Constituency Engagement Officer
- Full time
- £25,000 – £31,327
- On site: Edinburgh
- Closing 8th January 2026
- Advertised from 17th December 2025
Role
Dr Scott Arthur, MP Edinburgh South West is seeking a dedicated Constituency Engagement Officer to support local constituents and advocate for their rights. As a key member of the MP’s constituency office team in Edinburgh the officer will lead community-facing activities and events, monitor local issues and determine responses. The role involves developing a strong understanding of local communities, representing the MP at meetings when needed, advocating on behalf of communities, and ensuring the MP’s work reflects constituent priorities.
Responsibilities
- Serve the people of Edinburgh South West.
- Part of the MP’s team working alongside two senior caseworkers in the MP’s Edinburgh constituency office, the community engagement officer is expected to proactively engage with community issues on behalf of the MP and address community focused casework issues.
- Manage the MP’s constituency diary commitments.
- Represent the MP at community council meetings when needed
- Manage a large caseload of constituent cases, working in a professional, confidential, caring, and sensitive manner.
- Liaise with government agencies, voluntary sector, and others to resolve constituency matters.
- Respond professionally, sensitively, confidentially and with integrity to routine correspondence and enquiries from constituents - by e-mail, telephone, social media, and face-to-face.
- Develop knowledge in specialist casework areas including housing, planning, immigration, health services and the benefits system.
- Handle administrative arrangements for MP surgeries/community coffee mornings/other events – this may include venue research and bookings; compiling and managing guest-lists; liaising with suppliers; and providing on-the-day event support as required.
- Attend and assist at MP surgeries and other meetings and follow up as appropriate.
- Proactively communicate with constituents regarding local issues, including assisting in the updating of social media on request.
- Ensure that all cases and decisions are properly documented, writing clear concise reports containing analysis of the evidence, explanation of the findings and conclusions, and a robust and appropriate action plan, to include ongoing monitoring and communication procedures where required.
- Critically analyse patterns of enquiries and articulate the findings in reports and communication with the MP and other staff members
- Supervise other staff as required.
- Ensure records are kept and information managed confidentially and in line with data protection legislation.
Attributes
- Team player with a calm, polite, confident disposition, empathetic when engaging with the public.
- Extremely organised and therefore able to prioritise, plan and respond to a high volume of diverse casework.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- A real problem solver, able to think outside the box to deliver results.
- There will be a requirement for the role holder to work outside of normal working hours and travel for work occasionally.
- Reliable, diligent and professional in representing the office at all times.
- Knowledge of Edinburgh South West, the community and local groups useful
- Sympathetic to the aims and values of the Labour Party
- Community engagement experience would be beneficial, a caseworker with an interest in a community role would be relevant and motivated new graduates should also consider applying
Application notes
Please send a CV and short covering letter setting out your role suitability, to noel.tomnay@parliament.uk with the subject heading "Community Engagement Application"
Closing Date for Applications
4pm, Thursday 8 January 2026
Interview Dates
Second half January
Starting Date
March 2026
Downloads
About the Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland is a national Church providing ministry, care, witness and service across the whole of Scotland and engaging in other parts of the UK and across the world. It has been a significant part of the life of Scotland for more than 450 years. As well as providing worshipping communities of faith that testify to the truth and relevance of the Christian faith, it also plays a significant part in the community life of Scotland in a variety of ways and adds significantly to its social capital.
The Church of Scotland today works in partnership with others, including churches from around the world, ecumenical partners, interfaith networks, charities and individuals. It engages with Government and civic society, believing that the Good News of Jesus is relevant within the spheres of politics and decision-making, as well as in our local communities and congregations.
Central Services Committee
Providing the support functions to the Church and to the Councils of the Church, the Central Services Committee (CSC) recruit for areas such as Central Properties, Human Resources, IT, Law and Office Management.
Central Services also supports recruitment for the Office of the Assembly Trustees, the Office of the General Assembly, Faith Action Programme, as well as other committees, to provide support in areas of administration, outreach and strategy.
As staff working in the national offices of the Church of Scotland we aim to provide excellent professional services to support the work of the wider Church and its Forums, Committees, Presbyteries and Congregations throughout Scotland, the United Kingdom and across the world.
Our six values, in equal order of importance, are:
Grace - Acting with humility in all our endeavours
Integrity - Acting with honesty, responsibility and accountability
Respect - Valuing others, ensuring inclusiveness and equality
Professionalism - Demonstrating commitment and striving for excellence
Collaboration - Working together to connect and communicate in an open and transparent environment
Innovation - Thinking creatively about building for the future and embracing change
We are committed to each of our six values in all that we do and this informs our attitude to working together.
About the Department
The General Trustees are the property-owning arm of the Church of Scotland. The Trustees have an extensive portfolio of buildings and land throughout Scotland which they manage on behalf of local congregations. The General Trustees are supported by professional staff based in their offices in central Edinburgh, including, surveyors, solicitors, health and safety and fire safety advisors, and a business support team.
Context of the Role
This role will primarily work to provide administrative support across the General Trustees Business Support Team who provide adminsitrative support to the wider General Trustees staff and the Trustees.
The post will work in a hybrid manner, with a maximum of 3 days per working week required in the office and the remainder from home.
Background
The Edinburgh International Book Festival is a charity which exists to celebrate and share the power of writers, their ideas, and the words they craft to illuminate, challenge, and inspire.
Since 1983, we have welcomed millions of visitors into conversations with the world’s greatest and most exciting emerging writers, thinkers, artists, and performers. Iconic figures such as Margaret Atwood, Alain de Botton, Oliver Burkeman, Noam Chomsky, Seamus Heaney, Kazuo Ishiguro, Toni Morrison, Arundhati Roy, Salman Rushdie, and Benjamin Zephaniah have appeared on our stages over the years, alongside a wide range of debut and early career authors.
Across the hundreds of events in our Adults, Young Adults, Schools, and Children’s programmes, the Book Festival offers audiences aged from 0 to 100 an active opportunity to engage with new and different perspectives on the world, create lasting memories through storytelling, fill their minds with fascinating knowledge, and discover the creative secrets of writers and artists.
We strive to be a safe and supported environment for people to have difficult discussions and lively debates in an atmosphere of curiosity and consideration, where different opinions can be respectfully shared. We are proud to platform voices and stories which are often overlooked, and are committed to breaking down barriers to access for those who may not initially consider themselves as a Book Festival audience.
Beyond August, the Book Festival is a year-round force for literary engagement. Working with partners in the local community – including schools, libraries, prisons, hospitals, and other community hubs – we foster a lifelong love of reading, embrace the life-changing potential of creativity, and develop engaged, informed audiences of all backgrounds and ages.
2025 was a bumper year for the Festival, with significant growth in site visits, ticket sales, and new audience members, all of which we aim to build upon in 2026, particularly through delivery of a new website and ticketing system, as well as grassroots audience development initiatives, and data-informed marketing campaigns.
The team
The Book Festival has a permanent staff of 25 throughout the year, expanding over the spring and summer to a peak of around 150 staff during the Festival. All staff members play a role in the ongoing development of the organisation through several full team planning and debrief meetings during the year.
The Development team is made up of 7 roles: Development Director, Sponsorships & Partnerships Manager, Sponsorship & Partnerships Officer, Development Manager (Trusts & Foundations), Development Manager (Individual Giving), Events & Digital Marketing Officer, and Development Assistant.
The role
Purpose of Role
To provide essential administrative and supporter care support across the Development Team, ensuring efficient use of the CRM system, excellent service for donors, members and supporters. This role is central to maintaining accurate data, delivering outstanding supporter care, and supporting income generation across the whole Development Team.
Digital Marketing Officer
- Part time
- £27,200 – £31,900 pro-rata
- On site: Edinburgh
- Closing 13th January 2026
Background
The Edinburgh International Book Festival is a charity which exists to celebrate and share the power of writers, their ideas, and the words they craft to illuminate, challenge, and inspire.
Since 1983, we have welcomed millions of visitors into conversations with the world’s greatest and most exciting emerging writers, thinkers, artists, and performers. Iconic figures such as Margaret Atwood, Alain de Botton, Oliver Burkeman, Noam Chomsky, Seamus Heaney, Kazuo Ishiguro, Toni Morrison, Arundhati Roy, Salman Rushdie, and Benjamin Zephaniah have appeared on our stages over the years, alongside a wide range of debut and early career authors.
Across the hundreds of events in our Adults, Young Adults, Schools, and Children’s programmes, the Book Festival offers audiences aged from 0 to 100 an active opportunity to engage with new and different perspectives on the world, create lasting memories through storytelling, fill their minds with fascinating knowledge, and discover the creative secrets of writers and artists.
We strive to be a safe and supported environment for people to have difficult discussions and lively debates in an atmosphere of curiosity and consideration, where different opinions can be respectfully shared. We are proud to platform voices and stories which are often overlooked, and are committed to breaking down barriers to access for those who may not initially consider themselves as a Book Festival audience.
Beyond August, the Book Festival is a year-round force for literary engagement. Working with partners in the local community – including schools, libraries, prisons, hospitals, and other community hubs – we foster a lifelong love of reading, embrace the life-changing potential of creativity, and develop engaged, informed audiences of all backgrounds and ages.
2025 was a bumper year for the Festival, with significant growth in site visits, ticket sales, and new audience members, all of which we aim to build upon in 2026, particularly through delivery of a new website and ticketing system, as well as grassroots audience development initiatives, and data-informed marketing campaigns.
The team
The Book Festival has a permanent staff of 25 throughout the year, expanding over the spring and summer to a peak of around 150 staff during the Festival. All staff members play a role in the ongoing development of the organisation through several full team planning and debrief meetings during the year.
The Development team is made up of 7 roles: Development Director, Sponsorships & Partnerships Manager, Sponsorship & Partnerships Officer, Development Manager (Trusts & Foundations), Development Manager (Individual Giving), Events & Digital Marketing Officer, and Development Assistant.
The role
Purpose of Role
To support income generation and stakeholder engagement by delivering high-quality stewardship and engagements events, and by supporting digital marketing activity for the Development Team. The role combines hands-on event coordination with creative digital communications to strengthen relationships with supporters, members, sponsors and stakeholders, and to grow the Festival’s supporter base.
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The organisation exists to prevent homelessness and find routes out of homelessness into independent living for the people we support every day.
Our values are support, integrity, dignity, excellence.
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In 2024 Four Square remodelled its employability programme Springboard, into a mentoring programme. We shifted the emphasis from qualifications and work to increasing confidence and working with young people to explore their interests and find their passions.
Now with National Lottery Fairer Life Chances funding we are expanding the programme to include a Wellbeing Practitioner. Through the experience of the last 12-18 month we know that many of our young people struggle to engage, and the pre-engagement phase of the programme can be prolonged. The addition of the Wellbeing Practitioner is to support the transition from interest in the programme, to being ready to fully experience the Springboard programme.
Purpose of the Role
The Wellbeing Practitioner will provide support to young people aged 16–25 who are experiencing homelessness in Edinburgh. Your focus is to support these young people to expect and experience a better future. You’ll help them build confidence, take care of themselves and pursue interests.
Many of the young people you will support will be struggling with poor mental health, low self-esteem and social isolation. This can prevent them from having hobbies, engaging in work, learning, volunteering, or friendships and generally preventing them from thriving.
Through consistent mentoring, wellbeing support and positive experiences, you will help young people reconnect with what makes them feel good, discover their strengths, and take meaningful steps towards independent, fulfilling lives.
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