Holidays and Food (HAF) Programme Manager
Ref: 176672
Salary: £40,777 p.a. plus benefits
Please note: 3.3% national pay award increase to be applied in October.
37 hours per week
Fixed Term Contract - 2 years
Swindon Borough Council are on an exciting journey to transform service delivery. We want our town to be the best it can be. Our ambitious vision in the new Swindon Plan is supported by realistic transformation programmes, with the people of Swindon at their heart. Because that’s who we’re doing it for – the communities and businesses that make our town great. As part of the Council, you’ll support a friendly local authority making decisions with real impact. It’s all for better public services. Better processes. And a better quality of life, for everyone. Join us, and Swindon will be better with you.
Your next role
In this role, you’ll lead the delivery of Swindon’s Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme, ensuring high-quality, accessible provision for eligible children and young people in line with DfE standards. You’ll build and lead boroughwide partnerships, oversee commissioning and providers, and drive programme quality, performance, financial management and continuous improvement.
You’ll work across a wide partnership of council teams, schools, childcare and education providers, families, DfE and other regional and national stakeholders. The role requires strong leadership, influencing and relationship-building skills, alongside excellent communication, project and programme management, commissioning, contract management, financial and risk management abilities.
We’re looking for substantial experience leading large-scale programmes, ideally within children’s, childcare or education services, with a proven track record of partnership working, commissioning, managing budgets and delivering outcomes to time and budget. A degree-level qualification in business, marketing or education and relevant CPD are desirable.
You’ll have the flexibility to work during school holiday periods.
You must be fluent in the English language (as a requirement of Part 7 of the Immigration Act “for the effective performance of a customer-facing role”).
You will need a full clean driving licence and access to a car to carry out the duties of the role.
The team operates a hybrid working model with all practitioners expected to be in the office for a minimum of two days per week.
You will be subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service Check.
Your next package
Please see our Rewards and Benefits offer for more details.
As an employee, you will receive a diverse and exciting environment in which to work, encouraging creativity and innovation whilst recognising the need to support ongoing personal development and a flexible work life balance.
For Swindon to thrive in the future, we need to lay the foundations now. It’s why our regeneration and transformation programmes are already underway. So, you’ll be joining us at an exciting time on our journey. We’ll look to you to share your knowledge, influence decisions and drive real, positive change. With your contributions, we’ll achieve our vision of a prosperous, revitalised Swindon together. And you’ll be proud to say it was made better with you.
Please see our Vision and Values page for more details and our new Swindon Plan.
Potential applicants are sometimes put off if they don’t meet 100% of the requirements. We think individual experience, skills and passion make all the difference, so if you meet the majority of the criteria, we’d love to hear from you.
Your next steps
Please read the role profile, which is available in the documents section to the righthand side of the page. To submit an application for this role, select Quick Apply.
We reserve the right to close this vacancy early so early applications are encouraged.
Before applying for a secondment, it is essential for all employees to discuss their availability for release with their line manager before applying. Should permission not be forthcoming then they should refer the matter to their Head of Service.
For further information about the role please contact Sarah Crawford, Education Business Development Manager, [email protected]
As an inclusive employer, we welcome applications from a diverse range of communities, and in particular disabled people and people from ethnic minorities. Read our statement of commitment to equality & inclusion.
If you are experiencing technical issues submitting your application, please email [email protected]
Closing date: 6 September 2026
Interview date: w/c 7 September 2026
