Are you passionate about Human Rights?

Do you want to help improve the realisation of Human Rights for everyone in Scotland?

Do you have the skills, values, experience and expertise to help make that happen?

Are you interested in strengthening Scotland’s National Human Rights Institution?

If so, you could be just what we are looking for!

The Scottish Human Rights Commission (SHRC) is Scotland’s human rights watchdog.

We are an independent, expert body that works with and for the people of Scotland; we monitor, listen, and speak up for all our rights and respond when things go wrong. We are a public body created by statute, with a mandate to protect and promote the human rights of all people in Scotland.

The Commission is established as a National Human Rights Institution. As such we are part of a global network of bodies accredited by the United Nations to monitor state compliance with international and national human rights law and treaties. We are independent of government. It is the job of National Human Rights Institutions to use the rule of law to promote and protect the human rights of all of the people who live in any given country and assess the actions of the state on that basis. This is how the Scottish Human Rights Commission approaches its work.

Recruitment

We have a number of opportunities for people who share our values and passion for human rights to join our growing team. We are a small organisation with big ambition to use our mandate to further the realisation of people’s human rights in Scotland, and these key strategic posts, working together with colleagues across the Commission, will be integral to our success over the coming years.

The Commission is recruiting for four positions.

This follows an expansion of our mandate with the enactment of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Act 2024; investment in the development of a People and Culture Programme that will enable us to conclude the implementation of our Independent Governance Review from 2023; and to fill a vacancy following the upcoming departure of a member of the team.

In April the Commission embarked on its new 4-year Strategic Plan for 2024-28, focused on standing up for those in need of protection and holding those responsible for human rights to account. This requires us to build a Commission team infrastructure that is equipped to deliver this, and the current opportunities will support us to enhance our engagement with the Scottish Parliament, the media, and the application of the law through strategic litigation and monitoring of human rights across Scotland.

The Commission is committed to being agile, engaged, accessible, open to collaboration and above all visibly committed to the realisation of rights in Scotland, as an authoritative and challenging partner in pursuit of that goal.

These posts are a critical to enhancing the skills and capacity of our existing team in order to achieve the Commission’s goals.

About the Role

This key post is central to articulating the Commission’s role as Scotland’s human rights watchdog, promoting awareness and understanding of human rights, through the effective development and delivery of the Communication and Engagement strategy.

Reporting to the Executive Director, the role requires an individual with expert level skills across the communications mix of public affairs, corporate communications, media and digital, who can lead a team and empower a shared tone of voice and brand promotion across the organisation, and who can create and deliver strategic communications with purpose and impact. Experience of this gained in a related policy discipline would be welcome. You will lead and influence core messaging and its deployment across multiple channels to maximise exposure and awareness of the Commission’s purpose and outputs. A central feature of the role will be to coordinate activities and resources across the workforce, working closely with the Head of Legal and Policy to ensure effective communications programmes and plans are developed and implemented effectively across all of our core activities.

You will be responsible for developing and embedding the voice of the Commission aligned to its Strategic Plan 2024-28 and play a central role in shaping the Commissions strategic outputs.

As a member of the Senior Leadership Team, you will, provide leadership and management to the organisation as the Commission delivers its People and Culture plan in 2025. In addition, you will directly lead and manage the Commission’s Communications Team, ensuring they have effective management direction, support and development as required.

The Scottish Episcopal Institute (SEI) seeks to appoint a Director of Contextual Formation. The Director of Contextual Formation oversees all elements of SEI’s dispersed, part-residential, formation-led placements and contextual training in Initial Ministerial Education (IME); teaches on all levels from certificate to master’s qualifications in the areas of ministry, missiology and pastoral/practical theology, including supervising and marking dissertations. In addition to IME, SEI provides a range of training and support for lay and ordained members of the Scottish Episcopal Church to which the Director of Contextual Formation contributes. The post is based in Edinburgh with some flexibility for home working from another location in Scotland.

Candidates applying for the post will have:

• Episcopal/Anglican holy orders;

• Demonstrable ability in theological education, curate training, knowledge of current ecclesiological trends and an entrepreneurial spirit in the Episcopal/Anglican tradition;

• Postgraduate qualification in ministry, missiology, pastoral/practical theology or a closely related field (at least to master’s level);

• Passion for theological and vocational training that equips students to foster vibrant church life through evangelism and discipleship;

• The candidate will have drive and enthusiasm, be able to work on their own initiative and possess an understanding of the missiological and theological issues of the twenty-first century in Scotland.

We have a new and innovative post which will work on our Initial Ministerial Education (IME) programme with the opportunity to shape courses, conferences and policy. You will be responsible for ensuring that our academic courses for our trainee ministers and deacons are meeting the Church of Scotland needs and reflective of the demands of modern ministry. As you will be working closely with our Lead Academic Partner you will bring your own experience of theological study alongside a track record of delivering a training and/or education training programme.

Bringing strong interpersonal skills including influence and negotiation combined with your knowledge of the workings of the Church of Scotland and its training and formation will allow you to lead and advise on our new IME programme.

The postholder is required to be a committed Christian with a live Church connection which is a Genuine Occupational Requirement in terms of the Equality Act 2010.