This is a fantastic opportunity to become the Executive Assistant to the Chief Executive at Scotland’s leading nature conservation charity. The postholder will provide high-level administrative and general support to the Chief Executive, Chair and Council (Board of Trustees), as well as liaising with a wide variety of other stakeholders inside and outside the organisation. This is a rewarding, interesting and fulfilling role for someone who enjoys developing strong relationships, has excellent organisational skills and wants to make a difference to the protection and restoration of nature at a time when it has never been more important.

Main duties include:

• Diary management, including coordinating internal and external meetings, events and travel
• Acting as first point of contact; dealing with correspondence and phone calls and being a representative of the CEO in their absence
• Liaising with Senior Management Team, Management Team, Line Managers and other relevant colleagues as required
• Administrative duties such as processing expense claims and maintaining and managing digital filling systems
• Co-ordinating and providing secretarial support for Council meetings including agendas, action updates, attendance, meeting papers and minute taking
• Providing administrative support to the Trust’s Chair and Committees

The successful candidate will have great people skills, professionalism, initiative and resilience. You’ll have a keen eye for detail and will relish the opportunity to play a part in bringing about nature’s recovery in Scotland, working alongside colleagues who share a common vision.

About us

For nearly 60 years, the Scottish Wildlife Trust has worked with its members, partners and supporters in pursuit of its vision of healthy, resilient ecosystems across Scotland’s land and seas.

The Trust successfully champions the cause of wildlife through policy and campaigning work, demonstrates best practice through practical conservation and innovative partnerships, and inspires people to take positive action through its education and engagement activities. The Trust manages a network of around 120 wildlife reserves across Scotland and is a member of the UK-wide Wildlife Trusts movement.

The benefits

• Flexi time/Hybrid working
• Salary sacrifice Cycle to Work and pension schemes
• Weekly wellness hour
• Generous Sick pay allowance
• Enhanced maternity/paternity pay
• Training and Development focus

ABOUT EAST LOTHIAN COMMUNITY RAIL PARTNERSHIP

Community Rail Partnerships (CRP) were first established in England in the 1990s as a formal mechanism to reinvigorate local and rural railways. CRP status provides a framework for community involvement in strategic planning, development and operation of a specific railway line.

Since 2014, the East Lothian Community Rail Partnership has been pulling together a wide range of local organisations with an interest in communities and sustainable transport, to fix the link between railway stations, town centres and the surrounding areas, and realise an integrated transport network accessible to all. We work with four train operators (ScotRail, LNER, TransPennine Express, and Cross Country), Transport Scotland, East Lothian Council, the Regional Transport Partnership (SEStran), local businesses and community groups towards the following aims:

• Supporting the local economy by promoting rail use and rail facilities
• Actively promoting the use of rail and other public and low carbon-emitting transport
• Supporting safety, security and access initiatives relating to railway use
• Working with ‘station adopters’ (individuals and groups) to provide a more pleasant environment within the station areas.

ABOUT THE VACANCY

Harry Barker has been chairing East Lothian CRP since its inception in 2014 and is now preparing to pass on the reins of a well-established and respected organisation. In addition the time is right to expand the Board and also appoint a vice chair. Examples of projects completed to date include:

• restored the murals at Prestonpans Station (best community project 2023)
• improved signage to stations
• provided information boards for display in stations promoting local attractions and historical information
• supported many local events in the North Berwick and Dunbar areas
• producing a line guide and leaflets to encourage tourism
• working with bus operators to improve integration between bus and rail

Projects have always been dependent on external funding which to date has not proved problematical, and, as such, the incoming Chair will have the flexibility to pursue their own agenda. The CRP is financially sound and new ways of operating are being explored by The Community Rail Network and the new Chair will be well placed to provide input to these.

East Lothian CRP has no paid staff, and projects are led by volunteers under direction from the Board, and therefore the amount of work involved can vary but can be expected to be around 10 hours per month for the Chair.

DUTIES OF THE CHAIR

Responsibilities include:

• Ensuring that the CRP is run in accordance with the constitution
• Guiding and encouraging projects that will be undertaken from time to time
• Ensuring that the Action Plan is kept up to date
• Chairing four meetings per year, including the AGM (normally held in November)
• Producing an annual report for the AGM
• Ensuring that the activities of the CRP are within the guidelines produced by the Train Operating Companies in all respects particularly including safely

BENEFITS

You will receive a ‘staff’ rail pass from ScotRail permitting free rail travel throughout Scotland when travelling on ScotRail trains.

Reasonable expenses will be paid if required to travel on other rail services and/or stay overnight.

REQUIREMENTS

The successful applicant will be expected to support public transport in general, with a keen interest in integration between modes such as buses, active travel and rail.

A willingness of Board members to attend committees and conferences is essential (expenses will be covered) and these will give valuable access to professional railway staff and management on the front line, where your views can be heard. These include:

• the local ‘Rail Forum’ involving MSPs, Councillors and Train Operating Companies - twice a year, usually virtually
• in-person or virtual annual conferences of the four local Train Operating Companies (ScotRail, Cross Country Trains, TransPennine Express, and LNER) which may be held anywhere in the UK
• An annual event in Scotland sponsored by Modern Railways magazine which is attended by many high profile railway managers and senior representation from Transport Scotland
• Virtual attendance (via Zoom) at the national Community Rail Network meetings
• In-person Community Rail Networks Awards ceremony, if the CRP is short listed for an Award – this year’s was in Swansea over three days
• Six Community Area Partnership ‘On the Move’ groups consider local transport in East Lothian – CRP representation on one or more of these groups is important for a full appreciation of issues surrounding each station. Each On the Move Group meets every two months

A knowledge of railways and their workings is desirable but not essential.

Living in East Lothian and using the county’s rail services from time to time would be advantageous.

You will be expected to liaise with the station adoption groups from time to time. They have a separate relationship with ScotRail.

You will be expected to be pro-active in instructing the website to be kept up to date via the CRP’s appointed webmaster, and in responding to public enquiries which come via the website. You will not be required to answer complaints from the travelling public but direct these to ScotRail for attention.

From time to time it may be necessary to communicate with the local Press (East Lothian Courier and occasionally Edinburgh Evening News).

Aberlour are the largest solely Scottish children’s charity; we help to transform the lives of disadvantaged children, young people and families across Scotland, and we are looking to recruit new Trustees who will join us in our efforts to ensure children have the opportunities and support they deserve.

Aberlour has a rich history of delivering vital services to vulnerable children, young people and their families. Since our inception as an orphanage in Speyside in 1875 and the formal establishment of Aberlour Child Care Trust in 1976, we have developed a significant reputation for delivering the following services: residential care and fostering, recovery, early years, disability, early intervention and youth work. We offer support at the earliest opportunity – giving children the best possible start in life is at the heart of everything we do.

Due to Trustees coming to the end of their term, we are seeking up to five new Trustees with a range of skills to join the Board during 2025 to help us to deliver our ambitious strategic priorities and goals to transform the lives of disadvantaged children across Scotland. Applicants should have the values, experience and passion to lead one of Scotland’s leading charities at a time when our support is needed more than ever.

We are looking for the following skills:

• Chartered accountant with strong financial skills, in particular charity accounting, that would allow you to chair or join our Finance Committee.
• Understanding of children’s services or social care. Also experience of scrutiny or quality improvement that would allow you to chair or join our Improvement, Audit & Risk Committee.
• Experience of social investment.
• Policy development, especially in relation to engaging with children and families who are overcoming trauma.
• Learning and development.
• Lived experiences that can bring empathy with children and young people.
• Understanding of the demands and complexities of board-level governance and experience of operating at a senior level in Corporate, Public or Third sector environments would be an advantage.

In welcoming applications from all parts of Scotland’s communities, we recognise that diversity in the voices around our table will better reflect the communities we serve. If you believe you could add real value to our board table but don’t meet some or all the criteria we have laid out, we would still love to hear from you, but please highlight for us the value you would bring in your application.

You will be required to attend 4 Board meetings, relevant committee meetings and a Board Development Day each year.

Charity trustees are expected to direct the affairs of the charity through efficient, effective and accountable governance, ensuring that the organisation is professionally run and acts in accordance with its stated aims and objectives. These are unpaid roles, but reasonable expenses will be reimbursed.

About ENSA

Edinburgh Napier Students’ Association (ENSA) exists to enable our 20,000 student members across Edinburgh and around the globe to make the most of their university experience. We do this by representing, supporting and developing Edinburgh Napier University students to be successful in their studies; to try out new things; to engage in, and contribute to, university life; to be healthy and happy; to bring about positive change; and to have fun.

About the role

As our Chair has now come to the end of her term in office, we are looking to recruit a new Chair with the skills and experience to lead the Board of Directors, promoting good governance and providing effective and empowering line management to support our CEO. This is an exciting opportunity for an individual who has the strategic focus, governance understanding, leadership experience and time to support and develop a committed Board and ensure ENSA delivers the best experience for students.

Please see the Job Description and Person Spec for full details.

About ENSA’s Board of Directors

The Board is collectively in charge of ENSA, for upholding its values and aligning it to the Association’s charitable aims. It has overall responsibility for ENSA’s governance: budget-setting and financial reporting, health and safety, human resources and legal compliance.

The Board is made up of 12 Directors: six External Lay Directors (including the Chair) appointed through a competitive process for their professional expertise; three Student Lay Directors who are registered students of Edinburgh Napier University and appointed through a competitive process; and three Sabbatical Officers who are elected by the student body.

In line with charity law, all ENSA’s Directors (elected and appointed) have equal status. Directors have a variety of experience and skills which offer different perspectives, and are all, jointly and severally, liable for the governance of the charity. Directors are expected to take their responsibilities seriously, attend meetings, and manage any conflicts of interests appropriately.