Disability Equality Scotland (DES) is a membership organisation representing a broad and diverse community across Scotland. Through engagement, consultation and influencing activity, DES ensures disabled people’s voices shape policy and practice at national level.

The organisation works collaboratively across sectors and is recognised as a constructive and influential voice within Scotland’s disability landscape.

The role

Disability Equality Scotland (DES) is entering an exciting new phase and is seeking an ambitious and strategic Chief Executive Officer to build on the organisation’s significant progress and national influence.

Over recent years, DES has strengthened its position as one of Scotland’s leading disability organisations, with a strong and engaged membership base, established partnerships and secure funding in place. The organisation is now looking for a confident and connected leader who can shape its next stage of development and further amplify its voice at a national level.

Reporting directly to the Board of Directors, the Chief Executive will provide strategic leadership across the organisation, ensuring strong governance, financial stewardship and continued impact.

The Opportunity

This is a high-profile leadership role with responsibility for:

• Providing clear strategic direction and delivering the organisation’s vision and business plans
• Acting as principal ambassador and spokesperson for DES
• Influencing policy and building constructive relationships with Scottish Government, partners, funders and stakeholders
• Leading a senior management team and fostering a culture of professionalism, inclusion and accountability
• Ensuring robust financial management across a circa £500k turnover organisation
• Supporting a period of organisational development and structural refinement
• Working closely with the Board to ensure strong governance, compliance and risk management

DES is in a stable financial position, with secured funding in place for the current and forthcoming year. This provides a strong platform from which the next CEO can focus on strategic growth, innovation and long-term sustainability.

The Person

The Board is seeking a credible and inspiring leader who can operate confidently at a national level.

You will bring:

• Significant senior leadership experience within a charity, not-for-profit or aligned environment
• A strong track record of working effectively with a Board
• Strategic thinking combined with the ability to deliver operationally
• Financial literacy and experience of organisational budget oversight
• Experience influencing policy and engaging constructively with government and sector partners
• Excellent public speaking and communication skills
• A collaborative mindset – someone who sees partnership, not competition, as key to progress
• A clear commitment to advancing disability equality in Scotland

Knowledge of Scottish policy development, equality and human rights legislation, accessibility principles and community engagement will be highly valuable.

Lived experience of disability is particularly welcomed (although not essential), as is experience within membership-based organisations.

Commitment to Accessibility and Inclusion

DES is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and actively welcomes applications from disabled people and individuals from all backgrounds. We are committed to ensuring our recruitment process is accessible. Adjustments are available at every stage, please advise us of any requirements.

We encourage applications from all sectors, reflecting our commitment to diversity, inclusion, and equality.

Are you ready to shape the people experience at CHAS, ensuring our teams are supported, inspired and equipped to make a meaningful impact for children and families during the most challenging moments of their lives?

Join CHAS as our Head of People and play a pivotal leadership role in supporting our teams across Scotland. If you are driven by purpose, energised by organisational development, and passionate about creating an exceptional workplace culture, this is your opportunity to make a profound impact.

Reporting to the Director of People and Strategy, you will provide strategic leadership, vision and direction for the People function (HR and Learning & Organisational Development) across CHAS. You will ensure our People Strategy, policies and practices enable delivery of the CHAS Plan and support our people to thrive

You will act as a key influencer and professional lead, advising senior leaders and managers on workforce planning, employment law, organisational change, employee engagement, governance and best practice in people management, while promoting a positive, inclusive and values-led culture.

You will:

• Provide strategic leadership for the People function, ensuring effective delivery of HR, workforce planning, recruitment and retention, employee relations, learning and organisational development.
• Lead development and evaluation of the CHAS People Strategy to ensure it remains fit for purpose and aligned to organisational objectives.
• Act as a senior business partner to the Senior Leadership Team, influencing and coaching leaders to deliver excellent people management practice.
• Lead organisational change initiatives, workforce modernisation and culture development to enhance employee experience and service delivery.
• Ensure robust governance across HR policy, employment legislation, data protection, job evaluation, pay and reward, and employee wellbeing.
• Oversee effective people data, systems and reporting to support decision making, planning and performance.
• Manage and develop the People team, including HR Business Partnering, Learning and Organisational Development and Talent Acquisition, fostering a culture of engagement and continuous improvement.

About You

• You will bring extensive senior-level HR leadership experience, ideally within a multi-site or complex organisation, alongside the credibility and confidence to influence at the highest level.
• You will be a CIPD Chartered Fellow with deep expertise in employment law, HR strategy, organisational development and employee relations.
• You will demonstrate strong analytical, communication and negotiation skills, with the ability to handle complex and sensitive situations with professionalism, compassion and integrity.
• You will share CHAS values and bring a collaborative, inclusive leadership style with a commitment to supporting staff and volunteers.

People Team Structure

Reporting to the Director of People and Strategy, you will lead a function that includes HR, Learning and Organisational Development, Talent Acquisition and People Systems.

Why CHAS?

At CHAS, we support families when they need us most – offering care, comfort and compassion during the hardest moments of their lives. We are driven by a bold ambition: to reach every family in Scotland whose child is dying and provide the support they deserve.

We Offer

• Flexible Working: our teams work flexibly and in a hybrid manner with time split between home and onsite in Edinburgh, Balloch, Glasgow or Kinross
• Development Opportunities: Lead and shape the People Strategy during a period of organisational growth and transformation.
• Professional Growth: Work with industry leaders in a high-performing team where you will be encouraged and supported to excel and develop your skills.
• Supportive Leadership: you’ll have the backing of a collaborative leadership team that empowers you to drive progress, innovate, and lead with creativity
• Comprehensive Benefits: Including generous annual leave and pension, incremental salary progression, access to Blue Light discounts, a health cash plan and health and wellbeing support.

Lead a National Service That Changes Lives Every Day

This is a rare opportunity to take on a newly created national role at the heart of CHAS’s mission. Every week in Scotland, three children die from a life‑shortening condition. CHAS is there for them - and for their families - providing unwavering, compassionate, specialist care.

Our Family Support teams include senior social workers, child and family workers, play specialists and other experts, working hand‑in‑hand with clinical colleagues across our two hospices, in hospitals, and in homes and communities across Scotland.

We’re looking for an exceptional Head of Family Support to shape and lead the full breadth of these services - from child & family support and therapeutic activities to bereavement, spiritual care and financial wellbeing. Your leadership will ensure families receive holistic, responsive and trauma‑informed support wherever and whenever they need it.

About the Role

Reporting to the Director of Nursing and Family Support, you will:

• Provide strategic leadership across all CHAS family support services
• Lead teams across hospices, hospitals and community settings
• Act as CHAS’s Safeguarding Lead, offering expert oversight and driving safe, compassionate practice organisation-wide.
• Champion continuous improvement, helping families make the most of their precious time together
• Strengthen resilience and support families navigating life-altering adverse experiences.

About You

You will bring:

• Significant leadership experience in children’s services, operating confidently at senior level
• A professional social work qualification, with deep knowledge of GIRFEC, UNCRC and Scottish policy
• Expertise in child protection, safeguarding, and adult support and protection
• Experience leading multidisciplinary teams in emotionally complex environments
• Excellent partnership skills, working across HSCPs, local authorities, NHS and the third sector
• A compassionate, values‑driven approach that supports wellbeing, reflection and professional growth
• Confidence in shaping high‑quality, impactful services
• SSSC registration

Why CHAS?

For the families we support, time is precious - and the work you lead will help families live it fully.

Our 2024–2028 Strategic Plan commits us to providing unwavering care from the moment a child is diagnosed through living well, dying well, and beyond into bereavement. As Head of Family Support, you will play a pivotal leadership role in bringing this strategy to life for our family support workforce - shaping services, developing people, and ensuring the highest standards of safe, compassionate and effective care.

We offer:

• Broad national impact: Influence practice across Scotland and contribute to sector‑wide improvement.
• Flexibility: Based at one of our central CHAS sites: Kinross, Balloch, Edinburgh or Glasgow, with frequent presence in our hospices. CHAS provides care and support to children and families across Scotland with staff bases in Aberdeen and Inverness. This role will require Scotland-wide travel, including CHAS sites, local authority and NHS settings and office locations, as well as attendance at external events. Flexibility is essential, and business mileage expenses will be reimbursed. As a family‑friendly organisation, we recognise that flexibility works both ways, and we will support a balanced and adaptable approach to working hours and locations wherever possible.
• Professional growth: A visible, national leadership role with space and support to excel.
• Generous holidays: 35 days, rising to 40 after five years.
• Pension: Opportunity to join the Local Government Pension Scheme for Scotland, administered by Lothian Pension Fund or continued membership of the NHS Scotland Pension Scheme (if applicable)
• Comprehensive benefits:Including life assurance, wellbeing support, employee assistance programme, discount schemes such as Blue Light and Perkbox, and incremental pay progression.

St Andrew’s First Aid is Scotland’s leading first aid charity, dedicated to saving lives and strengthening community resilience through high-quality training and volunteer-led services. With a proud history spanning over 140 years. The organisation provides first aid cover at thousands of events each year and plays a vital role in national and emergency response and public safety across the country. Through a nationwide network of committed volunteers and professional staff, St Andrew’s First Aid delivers first aid training to individuals, communities and workplaces, while supporting major public events by providing surge capacity during national events and emergencies.

The Executive Team is now seeking a Head of Volunteer Operations as the organisation are entering an important period of development. You will be passionate about delivering a high-quality experience to all our volunteers and galvanising the staff team to deliver and support this. The role will have a strong focus on building and strengthening our volunteer infrastructure, enhancing operational resilience and modernising systems that support service delivery across Scotland. This is a pivotal opportunity to shape the future of volunteer-led first aid services within a respected national charity.

Reporting to the Executive Director of Operations and Business Development and working closely with the Chief Executive and Executive Management Team, the Head of Volunteer Operations will provide strategic and operational leadership for St Andrew’s First Aid’s volunteer-led services across Scotland.

You will be responsible for ensuring a resilient, inclusive and high-performing volunteer workforce that is recruited, trained, deployed and supported to deliver safe, high-quality first aid services at events, in communities and during major incidents. The role spans the full volunteer lifecycle alongside responsibility for operational planning, rostering, safeguarding, clinical governance alignment, logistics and partnership working with key stakeholders including event organisers, local authorities and emergency services. The role also involves working collegiately with our Head of Commercial Training.

A central focus will be strengthening organisational readiness for peak demand and emergency response. You will lead service improvement initiatives, embed strong systems and performance frameworks, oversee budgets for volunteer operations, and develop robust risk management and business continuity plans. You will also champion digital solutions that enhance efficiency and the volunteer experience.

The successful candidate will be an experienced operational leader with a background in volunteer services or comparable safety-critical environments such as charities, emergency services, healthcare or major events. You will bring strong strategic and operational planning skills, alongside a sound understanding of safeguarding, governance and service quality.

You will be confident leading dispersed teams of staff and volunteers, able to influence senior stakeholders and partners, and comfortable working at Executive and Board level. Above all, you will combine operational experience with emotional intelligence and strong values, remaining calm under pressure and committed to creating an inclusive and supportive culture where volunteers can thrive.

This is a rare opportunity to lead and shape a national volunteer operation at a time of transformation, ensuring that communities across Scotland continue to benefit from high-quality, volunteer-led first aid services when they need them most.