working location: hybrid - located at our co-working space in Deptford, plus option to work from home

Salary: £40,000-45,000 dependent on experience

4 days per week, 0.8 FTE

Annual leave and benefits:

• 28 days annual leave pro rata, plus bank holidays 

• Sustainable travel leave - up to 2 days’ paid leave pro rata for low-carbon travel or volunteering

• Pension scheme with basic charity contribution of 3%

• Personal training budget

About us

Street Trees for Living is a people-powered charity, transforming our streets and communities through tree-planting. Our vision is for greener streets and empowered communities in every neighbourhood, so that trees and people can thrive together. We work with local authorities, volunteers, residents, schools and community organisations to plan, plant and care for trees, ensuring their best chance of survival. 

This is an exciting time for the organisation, as we deliver an ambitious two-year project of tree planting and skills-training, funded by the Mayor of London’s Green Roots fund. 

About the role

In this senior position of Programme Manager, you will oversee the delivery of our community-focused tree-planting programmes, working primarily across the London borough of Lewisham and neighbouring South London boroughs.

You will ensure we meet our goals and deadlines, collaborate with stakeholders, help monitor and report on the impact and outcomes of our work, and develop projects and activities to help develop and improve our programmes. 

We’re looking for someone who is passionate about connecting people with nature, and committed to our mission and values.

Overview of the role and responsibilities

You will lead the planning and delivery of our transformative community-led street tree planting programmes, spanning engagement, co-design, planting and ongoing tree care.

Working closely with our Community Forest team, you will combine strategic planning with operational delivery across our three core tree planting programmes, ensuring all projects are delivered to a high standard, on time and within budget. 

Our programmes include: 

• Sponsorship: Working in partnership with local residents to raise funds to plant trees across the borough of Lewisham that are cared for by volunteer tree guardians. 

• Community: Fully funded tree-planting projects addressing tree inequity. Ensuring all our objectives are met, you will act as the main point of contact for key stakeholders, and oversee the delivery and completion of the Green Roots-funded project.  

• Schools: Working in collaboration with schools across South London, you will develop and deliver our educational schools tree planting programme, including outreach, engagement, assemblies, co-design and long-term tree maintenance. 

Key responsibilities

• Manage programme timelines, milestones and budgets, in close collaboration with our Operations & Finance Manager. 

• Oversee monitoring and evaluation, gathering data, tracking KPIs and reporting on long-term environmental and social impact. 

• Ensure our projects align with wider strategies including Lewisham Council local policy and the Greater London Authority’s London Urban Forest Plan. 

• Liaise effectively with local authority partners including tree officers, highways, landowners, schools and community organisations

• Build strong networks and manage partnership agreements and contracts with key stakeholders. 

• Line manage our Community Engagement team, setting clear performance goals, providing direction and supporting their professional development and creativity

• Engage, support and help coordinate volunteers across our networks

• Support the delivery of communication and outreach strategies to raise public awareness about our planting programmes. 

• Contribute to funding applications to ensure the future sustainability of our planting programmes. Working closely with our Executive Director to develop fundraising strategies. 

What we’re looking for

Essential experience and skills:

• Project and programme management: Proven track record in project or programme management (preferably in the charity, environment or community sector) with strong organisational skills, budget oversight and timeline tracking. 

• People leadership: Direct experience managing staff and leading small teams, alongside a track record of engaging diverse communities and volunteers 

• Creative problem-solving: Proven ability to think laterally and resourcefully, managing operational challenges and finding creative solutions.

• Stakeholder management: Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with proven ability to build relationships across local authorities, community groups and partners. 

• Impact and evaluation: Analytical and software skills with experience in monitoring, data gathering and impact reporting.

• Values: A deep commitment to environmental and social justice, urban green infrastructure and community empowerment. 

Due to the nature of our work, some evening and weekend work may be required, which includes travel around the Lewisham borough and South London. 

STfL is committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of their race, sex, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation, or age. 

We are a small team of six employees and several freelancers, as well as an active board of trustees and core volunteers. We offer a supportive and collaborative working environment. We recognise the value of diverse experiences and understand that different working arrangements can contribute to a more dynamic and effective team. If you are passionate about this role but require flexibility, we encourage you to apply and discuss your preferred working pattern with us.

Application information

How to apply:

Visit www.streettreesforliving.org/current-vacancies for full details of how to apply. 

Deadline to apply: midnight Sunday 8th November 2026. 

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