What is planet youth?

Planet Youth is based on an approach first trialled in Iceland, where they saw spectacular results leading to Icelandic teens being labelled ‘The cleanest living teens in Europe’. It involves using surveys to take a snapshot of teenage life in a local area, and then working with the community to address the needs and issues raised in the surveys.

In 2021 we surveyed teens across 13 Scottish high schools and this year will be reaching 24 schools across 6 areas, with enhanced and strengthened local coalitions groups created to drive change.

Visit winningscotland.org/planetyouth and planetyouth.scot for more.

Overview

Following the award of significant funding by the Scottish Government, Planet Youth is being accelerated in Scotland, through a two-year pilot phase led by Winning Scotland. We are looking to take on a Strategic Delivery Manager to grow the model in Scotland by strengthening its reach in local areas and increasing its profile across the country.

Over the next 18 months, we want to support existing partners who work with the model to ensure that it is as effective as possible, and that learning about the model is spread widely.

This is an exciting role, joining at a pivotal time for the Planet Youth programme. You will be expected to manage a range of complex and sensitive relationships as well as contributing to the development and delivery of a programme of work spanning diverse local and national partners. You will bring clear leadership to this work, working closely with other Winning Scotland colleagues and reporting to the Youth Programme Director.

Supported by our Planet Youth Programme Director, you will take responsibility for the Planet Youth network management and development whilst leading programme monitoring to support reporting through the governance framework and evaluation work.

The Role

This is a unique and exciting opportunity for the right person to play a leading role in the implementation and success of Planet Youth in Scotland, an evidence-based model creating a positive change in the lives and decisions of our teenagers and young people.

We are looking for someone who is inspiring and proactive, with strong experience of working on projects and programmes delivering real change. This role calls for a self-starter and someone who can work under their own initiative to drive strong collaborative endeavour, making the most of all the skills, knowledge and experience that is available internally and externally to the programme.

To succeed, you will need to be highly collaborative, well organised and someone who can establish and build strong relationships, and team spirit, within both the immediate team in Winning Scotland and also the wider Planet Youth family. You will also be adept at problem solving, finding appropriate solutions to issues that might arise, swiftly and creatively.

You will have significant experience operating in a comparable role, with strong project management competencies and analytical aptitude. The role offers an opportunity to make a real difference to the lives of other people, providing stimulating professional interest and challenge.

You will be an ambassador for Planet Youth, and Winning Scotland, so strong influencing and negotiating skills will be essential as well as high levels of integrity. The role is not have currently anticipated to have direct line management responsibilities; however, people management competencies will be important given that the post-holder will need to develop and maintain close productive working relationships with the local leads.

Responsibilities

• Strategic responsibility for partner delivery coordination, ensuring effective operational planning and implementation of all activities required by the model, working closely with local partners across the pilot areas
• Ensure effective and efficient strategy development and implementation for local partner engagement, providing the support and challenge required to optimise the value derived from the grant funding, whilst capturing learning and driving improvement as appropriate
• Create and drive networks and knowledge exchange opportunities between all of the Planet Youth Scotland local areas, bringing in external expertise as required
• Represent the organisation at events, conferences and in the print and social media in respect of the programme.
• Plan and execute data gathering from partners on a regular basis, and driving the strategic usage of this data, processing and analysing it for progress monitoring and reporting purposes
• Provide proactive support for programme evaluation work and scoping forward developments, working with colleagues across the wider Winning Scotland team

Experience required

Essential criteria

1. Excellent project planning and management competencies, adept at designing and implementing supporting processes and competent with standard business tools / software to enable efficient collaborative working and programme delivery
2. Operational stakeholder engagement, building rapport and providing an effective support and challenge function
3. Strategic thinking: horizon scanning and forward planning
4. Analytical aptitude for data and information gathering followed by digestion into reporting outputs for a range of audiences, ensuring clarity and high attention to detail
5. Excellent written and verbal communication
6. Proactive and able to work at pace under own initiative with minimal steer, manage competing priorities in a complex landscape and deliver milestones to high standards

Desirable Criteria

1. Knowledge of the Scottish delivery landscape supporting work for children and young people, and current national and local government policies that are relevant to Planet Youth (across, e.g., education, community, health, prevention)
2. Understanding of relevant local and national government structures and approaches to decision making
3. Data management and analytical skills

Location:Hybrid working includes 1-2 days in the Edinburgh office each week, including every Thursday

Application deadline: 9am - Monday 30th October 2023

Interviews will be held: 13th and 14th November in Edinburgh

To Apply: Send a CV and covering letter or supporting statement to recruitment@winningscotland.org

We are open to secondments or other arrangements if appropriate.

For an informal conversation about the role, you are welcome to contact Katherine Falconer, Planet Youth Programme Director, at katherine@winningscotland.org

Background info

Winning Scotland is a charity that acts as a catalyst for change. Working with like-minded partners, we build confidence and resilience in all of Scotland's young people.

We collaborate with a range of partners to develop innovative resources and practical solutions that improve outcomes for children in Scotland. We engage and empower the individuals and groups who have the greatest influence on young people, giving them the tools and knowledge to create sustainable impact.

Our approach is highly effective. By creating a dedicated network of trained and informed teachers, carers, leaders, coaches and parents across Scotland, their influence will spread and embed in homes, schools, clubs and communities, supporting young people for years to come.

winningscotland.org