We help young people to build life-long belief in themselves, supporting them to take on their own challenges, follow their own passions and discover talents they never knew they had. Because when you prove yourself that you are ready for anything nothing can hold you back.
Do you want to be part of that?
This is a 12 month fixed term maternity cover contract.
This is an opportunity to join a small, dynamic, ambitious, and welcoming team that believes in the transformative power of youth work and the power of partnerships. Operations Officers support the operational delivery and development of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) through managing a portfolio of Licensed Organisations (LOs).
LOs range from local authorities, state and independent schools to youth organisations, secure units, and community groups. The DofE Scotland Operations team works with these licensed organisations to build their capacity, support their reach into more marginalised communities and ensure quality and compliance with the Award framework.
The DofE Scotland office covers DofE activity across the length and breadth of Scotland, working with over 140 Licensed Organisations and over 19,000 young people in the last year alone. Each Operations Officer manages a portfolio based on broad geographic region.
The role will be field-based and when not attending meetings, employees will work from home. You will need to have an appropriate home office set up and live within the region of East Scotland (Edinburgh, Lothians, and Scottish Borders).
What we are looking for:
The successful candidate will be a dynamic and proactive team player, who is able to embrace innovation and change. You will be a confident and effective communicator and collaborator and have experience of building and sustaining relationships with stakeholders across the education and/or youth and community sectors.
You will be a passionate advocate for the work of the DofE and motivated by the charity’s strategic ambition to give more than one million young people the chance to participate in our life-changing programmes.
What will you get in return?
The opportunity to work for a successful and dynamic charity that has the development of young people at its heart and the wellbeing and development of its people constantly in focus.
You will be joining a team of empowered colleagues working together.
Our staff benefits package includes a generous pension contribution, an employee assistance program, a healthcare cash plan, and paid volunteer leave. You will also receive 25 days of annual holiday, plus Bank Holidays, an extra 3 days of paid leave between Christmas and New Year, plus the opportunity to purchase additional leave. Additional benefits include access to a benefits discount website, a death-in-service benefit equal to four times your salary, incapacity coverage, and comprehensive family and sick leave policies (Pro-Rata).
About DofE
Since its launch in 1956, the DofE has empowered millions of young people to become the very best they can be. It was established by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, our Patron, and is still guided by the same set of principles he laid down.
The flexibility and adaptability of DofE have allowed the DofE to spread around the world. We operate through a social franchise model in the UK, licensing and supporting a wide range of organisations to deliver DofE programmes to hundreds of thousands of young people every year.
Despite the disruption caused by the COVID-19 outbreak our ambition to grow the number of young people who can access a DofE programme remains unchanged and we continue to engage new partners and develop innovative ways of working with businesses, the voluntary sector, and policymakers across the UK to ensure that any young person who wants to do their DofE can do so. To find out more visit DofE.org/about.
If you feel excited by this role and believe you have the necessary skills and experience to become a valued team member, please go to our website and apply.
The deadline for applying for this role is: Midnight on Sunday 23rd of March 2025.
Interviews will be in person: Week commencing the 31st of March 2025 in the portfolio area, venue TBC.
If you would like to access the application form in a different format or if would like any assistance that might help improve your experience while completing the application, please contact us by email recruitment@dofe.org
The DofE are commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young people. All successful applicants will be required to undergo an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check. (e.g. DBS/PVG or similar), including references covering any gaps of employment, confirm eligibility to work in the UK and complete a health check.