Overview of Organisation:

Heavy Sound is a Community Interest Company, incorporated in 2015, based in East Lothian. We work with disconnected young people and adults, re-engaging them through strength-based activities of interest including music, biking, sports, creative arts, education, mentoring and 1:1 therapy. By building trusting relationships we help inspire positive opportunities for further learning, life skills development, and future training and employment.

16+ Programme:

Heavy Sound transforms the lives of vulnerable, disengaged and, in the main, care-experienced 11–15-year-olds across East Lothian. Based on their needs, we have developed a 16+ Programme to extend this support to provide:

• Life skills development
• Qualifications
• Support into further education, volunteering, training and employment

Participants are referred mainly through education and social work, and engage in a variety of activities including education, music, biking, sports and mentoring, leading to qualifications and awards, and life skills development.

Flexibility in hours is required as there is a weekly evening 16+ drop-in.

Youth Theatre Arts Scotland (YTAS) is looking for a part-time Company Manager to join our team. This role is ideal for someone who is motivated by enabling progress, implementing improvement and providing support.

We are looking for someone who excels at organising, is methodical and forward-thinking, and who is confident in supporting and leading a team. Sound working experience of HR practices will also be essential to your success in this role.

YTAS is the national development agency and umbrella body for Scotland’s youth theatre sector. Our vision is for universal access to quality youth theatre activity across Scotland and universal recognition of its impact. We believe in helping others, community, collaboration, excellence and joy.

The Company Manager position is an excellent opportunity to join a motivated team whose work over the next three years will be supported by multi-year funding recently awarded by Creative Scotland.

In this key leadership role, you will ensure the smooth running of our organisation, working alongside the CEO to oversee company operations, strategic planning and programme delivery. You will support a passionate staff team, fostering a well-managed, collaborative and positive work environment, where people thrive. This role will offer you the chance to achieve to this, and to help drive our vision forward.

We encourage and welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and identities. As a flexible-working organisation and a PiPA (Parents and Carers in Performing Arts) partner, we’re happy to discuss ways that allow you to balance caring responsibilities with your working life.

About Starcatchers

We champion exceptional, innovative arts and creative experiences for our youngest children, those aged from birth to 5 years old and their parents and carers. The voice, needs and interests of this audience are at the heart of all our activity, providing inspiration and provocation in the development of projects and programmes. Our work is created by highly specialist artists who are attuned to the requirements of making work for and with this unique age group. Supported by nearly 20 years of high-quality work, evidenced through research and evaluation, Starcatchers is recognised around the world as being at the forefront of artistic practice for Early Years.

Primary Purpose

This is a new role within a refreshed Starcatchers Staff Team for 2025/26 and beyond. The post-holder will be pivotal in the development of our Community Engagement activity leading on the implementation of this work, supporting the specialist Starcatchers Artists who lead on delivery, nurturing existing and seeding new relationships within communities and securing funding to sustain activity moving forward.

Specific Duties and Responsibilities

Community Engagement

• To lead on the development and delivery of all Starcatchers' Community Engagement activity including current programmes
• Seed new activities in line with organisational priorities
• To ensure the implementation of a continuous improvement framework within the team
• To ensure the principles of Starcatchers Voice of the Baby research are embedded and reflected in artistic practice
• To ensure the participation of the babies, young children, parents and carers who engage in Starcatchers activity is evident in all aspects of service delivery
• To develop and maintain relationships with partners to support the delivery andpotential future development of project activity
• To oversee the implementation of research and evaluation surveys across all Community Engagement activity and provide feedback and figures for reporting,evaluation and development purposes
• To manage the Community Engagement budgets and ensure delegated budgets operate within organisational monitoring and reporting arrangements.
• To regularly attend Community Engagement sessions and provide support to delivery staff
• To ensure the Health & Safety policy is implemented in accordance with best practice and all activity is planned to include risk-assessment and compliance with Health and Safety and event management regulations
• To ensure the effective implementation of Starcatchers policies and procedures
• To provide line management support to the Community Engagement Artists

Fundraising

• To identify and apply for funding for Community Engagement programmes, both existing and new initiatives
• To support or lead on reporting to funders as required

General

• To play an active role in the strategic development of Starcatchers as a member of the Management Team
• To fully participate in company meetings and events as required
• To contribute to the on-going fundraising of the organisation as required
• To attend relevant training as and when requiredTo positively represent Starcatchers at eventsAny other duties appropriate to the post and organisation

The Executive Assistant is a new role to support our Chief Executive & Artistic Director, who is responsible for the ongoing management and development of the NYOS and artistic planning across all our programmes; and to support our Head of Development who is responsible for a fundraising strategy that supports all areas of NYOS’ work.

The Executive Assistant will coordinate and manage the Chief Executive’s scheduling, prepare and organise strategic materials and plans, and support board meetings and the preparation of board materials. This role serves as the eyes and ears for the Chief Executive, connecting her to organisations, projects and business information, ensuring meetings and materials are efficient and effective, and serving as a trusted partner to ensure that the Chief Executive can fulfill her role effectively.

The Executive Assistant will also support the Head of Development with the planning and communication of key fundraising events and ad hoc data management projects, particularly to develop our supporter networks as we work towards NYOS’ 50th anniversary year in 2029.

The dynamic nature of this role requires exemplary time management skills and the ability to identify and anticipate the Chief Executive’s needs. The Executive Assistant will interact with a broad range of individuals including members of the Senior Management Team, the NYOS Board, external partners and artists, and will be expected to handle sensitive and confidential information with discretion. You do not need to fulfil every element of the job description to apply. We are interested in finding someone who really wants to contribute to NYOS’s work and will support your professional development if you have the right potential. If this role excites you, but you are unsure about applying, please feel free to get in touch for an informal conversation.