Help strengthen South Lanarkshire's Third Sector

Are you passionate about helping charities and community organisations succeed? Do you have experience in charity governance, funding, organisational development and volunteering? If so, we'd love to hear from you.

Join VASLan as a Development Officer and play a key role in supporting charities, community groups and social enterprises across South Lanarkshire to develop, grow and thrive. Working with a diverse range of organisations, you'll provide guidance, practical support and capacity-building expertise that helps strengthen the local Third Sector and maximise its impact.

About the Role

Working as part of our locality-based Development Team, you will build strong relationships with charities, voluntary organisations, community groups and social enterprises, helping them strengthen their governance, develop their capacity and achieve their ambitions.

Provide advice and support on charity governance, regulatory requirements, funding and organisational development.

Support new and established Third Sector organisations to identify development needs and opportunities.

Assist organisations with sustainability planning and income generation opportunities.

Develop and deliver training, workshops and practical resources.

Support organisations to monitor, evaluate and demonstrate their impact.

Build effective relationships and encourage partnership working across South Lanarkshire.

Contribute to the ongoing development of VASLan's capacity-building services.

VASLan (Voluntary Action South Lanarkshire) is the Third Sector Interface (TSI) for South Lanarkshire, supporting and representing a diverse local third sector of approximately 1,400 community, voluntary and social enterprise organisations. Through its work in community development, partnership building, sector support and advocacy, VASLan enables local organisations to thrive, strengthens the voice of communities and helps create the conditions for a more resilient, inclusive and connected South Lanarkshire.

The organisation is now seeking a new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to lead VASLan into an exciting new phase of strategic development, partnership working and growth. This is a pivotal leadership role, responsible for shaping and delivering the organisation’s strategic direction, strengthening the sustainability and influence of the local third sector, and ensuring VASLan continues to play a leading role in shaping policy, investment and community outcomes across South Lanarkshire.

Reporting to the Board of Trustees, the CEO will provide strong, visible and values-led leadership across VASLan and the Third Sector, working closely with the Board, staff team, South Lanarkshire Council, Health and Social Care Partnership, NHS Lanarkshire and wider Community Planning Partners. They will ensure VASLan remains an independent, credible and influential voice for the third sector, while fostering a positive and inclusive organisational culture where people are supported, empowered and equipped to deliver meaningful impact.

A major priority for the incoming CEO will be building on VASLan’s evolving strategic partnerships and ensuring the third sector is recognised as an equal and essential partner in local decision-making. This includes progressing the new Third Sector Partnership Agreement with South Lanarkshire Council, supporting the implementation of the Third Sector Grant Policy and strengthening collaboration around key policy priorities and community outcomes.

Funding, investment and long-term sustainability will also be central to the role. VASLan manages significant funding on behalf of its partners, amounting to almost £1.5 million in the current year, while supporting collaborative bids, partnership investment and funding opportunities across the sector. The CEO will provide strategic oversight of these responsibilities, working with public sector partners, funders and philanthropic organisations to secure new investment, promote fair and sustainable funding and strengthen the capacity and resilience of local organisations.

To succeed in this role, you will be an experienced senior leader with a strong track record of strategic and organisational leadership, partnership development, financial management and people development. You will bring a clear understanding of the Scottish third sector and the challenges facing communities, including poverty, inequality and social exclusion. You will be confident operating at Board level, influencing senior stakeholders and building trusted relationships across the public, voluntary and community sectors.

This is an exceptional opportunity for an ambitious and purpose-driven leader to shape the future of South Lanarkshire’s third sector. With an established network of local organisations, evolving strategic partnerships and significant opportunities to influence investment and policy, the incoming CEO will have a unique opportunity to strengthen the voice of communities, unlock new opportunities for collaboration and help make South Lanarkshire the best place in Scotland in which to start, run and grow a third sector organisation