Garden to Table Trust
POSITION DESCRIPTION
Job Title : Education Facilitator - Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland
Reports to : Education Projects and Team Lead
About Garden to Table
We empower tamarikito grow, harvest, prepare and share great food!
Since 2009, the Garden to Table Trust has been supporting schools to teach children how to Grow, Harvest, Prepare and Share kai, building life‑long skills that also have a positive impact on their whānau and community. The Trust recognised a wide concern that the basic ‘life’ skills of growing and cooking fresh kai are being lost, that many children are disconnected from their food supply, know little or nothing about where food comes from, or how to cook it.
Our dream is that all children in Aotearoa New Zealand can grow and cook kai as part of daily life.
The Garden to Table programme is currently run in around 300 schools nationwide. It is a curriculum‑linked food education programme aimed at empowering children at an early age to develop good eating habits, learn where their food comes from, and instill a lifelong love of good food. Learning by doing, children learn the skills they need to grow and prepare food and take these skills home.
We provide schools with support, training, expertise, and resources to enable them to run the programme and maximise the benefit to children. There are so many benefits for children involved in the Garden to Table programme, across education, hauora (physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health), food security and environmental sustainability.
As we grow, we are committed to engaging with schools to ensure the Garden to Table programme can be delivered in line with their learning priorities, in ways that reflect and enhance their school culture.
We want all tamariki to feel like they belong and be able to see their cultures reflected in the programme.
Equitable workplace
Garden to Table Trust is proud to be an equitable workplace, where we welcome and accept diversity and difference. We will endeavour to support your individual needs and provide a safe and inclusive environment, to achieve equitable outcomes for our employees, schools, and students.
Te Tiriti o Waitangi
We recognise Māori as tangata whenua of Aotearoa. We have begun our work to learn more about te ao Māori and how matauranga Māori can enrich the Garden to Table offering for all New Zealand children. To do this, we want to work with Māori in the spirit of partnership embodied in Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Primary Purpose
The proposed new Education Facilitator plays a critical role in driving the growth and long‑term sustainability of Garden to Table membership by leading the effective implementation of the school Delivery Model. This role requires strong strategic planning, cohesive implementation, high‑quality professional communication, and an outcomes‑focused approach to ensure the proposed Delivery Model implementation is structured, yet flexible, scalable, and equity focused.
Education Facilitators lead proactive, tailored onboarding for key school roles and focus on engaging school leadership from the outset, supported through national coordination, scheduled consistent and responsive engagement with schools to enable established school programmes within 1–3 years. Working collaboratively within the proposed national Education Team, Education Facilitators ensure schools are empowered, well‑supported, and connected to a thriving learning community. They also play a key role in programme promotion, projects, resource development, and strategic sector engagement to advance the Trust’s goals.
Note - ‘schools’ is a term for Garden to Table (GTT) members including Early Learning Centres and schools.
Key responsibilities
Education Strategy and planning
- Together with Education Team, proactively contribute to a multi‑year Education Plan (led by Digital Learning and Projects Lead and Education Projects and Team Lead), with milestones and outcomes aligned to the Trust's strategic goals to support a school Delivery Model that is a structured, yet flexible, scalable, with an equity‑focused approach.
- The Education Plan is focused on proactive, planned and structured school support, where onboarding journeys are prioritised, and team are focused on engaging school leadership at the outset (inquiry stage). With the strong focus on onboarding and empowering schools to be running sustainable, embedded and impactful programmes within 1‑3 years, the goal is to enable an ongoing commitment to embed the programme more deeply, improving retention and whole‑school commitment.
School Onboarding and Membership Journey Support
Develop clear goals that schools :Own their programmes from outset.
Become more independent within the 1‑3 yr journey period (yet still connected to GTT and GTT community beyond that) through planned programme of support and connection to peer networks and communities of interest.Lead the tailored onboarding for key school roles and focused on engaging school leadership from the outset, supported through national coordination, scheduled consistent and responsive engagement with schools and to enable established school programmes within 1–3 years and focused on developing established, impactful, embedded and sustainable programmes.Co‑design customised onboarding and membership journeys with school leadership teams (e.g. Principals and Programme Champions), tailored to school contexts including diverse, rural, or high Equity Index schools. Collaborate with the Education Team to ensure a consistent and strategic onboarding experience nationally.Support schools to develop internal ownership of their programme from the outset, through engagement with school leadership, building towards long‑term independence while remaining connected to the wider Garden to Table community.Provide responsive guidance, clear expectations, and regular engagement across each phase of the membership journey.School Support and Capability Building
Deliver Professional Development (PD), coaching, and training sessions for schools both in‑person and online, including structured PD for Principals, Programme Champions, Specialists, and wider school teams.Develop and maintain an annual calendar of school support that is structured, proactive, and aligned to strategic priorities.Lead by Education Content Developer, facilitate peer learning and regional or national communities of interest, enabling schools to support each other, share insights, challenges andLead and deliver termly Open Sessions in main centres, and Virtual Open Sessions that provide flexibility access across the country, to promote and grow the Garden to Table membership and sector engagement and impact.Strategic Projects and Cross‑Team Collaboration
Participate in and lead projects, and co‑design initiatives with colleagues across Education, Fundraising and Communications teams.Ensure consistent professionalism, timeliness and high‑quality communication and delivery of outcomes across Garden to Table and with external stakeholders.Contribute to shared planning, delivery, and reporting of strategic initiatives and projects that support school engagement, programme quality, and sector impact.Take an active role in national Education Team meetings, strategic planning sessions and continuous improvement efforts.Resource Delivery and Development
Contribute insights and feedback to the Education Content Developer to help develop, adapt, and share bite‑sized, user‑friendly, simplified and ‘ready to go’ lesson plans, teaching and programme resources that reduce preparation time and meet the diverse needs of schools.Contribute insights and feedback to the Education Content Developer’s development of seasonal plans, lesson sequences, and toolkits tailored to different school roles and contexts.Contribute insights and feedback to the Education Content Developer’s development of curated and shared collections of resources that support schools at key stages of the membership journey.Provide feedback and insights to the Education Content Developer to inform future resource development and content improvements.Relationship and Stakeholder Management
Build and sustain strong relationships with Principals, Programme Champions, Specialists and school leadership, focused on embedding Garden to Table into school curriculum learning.Provide support for school succession planning and continuity strategies for schools navigating leadership or staff transitions changes at schools.Support principals, Programme Champions, Specialists and communities of interest with clear induction, digital training resources, and connection to peer support networks.Engage schools in planning and reflection, providing encouragement and feedback to promote engagement, success and sustainability.Garden to Table promotion and Strategic Partnerships
Together with the Education Team, support national efforts to raise the visibility of the Garden to Table programme, aligned to the Trust's strategic goals.Represent the Trust in education spaces, contributing to events in person and online, facilitating regular Open Sessions and Virtual Open Sessions, and stakeholder meetings, aligned to strategic goals, that showcase programme value and impact.Establish and maintain collaborative relationships with local and national allies (education, sustainability, health, community), contributing to shared impact and programme relevance, aligned to strategic goals.Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting
Contribute to and develop regular reports on progress towards national strategic goals, programme impact for funder and stakeholder accountability and internal impact goals.Use insights from reporting and feedback loops to continuously refine school support practices, resource use, and membership support and journeys.Most frequent interactions
Internal
CEOOperations ManagerEducation Projects and Team LeadEducation TeamBusiness Support Coordinator and Communications and Fundraising TeamExternal
Schools and Early Childhood CentresCommunity AlliesGarden to Table Partners and SponsorsQualifications / Experience and skills
Essential
Minimum 3 years’ experience in education, facilitation, or community development, with proven ability to engage and support schools or similar organisations.Demonstrates genuine passion for, and knowledge of, Garden to Table’s kaupapa.Demonstrated experience in designing and facilitating professional development, training, or coaching, both online and in‑person.Strong experience in project and programme management, including planning, delivery, monitoring, and evaluation within budgets and timelines.Proven ability to work collaboratively with internal team and school (or organisation) leadership and staff and in diverse contexts.Strong facilitation and relationship management skills, with the ability to build trust, foster collaboration, and support long‑term engagement.Experience supporting structured implementation processes (e.g., onboarding, coaching, or phased delivery) with measurable outcomes.Proven ability to produce clear, engaging reports and success stories that communicate outcomes and impact to diverse audiences (e.g., schools, funders, boards, sector stakeholders).Experience representing an organisation at events, conferences, and sector opportunities, with proven ability to champion the organisation and develop relationships with key allies and influencers.Demonstrated ability to manage competing demands, prioritize tasks effectively, and deliver outcomes on time in alignment with strategic objectives.Highly self‑motivated with strong organisational and time‑management skills, able to work independently with minimal supervision.Excellent verbal and written communication skills, ability to keep clear and accurate records, and to simplify complex concepts and provide clear guidance.Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple schools, projects, and deadlines, while remaining responsive and adaptable.Commitment to equity, diversity, and culturally responsive practice.Digital literacy, including experience with virtual facilitation platforms, learning management systems, and digital resource sharing.Ability to work independently and collaboratively within a multi‑disciplinary team.Proven experience in monitoring, evaluation, and reporting processes to demonstrate programme impact.Current driver’s licence and reliable transport.Preferred
Relevant qualification in education, facilitation, coaching, community development, or related discipline.Knowledge of, or networks within, the education sector (e.g. principals, teacher networks, education agencies, NGOs).Experience supporting school (or organisation) wide change, programme embedding, or capacity‑building initiatives.Familiarity with resource development across digital and print formats, including lesson plans, guides, or toolkits.Experience in the not‑for‑profit or charitable sector, particularly in roles requiring cross‑team collaboration and stakeholder engagement.Personal Attributes
You will :
Be passionate about education, equity, and Garden to Table’s mission, inspiring others to engage and succeed.Take initiative, be solutions‑focused, and thrive on helping schools embed sustainable programmes.Build trusting, positive relationships with school leaders, teams, and sector partners.Communicate clearly and confidently, simplifying complex ideas and sharing insights effectively.Be highly organised, able to manage multiple schools, projects, and deadlines with flexibility.Work collaboratively within a national team while confidently taking ownership of your initiatives.Embrace digital tools for online facilitation, training, and resource sharing.Be adaptable, calm under pressure, and proactive in problem‑solving.Demonstrate professionalism, integrity, and a commitment to continuous learning.Show cultural responsiveness, tailoring support to diverse school communities.Demonstrate a commitment to grow your understanding of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and how this applies to your mahi for Garden to TableBe open to using te reo Māori in your everyday mahi and a commitment to strengthening your reo over time.#J-18808-Ljbffr
