The Robertson Trust is looking for an Influencing Officer (Fixed Term – 1 Year) to join our new Programmes team. Based primarily at Robertson House, Glasgow, with hybrid working available, this role supports the Trust to secure big change that lasts in preventing and reducing poverty and trauma in Scotland.

Over the next decade, we are committed to using all our tools and resources to reduce poverty and trauma across four themes:

• Education Pathways

• Financial Security

• Nurturing Relationships

• Work Pathways

As part of our cross-cutting Influencing objective, this role will support the development and delivery of the Trust’s direct influencing activity, working with partners and stakeholders to influence decision making and systems change.

The Role

This role supports the Programmes Manager (Social Change Movements) and the wider organisation to strengthen the Trust’s influencing work in preventing and reducing poverty and trauma in Scotland.

You will help to develop and test effective approaches to direct influencing and support the Trust to build relationships with those who have the power to deliver change. You will work closely with colleagues across the organisation to ensure influencing activity connects with our wider work, including communications, convening, the influencing work we fund and the learning from our funding.

You will also support stakeholder engagement, network development and policy insight, helping the Trust identify opportunities to influence policy, practice and decision making.

Key responsibilities

• Support the development and delivery of direct influencing activity aligned to the Trust’s influencing objective

• Work collaboratively across the Trust to ensure direct influencing activity connects with communications, convening and the indirect influencing work we fund

• Support the development of influencing plans and help test effective approaches to influencing

• Build and strengthen networks with grantholders, stakeholders and peer organisations undertaking influencing work

• Monitor and analyse policy, political and practice developments relevant to poverty and trauma in Scotland

• Support stakeholder mapping and engagement with decision makers and influential actors

• Contribute to gathering and applying insight from across the Trust’s work to strengthen influencing activity

• Represent the Trust externally as required and contribute to cross-cutting organisational priorities

A full job description is available on our website – therobertsontrust.org.uk

About You

We are looking for someone with a strong understanding of poverty and trauma and the policy, political and practice landscape in Scotland.

You will bring:

• HNC/D, or equivalent relevant experience.

• Relevant experience in a field related to poverty and/or trauma

• Experience supporting influencing, policy, advocacy or strategic engagement work

• A strong understanding of the voluntary sector in Scotland

• Experience building and maintaining relationships with stakeholders and networks

• Strong analytical skills and the ability to communicate complex issues clearly

• The ability to manage competing priorities and work using your own initiative

• Experience supporting the development of influencing plans or campaigns

• High emotional intelligence and the ability to build relationships with diverse stakeholders

• An interest in policy, politics and practice in Scotland and how social change happens

• A commitment to addressing inequality and placing lived experience at the centre of work

We encourage applications from suitably qualified candidates from all parts of the community, regardless of age, disability, race, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, religion or belief or socio-economic background. We particularly welcome applications from people with experience or knowledge of how poverty or trauma impact lives.

Benefits

• Salary £41,104 to £48,715 FTE

• 35 days holiday per calendar year, inclusive of public holidays

• Pension – 10% employer contribution or 14% if employee contribution is 7%

• Additional employee benefits package (currently under review)

• This role is advertised as full-time, but we are open to applicants who wish to work part-time

The Robertson Trust is committed to hybrid and flexible working. We are open to reasonable adaptations to overcome barriers and are a Living Wage employer accredited by the Living Wage Foundation.

The Robertson Trust is looking for two Programmes Officers (Social Change Movements) to join our new Programmes team. Based primarily at Robertson House, Glasgow, with hybrid working available, this role supports the Trust to secure big change that lasts in preventing and reducing poverty and trauma in Scotland.

Over the next decade, we are committed to using all our tools and resources to reduce poverty and trauma across four themes:

• Education Pathways

• Financial Security

• Nurturing Relationships

• Work Pathways

As a member of the team, you will support the delivery of our new approach to ‘social movement funding’, a new part of our Programme Awards funding stream.

The Role

The Programmes Officers will support the Programmes Manager (Social Change Movements) to contribute to the development and delivery of our ‘social movement funding’ approach, our most proactive Programme Award work, aligned to our long-term change priorities.

You will contribute to influencing and social change activity, particularly through the projects we fund, build strong relationships with grantholders and stakeholders, and support the effective development, assessment and management of both our ‘social change movement’ Programme Awards and our wider Programme Award portfolio.

You will gather and apply insight to strengthen programme development and learning, contribute to meaningful participation of people with lived experience, and work collaboratively across the organisation to ensure our programme work is informed, connected and effective.

Key responsibilities

• Support the development and delivery of our new ‘social movements funding’ approach – our most proactive Programme Award cohorts aligned to long-term change priorities

• Contribute to identifying and supporting influencing opportunities, particularly through funded projects

• Build and maintain trusted relationships with grantholders, stakeholders and experts by experience

• Support the development, assessment and management of Programme Awards in line with governance and good practice

• Gather and apply insight to inform programme development and organisational learning

• Contribute to participation and engagement with people with lived experience

• Support monitoring, review and learning processes to ensure programme activity remains aligned and impact focused

• Represent the Trust externally as required and contribute to cross-cutting organisational priorities

A full job description is available on our website – therobertsontrust.org.uk

About You

We are looking for someone with knowledge of the Trust’s mission on poverty and trauma and an understanding of the third sector and independent funding landscape in Scotland and across the UK.

You will bring:

• HNC/D, or equivalent relevant experience.

• Relevant experience in a field related to poverty and/or trauma

• Experience contributing to programmes, projects or initiatives with demonstrable impact or influence

• An understanding of effective and relational funding practice

• Experience or understanding of funding processes such as assessment, decision making or grant management

• Insight into inequality, poverty or trauma through lived, paid or voluntary experience

• Strong analytical skills, sound judgement and attention to detail

• The ability to build collaborative relationships across diverse stakeholders

• The confidence to manage competing priorities and use your own initiative

• High emotional intelligence and the ability to relate to people from different backgrounds

• An interest in Scotland’s policy and political landscape and the potential to develop political judgement

You will be adaptable, collaborative and aligned to the Trust’s values.

We encourage applications from suitably qualified candidates from all parts of the community, regardless of age, disability, race, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, religion or belief or socio-economic background. We particularly welcome applications from people with experience or knowledge of how poverty or trauma impact lives.

Benefits

• Salary £41,104 to £48,715 FTE

• 35 days holiday per calendar year, inclusive of public holidays

• Pension – 10% employer contribution or 14% if employee contribution is 7%

• Additional employee benefits package (currently under review)

• This role is advertised as full-time, but we are open to applicants who wish to work part-time.

The Robertson Trust is committed to hybrid and flexible working. We are open to reasonable adaptations to overcome barriers and are a Living Wage employer accredited by the Living Wage Foundation.