Head of External Affairs
Employment Type Full time Open to part time hours, minimum 4 days a week
Location Hybrid ·Brixton, UK Hybrid, with regular time in our Brixton office and external meetings
Team External Affairs
Seniority Mid-level, Senior
- Closing:11:55pm, 28th Aug 2026 BST
Job Description
ABOUT CHEFS IN SCHOOLS
Chefs in Schools exists to improve children’s health and futures through better school food and meaningful food education. We work alongside schools and catering teams to transform what children eat every day, particularly in communities facing the greatest barriers to good health. We combine practical support, training, operational expertise and sector influence to help schools serve fresh, nutritious food that supports food literacy and healthy development.
We’re backed by some of the biggest names in food and are ambitious about both impact and scale. We want every child to access excellent school food and daily food education, regardless of background.
We are a values-led organisation - bold, honest, collaborative, innovative and focused on solutions.
WHY THIS ROLE MATTERS
Hunger, limited access to nutritious food and exposure to junk food advertising are proven to harm child health. You'll help us make the case that schools must be a haven where all children can access nutritious, exciting food that fuels healthy development and embeds food literacy for life.
You will lead the delivery of Chefs in Schools External Affairs function, ultimately ensuring there is widespread recognition that poor quality school food is unacceptable and that the new school food standards are a vital health intervention. Through integrated media, digital and advocacy work, you’ll ensure quality school food is viewed as essential for healthy development and strong food literacy.
You will turn strategic direction into coordinated delivery, leading a multidisciplinary team that increases our influence, strengthens our reputation and helps achieve meaningful improvements in school food.
Working closely with the Director of External Affairs and Chief Executive, you will ensure our public profile, policy influence and media work reinforce one another, while creating the management capacity required for a growing organisation. This builds on the new functional structure where media and content, policy and campaigns, and the School Food Review programme all sit within External Affairs.
We want Chefs in Schools to become the most trusted and recognisable voice in the conversation around school food and food literacy. This role will play a central part in building that influence and recognition. We also want to create a sense of excitement around the potential of school food. Not only does it fuel children, it sparks curiosity and build connections.
We are looking for somebody who understands that influence is built through consistency, credibility, creativity and cultural relevance as much as through formal communications activity alone.
WHAT YOU’LL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR
ABOUT CHEFS IN SCHOOLS
Chefs in Schools exists to improve children’s health and futures through better school food and meaningful food education. We work alongside schools and catering teams to transform what children eat every day, particularly in communities facing the greatest barriers to good health. We combine practical support, training, operational expertise and sector influence to help schools serve fresh, nutritious food that supports food literacy and healthy development.
We’re backed by some of the biggest names in food and are ambitious about both impact and scale. We want every child to access excellent school food and daily food education, regardless of background.
We are a values-led organisation - bold, honest, collaborative
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