Education Officer

Salary: £12,960 - £16,080 per annum for 18 hours per week (£27,000 – £33,500 per annum full time equivalent (FTE) for 37.5 hours per week).

Contract: Fixed term until 31st August 2027.

Location: Devon – based in and around the county but mainly working in East Devon, Teignbridge and Exeter, and some home working.

About Resource Futures

We want to create a future where organisations, people and communities can thrive and rebalance their relationship with material resources.

Resource Futures is an organisation accelerating the shift towards a circular world: putting restorative practices of reuse, repair, recycling at the heart of the fight to address the climate crisis. We help governments, businesses, NGOs and non-profits embrace regenerative change.

We are non-profit-distributing and have a close-knit team of 50+ trusted employees who collaborate across various areas of the business. Our multi-disciplined and connected approach sets us apart from the competition and enables us to build robust solutions that have a meaningful impact in the world.

We are passionate not only about what we do but how we do it, and we’re proud to be a part of the global B Corp movement to use business as a force for good. Employee-owned and independent, we’re all about helping each team member grow, and together striving towards our goal of creating a sustainable world.

The opportunity

Education is central to our vision for the future. Our team focuses on equipping young people and their wider school and home communities with knowledge, understanding, skills, values and attitudes that promote sustainable development and care for the world’s people and resources.

The Resource Futures Education Team has worked over the past 17 years in developing and delivering high quality Education for Sustainable Development programmes, specialising in waste issues.

Your role will be part of the education team in Devon who enable schools and young people to develop more sustainable practices and lifestyles, specifically within the areas of waste reduction, reuse, recycling and composting. You can read more about the workshops provided by the team at: zone.recycledevon.org

Our ideal candidate will live in or around the East Devon / Exeter / Teignbridge area, where the majority of delivery will take place. For the successful candidate, there may be an opportunity to expand the number of hours you deliver on a short-term basis, dependent on funding opportunities.

What you will be doing

• Develop and deliver high quality education programmes in schools on the 3Rs – reduce, reuse and recycle - and composting, to include:
  • Leading workshops, assemblies and waste audits.
  • Advising school staff (including senior staff, cleaners, caretakers, kitchen staff and other non-teaching staff) on educational and practical waste issues.
  • Support or lead school visits to waste management facilities such as recycling centres and energy from waste (EfW) plants.
• Recruit schools to the programme and ensure bookings, administration and preparation are undertaken to a high standard.
• Develop new learning and teaching materials to support the programme, including physical and e-resources.
• Create and maintain effective relationships with Devon County Council, district councils and other relevant organisations.
• Assist schools in the practicalities of setting up and maintaining their recycling and composting systems, in liaison with district councils.
• Work in partnership with Devon County Council to run events, competitions and teacher training courses.
• Develop effective and supportive relationships with primary, secondary and special schools across the Devon area.
• Keep accurate records of work, including data on schools visited and waste audit results.
• Monitor and evaluate the programme, including contribution towards the written annual report.
• Liaise with other Resource Futures colleagues on project tasks, such as publicity and promotion.
• Contribute to the Recycle Devon and Zone websites, School Sustainability Bulletin and social media where required.
• Help schools to access resources to write and implement climate action plans.
• Keep abreast of new developments and ideas in education, particularly education for sustainable development.
• Represent Resource Futures at external meetings.
• Identify opportunities for business development.
• Any other tasks as deemed appropriate to this post.

Enhanced DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) employers check will be carried out for this role.

The essentials

• Previous experience working in or with primary schools, or experience or training in a relevant subject or area.
• Knowledge of education in schools including the National Curriculum.
• Demonstrable knowledge of sustainable resource and waste management issues and solutions, including composting.
• Demonstrable knowledge of and/or experience in education for sustainable development.
• Experience of monitoring and evaluation processes.
• Experience of developing learning and teaching materials.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, as well as presentation skills.
• Great interpersonal skills to motivate others.
• Ability to work effectively on own initiative and as part of a team.
• Ability to perform calmly under pressure.
• Willingness to deliver workshops and activities outdoors as well as indoors.
• Competent IT user, particularly Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word and PowerPoint.
• Current full driving licence with own transport or ability to travel easily in and around Devon. As this role will mainly take you to East Devon, Teignbridge and Exeter (as well as home working), you will need to be within easy commuting distance of these areas.
• Commitment to education and sharing expertise.
• Imaginative and resourceful as well as enthusiastic and constructive.
• Access to a compost bin/heap for some of the workshop delivery.

Great to haves

• Qualified teacher status (QTS).
• Experience of working in or with secondary and special schools.
• Knowledge of energy and carbon management issues and solutions.
• Experience of partnership working with Local Authorities and Districts or similar local organisations.
• Business development skills.
• Knowledge of other IT packages e.g. Canva, Eventbrite, Mailchimp and SurveyMonkey.
• Knowledge of climate action plans in education settings.

Benefits

• Embedded flexi working culture.
• 25 days annual leave, plus bank holidays, each year (pro rata for part-time hours) – flexibility to work or use some bank holidays for annual leave.
• Buying and selling annual leave policy to add further flexibility around how you manage your work/non-work time and give you better control over how much and when you take leave from work.
• Paid volunteer time each year (a full day for those working 19 hours or more per week, and a half day for those working up to 18.75 hours per week).
• Enhanced maternity and paternity pay.
• Enhanced sick pay.
• Scottish Widows pension plan – the company will match up to 7% of your contribution.
• Group life assurance cover.
• Healthcare portal offering 24/7 GP access and prescription service, mental health support, wellbeing advice, financial and legal guidance.
• Mental health and wellbeing group with trained mental health first aiders and responders, maintaining a focus on support for our team.
• A cycle to work scheme for all and on-site showers at the Bristol office.
• Home and tech scheme - costs at Currys and Ikea spread across 12 months, and up to 10% savings.
• Paid professional membership such as CIWM or ISEP.
• An opportunity to become a company member, contributing to decision making and the future direction and success of our business.
• Consultative Group – a group of employees providing an anonymous vehicle for employee voice, raising issues, proposing changes and engaging senior management.
• Regular line manager 1:1s and performance reviews, with opportunities to discuss and build targets that inspire and push you professionally.
• Annual training budget to ensure continued progression and development, as well as regular internal ‘Lunchtime Briefs’ and other sessions to share skills and knowledge across all roles.
• Two annual team activity days, each followed by evening socials.
• Green and accessible Bristol office, surrounded by nature, and close to the harbourside.
• Accessible central Glasgow office close to local public transport links as well as cafés and shops, with various complementary facilities, events and networking opportunities.
• An opportunity to join a friendly, fun, professional, challenging, and supportive place to work, and a team that is collectively focused on making a positive impact.

Resource Futures is an equal opportunities employer. We strive to create a working environment where everyone can make best use of their skills, free from discrimination or harassment.

We celebrate difference and encourage everyone to join us in being themselves at work. We pride ourselves on working flexibly to enable our people to take care of their mental health and maintain a good life-work balance.

We are Disability Confident and a Living Wage employer, and our hiring decisions are based on merit, qualifications, and business needs.

We recruit and treat everyone with equality and respect regardless of age, disability, gender, gender reassignment, marital or partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation. In line with the expectations set out in our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion policy, we place an obligation upon all of our people to respect and act in accordance with this statement.

Resource Futures operate a blind recruitment process which reduces bias and promotes diverse hiring. The hiring team do not have access to the application forms that include any personal details and select candidates for interview based only on information provided on Application Form – Part 2.

Please let us know if you would like to submit your application in a different format.

Closing date for applications is 9am on Monday 1st December 2025.

Interviews for this role will be held at Pinbrook Recycling Centre in Exeter on 11th and 12th December 2025.