- Advertised from 16th July 2024
Role
Dundee Science Centre (DSC), an award-winning visitor attraction and educational charity, has been promoting hands-on learning and showcasing the wonders of science since 2000. Our mission is to inspire curiosity and engagement in STEM across Tayside, Fife, and beyond. With 40 dedicated staff members and an annual income of £1.5 million, DSC engages an audience of 250,000 through in-Centre visits, community programs, festivals, and online initiatives.
We are seeking a dynamic and strategic Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to lead DSC into its next phase of development. The ideal candidate will have a strong understanding of science, a commercial mindset, and the ability to inspire and guide a high-performing team. As CEO, you will set the pace, tone, and culture of the organisation, ensuring sustainable growth and an exceptional visitor experience.
Key Responsibilities:
- Strategic Leadership: Collaborate with the Board to develop and implement the 3-year Business Strategy and Annual Operating Plan. Build a strong working relationship with the Chair and ensure robust governance.
- Operational Management: Lead the Executive Team to deliver the Annual Operating Plan, oversee business activities, and drive income growth. Manage customer experience, facilities, exhibitions, IT, Health & Safety, visitor services, staffing, and finance.
- STEM Engagement: Promote STEM engagement through effective marketing, fundraising, and partnerships. Represent DSC at external events and build relationships with key stakeholders.
- Financial and HR Oversight: Ensure financial stability, conduct annual audits, and maintain current HR policies and procedures. Foster a motivated and cohesive team environment.
The ideal candidate will have proven leadership in running commercial operations and delivering national-level projects. They will possess experience in the visitor attraction sector or in building successful commercial ventures. Strong governance and Company Secretary experience are essential, along with a broad understanding of science and STEM engagement. Financial management and budget responsibility are critical, as is hands-on HR experience and conflict resolution skills. The candidate should demonstrate excellent negotiation, communication, and stakeholder management abilities. Finally, the ability to make informed decisions, inspire confidence, and work effectively under pressure is paramount.
Join us at Dundee Science Centre and lead a team dedicated to inspiring the next generation of scientists and innovators. Dundee Science Centre is committed to diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all qualified candidates.
For more information on Dundee Science Centre and this opportunity, please visit aspenpeople.co.uk/DSC.
For a confidential discussion, please contact David Currie or Donogh O’Brien at Aspen People on 0141 212 7555.
Application notes
To apply, please submit your CV and cover letter detailing your relevant experience and vision for DSC's future.
Closing Date: Monday 19th August 2024
Top job! Director of Fundraising
- Full time
- £40,000 – £47,000
- Hybrid: Dumfries & Galloway, DG2 8DW. Hybrid working arrangements are possible, with flexibility for remote working.
- Closing 20th December 2024
The Robert Burns Ellisland Trust (RBET) seeks an experienced and dynamic Director of Fundraising to lead fundraising efforts for the Saving the Home of Auld Lang Syne project, an ambitious conservation and adaptation initiative at Ellisland Museum and Farm. The post is supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund thanks to the players of the National Lottery. This exciting role involves launching and directing a major fundraising campaign to secure backing required for the £7.4m project, which will restore and transform the historic site into a vibrant centre for heritage, learning, and artistic inspiration.
Introduction/Background
The Robert Burns Ellisland Trust (RBET) safeguards the 1788 farm designed and built by Robert Burns on the banks of the River Nith near Dumfries. This A-listed site is the best-preserved of all the poet’s homes and the place where he wrote a quarter of his musical output, including Auld Lang Syne.
The farmstead sits on 140 acres of woodland and fields first enclosed by Burns himself. Managed by a volunteer-led SCIO (Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation) since 2020, Ellisland is both a museum and a public space, with seasonal opening hours, events, and group visits. Volunteers maintain the grounds year-round, providing free public access to the riverside paths and walks.
RBET’s mission is:
“Ellisland is the place to fall in love with Burns. We will increase awareness of Ellisland as central to the artistic development of Robert Burns in poetry and romantic song. We will enhance understanding of the site as the best place to see the natural world through the poet’s eyes. We will create a world-class visitor experience and a vibrant centre for creative learning to ensure the unique collection, buildings, and landscape are accessible to a diverse range of modern audiences.”
Saving the Home of Auld Lang Syne
In September 2024, we secured a development stage grant of up to £489,206 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund for Saving the Home of Auld Lang Syne. The development stage of the project is costed at £945,000, with an estimated total project cost of £7.4m.
The project will restore the 1788 cottage, create an immersive visitor experience, adapt the barn into a Centre for Song, and develop a new museum gallery to safeguard and display Burns’s collection. It will also include outdoor enhancements, skills training, volunteering, and a robust programme of events and residencies, ensuring the site’s long-term sustainability and community engagement.
The Director of Fundraising will be integral to achieving the funding goals necessary to bring this vision to life.
The Brief
The Director of Fundraising will lead a global fundraising campaign for the Saving the Home of Auld Lang Syne project. This individual will work closely with the Project Director, Technical Project Manager, Trustees, and external consultants to deliver funding targets for the capital project and associated revenue funding needs. The fund-raising campaign will be monitored by Trustees who will also support engagement work and identification of donors. The is a fundraising sub-committee which will monitor progress. The project includes a budget to support our membership recruitment and retention with a CRM system. It is essential that the individual has experience of working with projects supported by the Heritage Fund.
The position can be fulfilled either through a freelance contract or a staff position.
The position will cover the Development Phase of the project, leading up to a Delivery Stage Application to the National Lottery Heritage Fund. The Trusts reserves the right to continue the contract into the the delivery stage of the project, which is expected to last until 2028. The Trust also reserves the right to end or suspend the contract at the end of the development stage.
Any Freelance contractor will require to have appropriate Professional Indemnity insurance, Employer’s Liability Insurance and Public Liability Insurance. This should be highlighted in the advert.
A full Project Brief is available for download below.
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Top job! Chief Executive Officer
- Full time
- £60,000
- Remote: Scotland (Home-Based with residence in Scotland)
- Closing 5th January 2025
Rare opportunity to shape the future of rewilding in Scotland
SCOTLAND: The Big Picture is Scotland’s leading independent rewilding charity. We have an exciting opportunity for a highly driven, competent and innovative individual, ideally with a successful background as a strategic leader in the charity sector, to put their own mark on shaping our future.
You will be a natural collaborator, communicator and team builder, and to help our people succeed you’ll provide inclusive and ambitious leadership to the organisation. You will bring a strong people focus, communication skills, and be comfortable in change management. You will lead this dynamic and important organisation in helping to deliver positive outcomes for Scotland’s natural environment.
As the successful candidate, you’ll bring prior experience of working at chief executive or senior management level in a charity or organisation delivering projects or change. You will bring an understanding and appreciation of the complex and high-level stakeholder environment in which we operate and be comfortable working with and across Scotland’s national government and non-government agencies, key landowners and land managers, and those passionate about driving environmental change. Essential to this will be highly-developed communication, presentation and relationship management skills.
You will bring a natural ability to develop effective partnerships across public, private and third sector partners, have strong experience of developing and delivering a strategic vision, and leadership of a successful team. A passion and genuine enthusiasm for the work of SCOTLAND: The Big Picture is essential and you’ll bring a strong alignment with the mission and vision of this important charity.
We are committed to building a diverse organisation, so we welcome applications from all sectors of society, regardless of ethnicity, age, gender, disability and/or religious persuasion. In return, we offer you an employee friendly organisation with flexible policies and benefits that will help you deal with the complexities of everyday life.
The role is based in Scotland, and you will be expected to travel across our nation, being visible as our ambassador and the public face of the charity. In this regard, it is essential that you are resident in Scotland. This is your opportunity is to join us and help us succeed. Because when we succeed, Scotland succeeds. It’s the challenge of a lifetime.
For more information on SCOTLAND: The Big Picture, visit: scotlandbigpicture.com
About ACOSVO:
Established in 2000, ACOSVO is a growing membership organisation representing over 750 voluntary sector Chief Executives, Senior Leaders, Chairs, and Vice Chairs across Scotland. Its vision is for voluntary sector leadership in Scotland to be influential, resilient, and trusted.
ACOSVO occupies a unique position as the only organisation of its kind in Scotland, with members consisting of key decision-makers and change-makers in the sector. By offering a wide range of services, networks, and personal and professional development opportunities, along with relevant member benefits, ACOSVO supports voluntary sector leaders at every stage of their leadership journey.
Through collaboration with members and partners, ACOSVO has developed a new strategy for 2024–2029, which introduces a refreshed vision, aims, objectives, and a suite of values to guide its delivery. This ambitious strategy has led to the creation of a new role, designed to play a pivotal part in achieving the identified outcomes.
Dynamic and committed to continuous improvement, ACOSVO prioritises member engagement, mutual support, and the fostering of a learning culture. Its values underpin every aspect of its work, enabling the organisation to deliver its best for its membership.
Further details about ACOSVO and the new strategy can be found at: acosvo.org.uk
About the Role of Head of Communications and Events:
The Head of Communications and Events role is a senior leadership position within ACOSVO, reporting directly to the CEO. This role is pivotal in driving the organisation’s strategic communications and events programme to achieve ACOSVO's vision and goals. It includes developing and delivering a dynamic Communications and Engagement Plan, ensuring engaging content across all channels, and promoting ACOSVO’s brand. Additionally, the role oversees the planning and execution of high-quality events, ensuring member satisfaction and stakeholder engagement. As part of the senior leadership team, the post-holder will champion ACOSVO’s values, lead on innovative initiatives, and foster collaboration across the organisation.
Additional Info:
This is a permanent position, with a 35-hour workweek.
The working location for this role is hybrid, with a requirement to go to the Edinburgh office. There will be a requirement to work at other locations in Scotland, and these times will be arranged in advance.
We are happy to talk about flexible working such as location and when the hours are worked within our core hours of 8am–6pm Monday to Friday.
Please note that this role is not suitable as a job share.
Additional benefits include 25 days annual leave plus 11 public holidays, pension scheme (employer contribution of up to 6%), and death in service at 1 x salary.
This is a senior post within The Scottish Civic Trust reporting to the Director.
Main purpose:
To oversee the day-to-day running of finance function with responsibility for all aspects of management accounting (including all necessary reconciliations), cash management, budgeting and forecasting, and administration of all payroll matters.
The post will provide support to the Director on finance matters ensuring that information and advice is available to support strategic decision making.
The Finance Manager will also be expected to contribute, and sometimes lead on, relationships with tenants within The Tobacco Merchant’s House and premises management.
Management of the Administration Officer is also a key aspect of this role.
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