"Do you want to work in one of the most scenic parts of Scotland? Do you have the skills and energy to take the helm of Torridon District Community Association and Loch Torridon Community Centre. This is an exciting opportunity to develop the centre, diversify its range of activities and increase income. You will never be far from the sea or mountains and you will be working alongside people who share a passion for the landscape, environment and long-term sustainability of the community. “

Vision

Our vision is to enhance, develop and support this fragile rural community, enabling its residents to thrive, and to create a welcoming environment for the many tourists whose presence in turn supports the ongoing sustainability of the community.

Background

Torridon District Community Association (TDCA) is a charity which runs Loch Torridon Community Centre (LTCC) and employs a part time centre manager, a part time finance officer and a part time cleaner. In addition, TDCA employs a full-time community development worker to develop community projects and assets which in time will generate income to support the community centre. TDCA also employs a part time resilience officer to increase the resilience of the local community.

LTCC is a hub for year-round social activities and events, promoting physical and mental health and wellbeing. It is a meeting point for the community and provides employment opportunities for local residents and space for services such as the Post Office, Community cinema, live music, osteopathy clinics, gym and other health activities. The café is an important part of the centre, bringing together both residents and visitors, while the art and craft gallery provides locals artists and community businesses the opportunity to exhibit and display their products, generating sales, particularly in the tourist season.

Purpose of the post

As the centre has grown from a small village hall to a busy hub for the whole of the Torridon district, the staffing requirements have also grown and we are now looking for a senior manager to lead on the smooth running of the Community Centre; to promote the use of the Centre more widely; to increase TDCA revenue and capital grants; and to ensure the continued success of the annual Celtman event. The Board of Directors has been directly involved in many aspects of running the centre and now needs to appoint someone to take over that work, freeing Directors up to focus on their wider remit while supporting the operations & events manager as s/he develops into the role. Beyond the centre TDCA is working on a number of additional projects which will, as the organisation grows further, become part of this new role.

Tasks

Leadership and Management

The operations & events manager will be responsible for the smooth running of the LTCC; line management including maintaining and developing team ethos; developing a volunteer strategy; oversight of running costs and income streams.

Developing LTCC and events

Promoting the LTCC for events, conferences, weddings etc; exploring new opportunities and developing a strategy to increase the use of LTCC; generating new income while ensuring facilities remain accessible to local community groups; and promoting wider community benefit from LTCC and events.

Developing and implementing a communications strategy, including social media, local communication forums and TDCA membership.

Ensuring the successful running of the annual Celtman triathlon (held in June) including negotiations with organizers (2026 negotiations complete); pre-event planning; overall co-ordination and management of the 2 weekends; and coordinate post event feedback

Funding

Developing and implementing a funding strategy for TDCA including regular donations, one-off donations and grants as well as developing relationships with key funder such as Highland Council and Highland & Islands Enterprise.

Objectives

1. Continued smooth running of the LTCC, ensure running costs are covered and increase income.
2. Increase external and community bookings of LTCC
3. Maintain a positive relationship with the Celtman team and the community and ensuring level or increased profit
4. Increase revenue and obtain grants for capital work as needed

The post will be reviewed in late September 2028 with a view to extending it if funding is available.

Conditions of work and in-work benefits

• The post will be based in Loch Torridon Community Centre. While most days will involve being in the Community Centre, we can offer some flexibility for 1 day a week home working;
• Working hours will be average 28 hours per week across the year. The centre is very quiet in winter and very busy in summer so there is scope for some seasonal variation by mutual consent - although much of the job is proactive and therefore less affected by the tourism seasons. Job-share applications and secondments will be considered;
• Some evening and weekend work may be required and time off in lieu will be offered;
• The standard paid annual leave entitlement is 30 days - pro rata 22.5 (inclusive of public/bank holidays) per calendar year;
• Membership of NEST workplace pension scheme;
• TDCA is a living wage employer with a fair work first policy and would be happy to share this with potential candidates;
• We would be very glad to discuss any accessibility adjustment requirements and associated in-work support that may be needed to ensure a positive and inclusive workplace;
• TDCA takes a proactive approach to staff development, and seeks to provide staff with training and development opportunities.

Person specification

We are looking for a highly driven and capable individual, experienced in leadership, promotion of events and finance who is able to build and sustain good working relationships with staff, funders, the community and other stakeholders. The following are the essential and desirable elements for candidates for the role and in your application and the interview process we will expect you to provide examples that demonstrate how you meet these. This will inform scoring of applications.

Experience:

Essential

• Leading a small organisation or autonomous team within a larger organisation
• Promotion and organisation of one off or regular events
• Controlling and forecasting budgets
• Developing and maintaining key stakeholder relationships within the third sector

Desirable

• Fundraising for a small organisation
• Working in the public and/or third sector, where funding conditions apply.
• Previous experience of working with a community.
• Using social media on a professional basis

Education:

Essential

• Degree in relevant subject, or demonstrable experience of learning at this level.

Skills and abilities:

Essential

• Strong people skills as the job involves engaging with local community members, visitors, staff and directors.
• Good at developing and implementing strategy – eg to bring in more events to the centre, to promote the centre, to increase funding and donations
• Financial literacy: able to develop budgets, track income and expenditure and undertake financial reporting.
• Proficiency with intermediate IT skills including MS Office, and able to pick up basic use of website content management (e.g. WordPress).
• Able to identify, organise and prioritise tasks in order to achieve objectives, meet deadlines and respond to emerging needs.
• Strong team working skills and a flexible approach, including setting realistic expectations on what can be sustainably delivered by yourself and others.

Knowledge and understanding:

Essential

• An understanding of the pressures and challenges facing remote communities.

Desirable

• Relevant knowledge of compliance requirements eg health and safety, building compliance, and accessibility

Other requirements

• The role will require you to be in the Community Centre at least 3 days a week and 2 of those days will be public facing
• There will be a need to be in the centre over the 2 weekends of Celtman triathlon in June