Social Enterprise Programme Manager

About the role

The Social Enterprise Programme Manager will run the day-to-day delivery of Cook for Change, acting as the primary operational lead for cohort management, partner and speaker engagement, monitoring & evaluation and funder reporting.

The role is hands-on, requiring excellent stakeholder management and programme coordination skills, plus experience supporting early-stage social entrepreneurs. You will report to Cook for Good's Development Director, who oversees this programme, and be supported by our Programme Co-ordinator who will provide administrative and logistics support for an average one day pw. Both also work across other Cook for Good projects.

About you

You're a proactive self-starter who thrives in a dynamic, fast-moving environment and is comfortable taking ownership to make things happen. You enjoy working as part of a small, mission-driven team, where everyone rolls up their sleeves and gets the work done.

You bring a genuine interest in social enterprise and the power of entrepreneurship. Ideally, you have experience delivering programmes for early-stage ventures - and if you have a coaching background, great; if not, you'll at least be skilled in nurturing and curating a diverse cohort, building trust, and supporting participants to progress with confidence.

You are naturally inclusive, empathetic and professional, with the ability to form strong relationships with a wide range of people - from community entrepreneurs to external partners, speakers and funders. Relationship-building is one of your strengths, and you understand the importance of good communication, diplomacy and follow-through.

Above all, you care deeply about impact. You're ambitious for social change, motivated by supporting others to succeed, and excited by the prospect of helping grow a programme that is run by founders, for founders.

Key responsibilities

Programme delivery & operations:

• Schedule and coordinate all programme sessions, workshops and events.
• Book and liaise with external speakers, trainers and delivery partners (including venues where needed).
• Oversee logistics for cohort sessions and alumni network events (materials, catering, risk assessments, session plans).

Cohort support & stakeholder liaison:

• Support recruitment and selection processes and onboarding for new cohorts.
• Be primary point of contact for cohort participants; run regular check-ins, track progress against individual plans and escalate support needs.
• Co-ordinate alumni network events both online and in person, being a touch point for the pilot graduates, some of whom will deliver sessions for the new programme.
• Liaise with allocated business coaches and other partners to ensure agreed support is delivered and aligned to participant goals.
• Maintain positive relationships with funding partners, community stakeholders, other social enterprise founders and Cook for Good's network of corporate and culinary partners who contribute to the programme.

Monitoring, evaluation, budget and funder reporting:

• Collect and maintain participant data, attendance records, outputs and outcomes.
• Produce timely monitoring returns and short evaluation reports for funders and internal stakeholders.
• Support impact measurement processes (surveys, case studies, qualitative feedback capture).
• Capture learning, suggest iterative improvements to curriculum and delivery model.
• Manage and provide updates on programme budget, liaising with our finance manager on invoices and supplier payments in line with organisational policies.

Person specification - essential:

• Demonstrable experience (3+ years) running or coordinating incubator, accelerator, or programme delivery for early-stage social enterprises, community projects or similar.
• Strong stakeholder management experience, working with external speakers, funders and delivery partners.
• Excellent organisational skills and proven ability to run multi-session programmes end-to-end (logistics, scheduling, materials).
• Experience of working with community partners and/or diverse participant groups
• Experience capturing Monitoring and Evaluation data and preparing funder reports.
• Clear communicator (verbal and written), empathetic approach to participant support (regular check-ins, progress tracking).
• Not a coach role, but able to engage and support participants through their journey.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a small team; flexible working to meet evening/weekend event needs.

Person specification - desirable:

• Experience in the food or hospitality social enterprise sector.
• Experience with CRM/participant databases and basic Excel analysis.
• Experience of procurement and small budget management.

How to apply:

Send a CV and a short cover letter explaining your relevant experience and availability via the email application box below.

The deadline for applications is 30th January 2026, however applications are reviewed on a rolling basis and may close early if sufficient numbers are received.

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to interviews in the week commencing 9th February. We anticipate the successful candidate will start in mid-March, depending on notice period.