Community Impact & Engagement Manager

About the role

At HCL, we believe the dining hall is just as important as the classroom. It's where curiosity is sparked, healthy habits are formed, and communities come together. Our purpose is simple: to feed growing minds . Every meal we serve, every programme we deliver, and every partnership we build reflects that mission. The Community Impact & Engagement Manager plays a pivotal role in bringing our purpose to life in schools. This is a highly visible and influential position, connecting children, families, and schools with food education and community initiatives that are meaningful, memorable, and long-lasting. You will act as the bridge between strategy and delivery-working across schools, internal teams, and external partners to ensure our programmes have real impact. By strengthening relationships and demonstrating measurable value, you will help shape HCL's reputation as a purpose-led catering partner and support long-term growth.

Responsibilities

• Driving Purpose & Social Impact
• Champion HCL's vision by redefining what a school caterer can be-moving beyond food provision to deliver meaningful social value
• Work closely with schools to understand their needs and support retention strategies
• Provide feedback and insight from schools to inform and improve central initiatives
• Support the evolution of food education programmes and delivery methods
• Collect and analyse feedback from pupils, schools, and stakeholders to shape future campaigns
• Food Education & School Engagement
• Deliver HCL's food education programme across primary and secondary schools
• Lead engaging assemblies, workshops, and sessions focused on nutrition and healthy eating
• Coordinate a structured, rolling programme of school engagement activities
• Implement age-appropriate education initiatives using centrally developed resources
• Collaborate with operational teams to ensure effective programme delivery
• Marketing, Communications & Content
• Work alongside the Marketing Team to deliver campaigns using central messaging and assets
• Support the rollout of educational materials and resource packs to schools
• Capture and share content (photos, videos, case studies) to showcase impact
• Contribute to newsletters, digital platforms, and social media
• Help produce a termly school newsletter highlighting engagement activity
• Demonstrate programme success through data (e.g. improved nutrition, behaviour, waste reduction) to support reporting and bids
• Partnerships & Representation
• Support relationships with suppliers and partners to enhance programme delivery
• Represent HCL at industry events, exhibitions, and presentations
• Act as a credible and professional ambassador for HCL within school communities
• Promote HCL's food education approach to prospective and existing partners
• Experience & Knowledge
• Experience delivering education, engagement, or training programmes (ideally within schools or the public sector)
• Understanding of food, nutrition, or healthy eating in a school environment
• Knowledge of School Food Standards and allergen awareness (or willingness to learn)
• Skills & Attributes
• Delivery-focused: Able to execute plans to a consistently high standard
• Confident communicator: Comfortable presenting to both children and adults
• Organised: Strong planning and coordination skills across multiple activities
• Relationship builder: Develops trust with schools, colleagues, and partners
• Collaborative: Works effectively with cross-functional teams
• Professional: Represents HCL with credibility, integrity, and warmth
• IT literate: Confident using Microsoft Office and digital tools
• Flexible: Willing to travel across Hertfordshire and surrounding areas (own vehicle required)
• This is an opportunity to make a genuine difference in children's lives-bringing food education to life in schools and contributing to stronger, healthier communities.
• Equal Opportunities
• HCL is committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion. We treat everyone with dignity and respect and ensure equal opportunities in employment and service delivery.
• Health & Safety
• All employees are responsible for maintaining a safe working environment and taking reasonable care for their own health and safety, as well as that of others.

Additional Information

Community Impact & Engagement Manager Location: Head Office: Mundells, Welwyn Garden City Salary Range: £44,447 per Annum (DOE) Hours: Full-time, 37 hours per week Contract: Permanent Reports to: Executive Chef

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