Raasay Development Trust (RDT) is looking for a motivated, experienced Community Development Officer to help shape a thriving, climate-resilient future for one of Scotland's most distinctive island communities.

Raasay is one of six islands in the Scottish Government's Carbon Neutral Islands programme, working to become net zero by 2040 — ahead of the rest of Scotland. This is a hands-on role leading delivery of our Community Climate Action Plan: the projects that turn our ambitions into reality.

About the role

As CNI Community Development Officer you will take projects from early development through to delivery — building the relationships, workplans and local capacity needed to make them work and to ensure the value created lasts. This is the majority of the role, alongside communications and engagement, research and collaboration, and shared administrative duties.

A unique opportunity within the role is leading the establishment of a Raasay Energy Local Club in partnership with Raasay Community Renewables, Energy Local, Community Energy Scotland and other island partners — selling locally-generated hydro power to residents and businesses at a reduced rate. Other projects include housing retrofit, Raasay House retrofit, a venison processing facility retrofit, food growing, habitat restoration, and marine carbon and biodiversity research.

Who we're looking

for We're looking for someone motivated, self-reliant and community-focused, with:

• Experience leading projects, including managing timelines, stakeholders and budgets

• Financial planning and management skills

• A track record of fundraising and grant management

• Strong communication and relationship-building skills

• A genuine understanding of island or rural life

• The ability to thrive in an environment where there's no handbook

Specialist knowledge in renewable energy, retrofit, land management, ecology, sustainable transport, local food systems or marine management is desirable but not essential.

Terms

• Full time (1.0 FTE, 35 hrs/wk)

• £32,000 + 5% pension contribution

• Fixed term to 31st March 2027 (potential for renewal subject to performance and funding)

• Based on Raasay with hybrid and home working arrangements available

• Flexible hours and generous annual leave package

Background

This is an exciting and challenging opportunity to work with a driven team in one of Scotland’s most well regarded and effective local active travel and bike refurbishing charities.

The Bike Station has been based in the community for over 20 years, with a credible reputation of recycling, refurbishing and reusing donated bikes and making bikes available within the community.

Our communities continue to be under increasing pressure with the cost-of-living crisis and within a climate crisis.

Enabling more people to choose cycling has multiple financial, health and social benefits and the demand for our services has grown in recent years.

We are looking for a confident and strategic Development Manager to build strong relationships and develop services that will significantly enhance their sustainable income.

This role will create and lead our long-term unrestricted income and business opportunities.

Primary Aim

Contribute to the long-term sustainability of The Bike Station by increasing unrestricted income.

Purpose of the role

• Explore and source public giving commercial opportunities in alignment with The Bike Stations strategic objectives.
• Analyse market data to support opportunities for business development with existing and potential clients and provide recommendations to success and routes to increased revenue.
• Develop and maintain strategic partnerships and relationships developing strong working relationships with key stakeholders, influencing decisions both internally & externally.
• Develop and deliver our commercial income opportunities including our skills development programme, corporate volunteering and public giving campaigns.
• Collaborate with The Bike Stations refurbishing, skills development, community, volunteering and communications teams to ensure strong customer experience .
• Lead on developing messaging, with the support from the Communications Team, to create marketing materials that facilitates expansion of The Bike Stations commercial and giving opportunities.
• Monitor performance against budget and implementing action plans to ensure achievement of budget targets.
• Line manage Volunteer Development Officer and Communications Officer to ensure programmes of activity are well resourced, ensuring high quality with a commitment to continuous improvement and return custom.
• Such other tasks as may be required which are consistent with the duties and responsibilities of the post.

Person Specification

Real experience, aptitude, values, fit with team and a passion for cycling are more important to us than formal qualifications.

That being said this post requires strong business acumen, evidence of successful income generation and a practical and effective approach.

Essential

• Confident, self-motivated and proactive with excellent communication, organisational and people skills.
• An excellent understanding of third sector and commercial business development including charitable trading, grants and contracts.
• Evidence of securing unrestricted income through commercial and public giving campaigns
• An excellent relationship builder with people and professionals from a range of backgrounds and sectors: ideally someone with gravitas and integrity.
• Ability to process complex information, analyse data and articulate it well to a range of audiences and stakeholders.
• Experience of completing financial and resource analyses of opportunities to create sustainable options and lead on creating appropriate plans. This can include options appraisals, business plans, funding assessments.
• Experience of preparing programme budgets including financial reports and cash flow forecasts.
• Ability to problem-solve and design and implement solutions.
• Ability to manage their time effectively, multitask, work on several projects simultaneously with tight timescales.
• Proficient in the use of technology and willing to learn new ways of working as needed.
• An excellent team player and willing to share skills and knowledge with co-workers with experience developing an line managing teams

This is a hands-on, creative role working directly with young people aged 16–24.

You’ll lead a new Fair Trade Youth Collective in Glasgow, supporting young people to build skills, design campaigns, and take action on issues like Fair Trade, climate justice and global inequality.

The role is all about supporting young people to move from participants to leaders – shaping campaigns, creating content and influencing change in their communities.

Why work with us?

We’re a small, ambitious team working to build a fairer world through trade.

We offer:

• A 4-day working week (32 hours, no reduction in pay). Same benefits applied to part time workers.
• Flexible, trust-based working
• Meaningful, values-driven work
• A supportive and collaborative team

We particularly welcome applications from people currently underrepresented in Fair Trade, climate and global citizenship spaces.

Do you …

Have connections with Gorbals and Govanhill?

Believe in local democracy, youth work and community development?

Share our values of inclusion, environmental justice and social action?

Have experience, skills or energies that we can use?

Crossroads was founded in 1968, with the declaration that everyone should have the right to ‘live gloriously’. This meant two things: tackling whatever in society gets in the way of a fulfilling life, and nurturing and strengthening people’s confidence and resilience. Based at the Barn in Gorbals, we work with young people, families, and individuals, and work on issues of disability, mental health, migration, housing conditions and much more. Wherever possible we work to bring people together to share experiences, decide together and act together.

Our Board of Trustees is rooted in the community, and elected by members of the Association. These local roots have been essential to the survival of the organisation for over 50 years, against a background that has not always been friendly towards local action or challenges to authority. The survival has also depended on the essential advice and support of legal, financial and organisational talents both within the organisation and from supporters, so that we can demonstrate our integrity and responsibility.

We are looking to increase the strength and breadth of memebrship of our Board of Trustees / Directors and are keen to bring new members on Board. We would particularly welcome interest from younger people, minorities, and those with professional and life experiences we can draw on.