Location: Hybrid – Work from home & in community orchards across Sussex
Hours: Part-Time – estimated 28 hours/week across 4 or 5 days
Contract: Freelance contract starting ASAP
Pay: £16/hr (awaiting pay review outcome)
Application Deadline: 5pm, Tuesday, 13 May 2025
Provisional date for interviewing: Wednesday, 21 May 2025.
Do you have a passion for community, sustainability, and the environment? Want to play a key role in transforming green spaces, improving biodiversity, and growing access to free healthy food in Sussex? We’d love to hear from you!
We’re a Sussex-based permaculture charity supporting earth care through local education, demonstration, and design. We’re looking for a motivated and organised Community Orchards Coordinator to help manage and grow our network of 50+ community orchards.
About the Role:
As our Community Orchards Coordinator, you’ll work independently (with plenty of team support!) to manage, coordinate, and improve how we schedule and deliver our orchard work. You’ll help us grow stronger partnerships, streamline systems, and ensure high-quality care of our orchards — from design and planting to aftercare and maintenance.
Your work will support our mission of creating sustainable, food-producing, and wildlife-friendly community spaces across Sussex.
Your Key Responsibilities
- Coordinate seasonal orchard work with freelance teams and volunteers
- Oversee systems for scheduling, record-keeping, tool management, and reporting
- Monitor and ensure quality delivery across 50+ orchard sites
- Liaise with local communities, schools, and partners to engage and involve them
Support with marketing and storytelling of orchard impacts - Manage budgets, authorise invoices, and contribute to funding compliance
- Provide monthly reports and attend online operational meetings
- Where appropriate lead practical sessions in orchard care and tree planting.
About You
Essential Skills & Experience
- Passion for community-led environmental work, with experience of working with diverse individuals
- Project management, contract management, and budgeting experience
- Strong organisational, administrative and IT skills (such as Google Drive, email, Excel, scheduling platforms)
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills — able to engage with volunteers, stakeholders, and communities
- Confident in health and safety practices and dynamic risk assessment processes
- Creative and solutions-oriented, able to work flexibly and independently
- Commitment to our values: Earth Care, People Care, Fair Share.
Desirable (But Not Essential!)
- Knowledge of orchard management or fruit-growing (or willingness to learn)
- Local knowledge of Sussex communities
- Driving license and access to a business-insured vehicle
- Experience using CAT & Genny scanning tools
- Conservation knowledge or qualifications in arboriculture/horticulture
Why Work With Us?
- Join a passionate team working to build a fairer, greener future
- Discounted access to our permaculture and orchard training courses
- Free fruit, shared harvests, and opportunities to learn hands-on orchard skills
- Be part of a growing movement celebrating community, biodiversity, and local food systems
Additional Info
Includes some site visits and outdoor work — rain or shine!
Role requires an enhanced DBS check.
Ready to Apply?
Please send your CV and a cover letter outlining your experience and enthusiasm for the role to: Catherine Lawrence: admin(at)brightonpermaculture.org.uk
If you’d like to chat informally about the role before applying, please contact Katrina Broadhill: katrina(at)brightonpermaculture.org.uk.
Our Vision:
Inspiring, connecting and learning — for people and the planet to flourish.
Let’s grow something amazing together.