• Suffolk County Council
• Address: Endeavour House, 8 Russell Road, Ipswich, IP1 2BX (Hybrid working options available)
• Salary: £28,598 per annum (Grade 4, with performance-related pay progression)
• Hours: 37 hours per week, flexible working options available
• Contract: Permanent

At Suffolk County Council, every role is a chance to create positive change. As a Free School Meals Team Leader in the School Admissions Team, you’ll see the direct impact of your work on the people and places that make Suffolk special. Join us and turn your passion for progress into action.

Reimagine the possibilities.

Your role and responsibilities

As our Free School Meals Team Leader, you’ll play a vital part in supporting children and families across Suffolk. On a typical day, you will:

• oversee free school meal applications and be responsible for the distribution of workload, ensuring accuracy and compliance with policies and deadlines

• supervise and support the Team, encouraging a positive team ethos and carrying out day-to-day performance management and appraisals

• be involved in the processing of school applications and preparation of appeal documentation to ensure statutory deadlines are met

• deliver high standards of customer service to families, schools, and other services, offering accurate advice and resolving complex queries

• collaborate with colleagues and partners, building strong relationships and networks

• contribute to the development of procedures and continuous improvement of our services.

We’re excited to welcome someone who is passionate about making a difference and ready to thrive in a collaborative, supportive environment.

What you will need

We hope you’ll bring:

• a suitable qualification at Level 4 or equivalent experience in a relevant area

• good working knowledge of Microsoft Office, especially Excel, and the ability to maintain accurate records and databases

• strong organisational, planning, and communication skills

• experience working with large data sets and analysing information to draw conclusions

• the ability to supervise, motivate, and develop a team

• a commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people

• a positive, proactive approach and willingness to learn and grow.

If you don’t meet every requirement but share our values and motivation, we’d still love to hear from you.

You can view a full list of requirements in the Job and Person Profile (Word) If you believe you can succeed in this role, apply. Even if you don’t meet all requirements, still apply. We would appreciate the opportunity to consider your application.

The team

You’ll join a friendly, dedicated team responsible for ensuring Suffolk’s children and young people have access to education and support. We’re proud of our collaborative spirit and our commitment to making a real difference for families across the county. Hybrid working is supported, and our office base is at Endeavour House in Ipswich.

Empowering Everyone

We’re big believers in potential, possibility and the power of different ideas. We’re always searching for ways to encourage, respect and enable everyone to be the best they can be. We want to represent the diverse communities we serve. We welcome applications from all individuals, especially those from groups that are currently underrepresented in the organisation, as shown in our Workforce Equality Report.

For more information

Please contact Lucy Nicholas (she/her) for a casual conversation. You can reach them by calling 01473 264486 or emailing lucy.nicholas@suffolk.gov.uk.

How to apply

Step 1 – Read the Job and Person Profile (JPP) (Word).

Step 2 – Click ‘Apply Now’ to start your online application.

Step 3 – Upload a supporting statement indicating how you meet each of the criteria in the ‘Person Profile’ section of the JPP.

• You should use the Supporting Statement template.(word)

• Please use Arial font size 11 and keep your statement to a maximum of two sides of A4.

We value authentic applications that showcase your genuine skills and experiences. Applications suspected of being generated by AI may be rejected. We ask you to present your own work and ideas throughout the application process.

If you require any reasonable adjustments to the application process before the next selection stage, please contact our Recruitment Team by emailing recruitment@suffolk.gov.uk or calling 03456 014412. If you are invited to the next stage of selection, you will have another opportunity to request adjustments for the next stages of the process. 

Closing date: 11.30pm, 22 October 2025.

Interview date: 6 November 2025.

This authority is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks or police vetting will be required for relevant posts. #LI-Hybrid

As a modern and effective council, we offer a wide variety of careers to suit people with a range of skills, abilities and ambitions. We offer working options that flex to reflect the way people work today and take the time to understand and support your individual needs. We’re driven to make a positive difference to the world around us and encourage everyone with drive and focus to join us and build an influential and impactful career. Reimagine the possibilities.

In return, you’ll enjoy:

• up to 29 days annual leave entitlement (pro rata), plus UK bank holidays and two paid volunteering days
• membership of a competitive Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
• travel, lifestyle, health and wellbeing benefits
• performance-related annual pay progression, in addition to an annual cost-of-living pay increase
• training and encouragement to expand your knowledge
• a variety of career development opportunities across our organisation
• diverse and active staff networks
• flexible working options, with the right to request flexible working from your first day

Plus lots more!

If you want to know more about our benefits, values and equality commitments please visit our Suffolk County Council careers website (careers.Suffolk.gov.uk).