The Ventures Lab is a programme led by The Challenges Group, bringing over 25 years of experience in supporting impact-driven enterprises across 80 countries. Through The Ventures Lab, we apply this expertise to Scotland, building a pipeline of ventures that drive economic and social impact at scale.
The Ventures Lab is redefining how purpose-led enterprises access the expertise they need to grow and succeed. Through our pioneering Pooled Services model, we provide high quality business support in finance, legal, marketing, and business development, allowing ventures to focus on impact without the overheads of costly in-house teams.
Following a successful pilot with a select group of clients, we are now entering a crucial growth phase scaling pooled services into a national offering that will support social enterprises across Scotland. This is an exciting moment to shape and lead a transformative service.
We are seeking an experienced, strategic leader to drive the scaling, innovation, and long-term sustainability of pooled services, positioning The Ventures Lab as the go-to platform for social enterprises seeking expert business support
Role Overview
The Director of Venture Support Services will drive the strategic development and growth of The Ventures Lab’s pooled services. This role requires a strong balance of strategic leadership, operational oversight, and stakeholder engagement to ensure high-quality service delivery and long-term sustainability.
A key part of this role will be building and leading a team to deliver high-quality business support services. The successful candidate will be responsible for recruiting, managing, and developing a team of professionals to ensure seamless service delivery.
Additionally, the Director of Venture Support Services will develop a network of professional partners across various sectors and disciplines, securing a community of trusted advisors, pro-bono experts, and service providers who are committed to supporting purpose-led businesses through volunteering, discounted services, or strategic collaboration.
Growth Targets
In 2025, The Ventures Lab aims to recruit 20 new businesses into the pooled services model. From there, we plan to grow by a minimum of 50% year on year, steadily increasing our reach and impact. The Director of Venture Support Services will play a crucial role in achieving these targets by ensuring the model is scalable, effective, and financially sustainable.
Introduction
Launched in 1824, HMS Unicorn is the third oldest ship in the world still afloat and Scotland's only surviving wooden warship. Now an Accredited Museum in Dundee's City Quay, visitors can explore four decks that offer a unique glimpse into 19th century naval life.
Our mission is to deliver a world-class museum experience while safeguarding HMS Unicorn's future and making our collections accessible to all. We aim to inspire visitors and staff alike, providing lifelong learning and engagement opportunities for our local communities and beyond.
The Unicorn Preservation Society has recently secured nearly £1 million from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to advance Project Safe Haven - our ambitious conservation initiative to relocate HMS Unicorn to Dundee's East Graving Dock. This critical move will ensure the long-term preservation of this irreplaceable maritime treasure while creating a purpose-built visitor centre that will transform Dundee's historic waterfront and enhance community engagement.
This role is made possible through National Lottery Heritage Fund support and represents an exciting opportunity to join our team at a pivotal moment in HMS Unicorn's 200-year history.
Main Purpose of Role
The Chief Financial & Administration Officer holds overall responsibility for the financial management of the Unicorn Preservation Society and the shore-based office in Dundee City Centre. This includes comprehensive financial oversight, administrative leadership, and support for Project Safe Haven. The role will be central to implementing financial procedures to support the organisation's growth and strategic objectives.
As a key member of the senior management team, you will work closely with the Chief Executive Officer, Trustees, Fundraising & Communication and Project Safe Haven teams to ensure robust financial governance, strategic financial planning, and effective administrative support across the organisation.
Lochaber Environmental Group (LEG) is charity working on a local scale to benefit people and the environment, which has been in existence since 2000. We run a wide range of projects to help people to reduce their environmental impact and bring our communities together. We have delivered projects covering energy efficiency, active travel, local food, reducing waste/encouraging recycling, repair cafes and composting and have developed a community hydro electric scheme in Glenachulish. LEG works in partnership with many local, regional and national organisations to reduce duplication and increase our reach and effectiveness.
Due to the community hydro scheme, it has now become possible to employ a manager to lead the organisation and increase its effectiveness. The Manager will oversee the general day to day running of the organisation with oversight of staff and overall responsibility for promotion, networking and development. They will be expected to lead new projects.
LEG is currently in transition as a 3 year project on waste finishes. This leaves 4 part time members of staff and some very active volunteers. LEG occupies an open plan office at An Drochaid in Claggan and a cabin and container at Claggan Park. We are exploring the possibility of bringing the whole operation together under one roof and the successful candidate would be a key player in this development.
Specific responsibilities of the role
• Overall responsibility for organisation, while leaving lead staff to work on their own projects
• Liaison with the board in developing strategy and prioritising activity
• Staff management including reviews of lead staff and recruitment
• Fund raising and budgeting in conjunction with volunteer treasurer and book keeper
• Develop and lead new projects including supporting project officers with funding applications,monitoring and reporting as required.
• Represent LEG in the local communities and at appropriate regional networks.
• Oversee the organisation’s policies and procedures
General responsibilities
• Lead the organisation
• Work as part of the LEG team to promote and encourage understanding of environmental issues and opportunities in Lochaber.
• Promote the work of LEG within the local community and encourage membership.
• Engage with LEG members and the public in a positive and constructive way
• Communicate effectively with the team and board.
• Work constructively with project and organisational partners.
• Comply with the organisation’s ethos, policies and procedures and relevant legislation.
• Run team meetings as required.
• Undertake other duties in line with the job purpose.
Person Specification
Essential
• Good organisational skills, self motivated with good time management
• Able to make decisions when necessary
• A friendly, inclusive and welcoming manner
• The ability to lead a team
• Ability to motivate and encourage others both within and outwith LEG
• Excellent communication and customer service skills
• Flexibility and the ability to adapt according to the needs of the organisation
• Good literacy, numeracy and IT skills including use of email, Microsoft Excel and Word
• A commitment to being environmentally friendly and a good background knowledge of environmental issues
Desirable
• Experience of a managerial role or some aspects of this job
• A personal interest in some of our projects; active travel, waste reduction, local food production or energy efficiency and renewables
• Ability to drive and possession of a driving licence
• Ability to commute using low carbon methods
• Knowledge of social media, newsletter and website editing
We're looking for a Communications Manager to lead, oversee all the marketing, communications, and engagement functions for The Challenges Group. Working to increase our visibility as a purpose-led enterprise development organisation amongst our various audiences.
A recruitment pack can be downloaded below.
SLIC is seeking to recruit an enthusiastic, dynamic and dedicated individual to support the programme team. SLIC lead several programmes which ensure Scotland’s libraries are innovative and exciting venues enriching the lives of their communities. This post will provide vital support to continue to deliver the national aims of Forward: Scotland’s Public Library Strategy 2021-2025. The post holder will also work with key library stakeholders and partner organisations on a number of programmes including digital inclusion, sustainability, cultural experiences and evidence-based project delivery.
Terms of Work
This post offers flexible working and requires an ability to travel with occasional overnight stays. The SLIC office is based in Glasgow, although the team mainly work a hybrid model.
This post offers a flexible work pattern to be agreed with successful candidate. Options include 3 days at 7 hours or 4 days at 5.25 hours. Candidates must be able to work one of the following days as part of their pattern: Tuesday, Wednesday or Friday.
The Ventures Lab is a programme led by The Challenges Group, bringing over 25 years of experience in supporting impact-driven enterprises across 80 countries. Through The Ventures Lab, we apply this expertise to Scotland, building a pipeline of ventures that drive economic and social impact at scale.
Our Impact Venture Builder Programme provides a structured, hands-on approach to venture-building, offering: Tailored business support to strengthen enterprises and their ecosystems. Learning and leadership development to build entrepreneurial capability. Access to finance through patient capital and investment readiness support. Workspace and a collaborative ecosystem to nurture ideas and innovation. A strong business network connecting founders to mentors, partners, and market opportunities.
Market research Manager:
We’re looking for an exceptional Market Research Manager to play a pivotal role in shaping the success of ventures at The Ventures Lab.
This role goes beyond conducting research, it’s about equipping ventures with the tools, frameworks, and methodologies they need to understand and apply market insights effectively. You’ll provide practical, hands-on support, helping ventures navigate market trends, identify opportunities, and make informed, strategic decisions about their business models and growth
As a Market Research Manager, you will:
This is more than just a role, it’s an opportunity to be at the heart of Scotland’s social enterprise movement, helping ventures reach £1m+ in revenue within 3-5 years and driving real, measurable change.
We have an opportunity for a Strategic Planning Manager to join the Strategic Planning team on a full-time fixed term contract for 12 months. This is a dynamic role where you will co-ordinate the key components of the strategy management system.
It’s an exciting time to join the Fund as we implement our 2030 strategy ‘It Starts with Community’. Our ambitious 3-year Corporate Plan sets stretching goals to guide the organisation’s delivery of the strategy. The Strategic Planning team plays a key role in driving the Fund to achieve our overarching strategic ambitions. Through our strategy, we aim to build resilient communities that are more inclusive and environmentally sustainable. We’re committed to focusing our efforts where the need is greatest, particularly with people, places and communities who experience poverty, disadvantage, and discrimination. We’re eager to make a significant impact in the years ahead.
You will be part of a small, dispersed team working flexibly to meet the needs of our key stakeholders. The team oversees the Fund’s corporate planning, business planning and project/programme management processes to ensure we achieve our strategic ambitions.
You will bring expertise in strategic planning to facilitate the annual business planning process within senior leadership teams across the Fund, supporting directorates to deliver our strategic aspirations. We are looking for someone with a keen eye for detail who can also see the bigger picture. Through a continuous improvement approach you will regularly review our ways of working and be empowered to identify and implement innovative solutions. With your strategic thinking and analytical skills you will contribute to reports to senior leaders to provide assurance, raise issues and support effective decision making.
You will work collaboratively with our wider network of colleagues from across the organisation to deliver our key corporate processes, including the Finance team to ensure alignment between planning and budgeting.
You’ll play a key role in reporting against our strategic transformation and delivery programme, helping the Fund to assess whether we are on track to achieve our goals. You will have a strong background in project delivery, helping to develop and strengthen our internal project management capabilities by rolling out project management tools and templates, and providing coaching and guidance to project leads.
With strong organisational skills you will manage your workload and priorities throughout the year, ensuring that team priorities are met and aligning your efforts with the overall goals of the team. Your strong communication skills and passion will help raise the profile of the team and our work with colleagues across the Fund. There will be some travel expectations, with quarterly face-to-face team meetings within one of our offices.
The Robertson Trust are looking for a fixed term Programme and Practice Officer to help us to make a real difference to preventing and reducing poverty and trauma in Scotland. If you would like to be part of one of Scotland’s biggest independent funders, with the clear aim of tackling poverty and trauma, this role could be for you.
Over the next decade, we have committed to use all of our tools and resources to work with others to reduce poverty and trauma across four themes:
The Programme and Practice team work collaboratively with internal colleagues and a range of external stakeholders to drive ‘big change that lasts’ on poverty and trauma. We work to develop and deliver our proactive funding strategy within the four thematic areas above. In doing so, the team will help to shape the Trust’s influencing work and build our subject and policy expertise across our thematic areas.
Key to our approach will be building relationships with our colleagues, our grantholders and with external organisations and expertise. Crucially, this will include a commitment to placing people with experience of poverty and trauma at the heart of our work.
We are looking for one individual to join our Programme and Practice Team as a Programme and Practice Officer on fixed term maternity cover (12 months from contract start).
Key responsibilities will include:
A full job description is available on our website.
The person
We are looking for someone with relevant experience in programme development and delivery, who will embody the values of The Trust.
You should have a passion for tackling poverty and trauma, an insight into and understanding of the causes and impacts of poverty and trauma for individuals, families, and communities and ideally some understanding of one or more of our themes.
You must have high emotional intelligence to support our internal and external collaboration work and a keen interest for increasing participation and placing the voice of those with experience of poverty and trauma at the heart of the work that we do.
You should have the potential to build policy and subject expertise and a keen interest for politics to develop a strong judgement in supporting our proactive funding plans and our influencing work.
We are an Equal Opportunities employer. We want to encourage applicants with diverse backgrounds to work with us. We believe that greater diversity of experience, skills and ways of thinking will challenge our thinking and practice on poverty and trauma and broaden our collective knowledge and networks. 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 also encourage applications from those with experience or knowledge of how poverty or trauma impact on people’s lives.
Benefits
The Robertson Trust is committed to hybrid and other forms of flexible working. The Trust is open to reasonable adaptations to overcome barriers. We are a Living Wage employer accredited by the Living Wage Foundation.
We are a small charity that supports military and emergency service veterans who struggle with mental and physical health problems. The therapy team work in a garden site in Dundee. Management functions are carried out by 5 trustees who work from home but are encouraged to drop into the garden to chat with therapists and veterans. We are looking for a trustee to join this management team as Secretary/Administrator with responsibility for meetings, record keeping and ensuring that the trustees meet the duties and obligations set out by OSCR. Time commitment is up to the individual and their availability. Salary and account functions are carried out by the auditors and the treasurer. A background in management would be useful. The charity has a good record of success helping veterans and a sound reputation for administration.
Who we are
The charity aims to help veterans recover their health to a level that enables them to return to work, further education/training or an acceptable level of independent living. Staff also collaborate with a range of local support agencies to address problems such as finance, housing, mobility limitations, abuse, employment, training and physical health. Staff have created a dedicated therapeutic space where veterans feel safe and are able to engage in a wide range of activities to suit individual needs and abilities. The site is run by 3 qualified therapy staff, a fundraiser and a gardener. The charity is comfortable supporting 16 veterans and their families at any one time.
Beneficiaries
All beneficiaries engage voluntarily. Most are slow to seek support and need help to understand their problems. Some have a history of substance abuse and require the help of primary care GP services. A fear of crowded places can stop veterans attending crucial medical appointments so that they fall through the safety net provided by the NHS. Social isolation is common. Aided by the therapy team, veterans are encouraged to complete any NHS treatments offered, reconnect with family, friends and community and make new friends in the garden. Former beneficiaries are welcome to return for further support.
Our search
Two DTG trustees have been with the charity since it began in 2016. We are looking for a new trustee to inject fresh ideas and up to date skills. With the help of the Scottish Tech Army, the charity has recently upgraded its IT systems to enhance security, enable remote access and set up role specific email accounts. We have a strong, well qualified team running the Garden and want to ensure that the management team continues to have the right strengths and skills to support them.