Native Woodland Partnership Officer
- Full time
- £45,502
- On site: Edinburgh
- Closing 21st June 2026
- Advertised from 22nd May 2026
- 40 Hours Per Week
Role
JOB PURPOSE
The National Trust for Scotland is Scotland’s largest membership organisation and Scotland’s largest charity land manager. We manage many of Scotland’s most significant woodlands, from the extensive Caledonian pinewoods of Mar Lodge to rainforest hazelwood’s in the Hebrides and endemic Whitebeam woodlands on Arran.
As a founding member of both the Alliance for Scotland’s Rainforest and Caledonian Pinewood Partnership and as a key delivery partners with the Scottish Government for landscape scale ecological restoration of native woodland in Scotland, we are recruiting a post to help drive this exciting work.
You will lead the Trusts outreach for native woodland restoration across Scotland, developing several large scale projects. You will build partnerships with private landowners, communities of place and communities of interest, including other eNGOs and conservation organisations. You will have the backing and support of our nature, fundraising, planning, community engagement, estates and media teams.
The focus of your work will be developing two Alliance for Scotland’s Rainforest landscape scale projects in West Lochalsh and on Arran and provide initial contact and support to pinewood managers who look after threatened remnants, to bring their sites into recovery.
We are looking for strong communication & diplomacy skills, which can be influential at a network scale. Someone who can build trust and influence in land management situations, across a diverse range of partners with different interests and objectives. Someone who can develop partnership project plans, acting as the bridge between our internal expertise, existing and new partners. In particular you will develop delivery project content to a “shovel ready” stage, so your fundraising colleagues can draft applications.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
- Making initial contact, maintaining and/or developing ongoing communication and liaison with external landowners, stakeholders and associated organisations.
- Understanding external landowner’s and communities’ values, objectives and constraints and communicating the Trusts, with a view to building trust, understanding and cooperation in relation to collaborative, nature positive land management.
- Develop collegiate partnership operations and memoranda of understanding with both internal and external stakeholder input and support.
- Liase with internal NTS expertise across multiple disciplines, to inform your delivery of external communications and advice to stakeholders.
- Develop collaborative landscape scale funding bids across multiple estates and landholdings, including both NTS land and externally owned land, in association with the Trusts fundraising team.
- Supporting applications for government grants including Scottish Forestry Grant Scheme, Agri Environment Climate Scheme, Nature Restoration Fund etc.
- Coordinate delivery of landscape scale nature restoration projects across multiple estates and landholdings, including both NTS land and externally owned land, including budget management.
- Procure and manage contracts associated with landscape scale nature restoration projects, monitor delivery of grant conditions and complete grant claims & reports.
- Organise partnership meetings and events to strengthen networks and collaboration within the partnership.
- Write reports for partners and funders showing progress against agreed objectives and funding obligations.
Application notes
For further information and to apply, please visit our website.
Downloads
Fountainbridge Canalside Community Trust (FCCT) is a dynamic local charity and social enterprise working to make Fountainbridge a better place to live, work, do business and visit. We deliver projects that promote inclusion, sustainability, and community wellbeing.
Our work includes community boating activities, greenspace development, volunteering programmes, wellbeing walking groups, the Edinburgh Canal Festival, and a growing programme of community events. We are also preparing to open a new Canalside Community Space and to build a new sustainable trip boat for 2026—an exciting period of growth that this role will help bring us to life.
We are now looking for a motivated and skilled General Manager to lead our small, dedicated and experienced team and help shape the next stage of FCCT’s growth.
About the Role
As FCCT’s most senior staff member, you will provide strategic leadership while staying closely connected to day-to-day operations. This is a hands-on and varied role, ideal for someone who enjoys combining big-picture thinking with practical community-focused delivery.
Key responsibilities include:
Leadership & Strategy
- Provide inspiring and inclusive leadership for staff and volunteers
- Work with the Board to deliver strategic and operational plans
- Oversee impact measurement and reporting, including the Annual Report
Governance
- Act as the key link between the Board and staff
- Support strong governance, including acting as Company Secretary
Finance & Fundraising
- Lead financial planning, budgeting, and reporting
- Drive fundraising, major grant applications, and income generation
- Build strong relationships with funders and partners
Operations & People
- Support and line-manage staff and volunteers
- Oversee social enterprise activities, community programmes, and events
- Lead delivery of flagship initiatives such as the Edinburgh Canal Festival
- Contribute to FCCT’s public profile and digital presence
- Participate in the on-call rota as Designated Person Ashore for boat operations
External Relations
- Act as the public face of FCCT
- Build partnerships with local groups, businesses, and stakeholders
- Champion the value of blue and green spaces and community wellbeing
About You
Essential:
- Strong leadership and management experience in a charity, social enterprise, or community setting
- Proven project management and fundraising skills
- Confident with financial information and decision-making
- Excellent people management skills
- Excellent communication and relationship-building abilities
- Able to balance strategic thinking with hands-on operational delivery
- Committed to inclusivity, sustainability, and community empowerment
Desirable:
- Experience in community development, volunteering, environmental or heritage projects
- Income generation or social enterprise experience
- Understanding of impact measurement
- Experience supporting volunteers and inclusive participation
What We Offer
- A varied and meaningful leadership role in a friendly, purpose-driven charity
- Flexible working from day one
- Training and development opportunities
- Pro rata holiday allowance including bank holidays
- Christmas shutdown period
- 5% employer pension contribution
- An annual canal boat trip
Membership and Engagement Manager
- Part time
- £31,840 pro-rata
- Hybrid: Edinburgh
- Closing 22nd May 2026
Founded in 1875, the Cockburn Association is Edinburgh’s Civic Trust. It is a registered Scottish Charity with stated objectives as:
- The maintenance and improvement of the amenity of the City of Edinburgh and its neighbourhood;
- The protection and preservation of the city’s landscape and historic & architectural heritage.
In practice, the Cockburn Association has evolved to take an interest in many other aspects of the city’s development and management in accordance with sustainability principles:
- Supporting the protection of the landscape setting of the city and significant open spaces that contribute to the city’s unique character
- Promoting the improvement of the aesthetic and functional quality of shared spaces such as public squares, parks, streets and footways
- Advocating for sustainable transport systems sensitive to different needs for accessibility and mobility
- Encouraging high quality contemporary design for buildings and the public realm.
Our VISION is: A thriving Edinburgh where our heritage is created, protected, and enjoyed by all
Our MISSION is: We galvanise civic action to inspire stewardship, ownership, access, and appreciation of Edinburgh’s built and natural heritage
Our VALUES are:
- We are an independent organisation that acts with integrity to monitor change and provide well informed, evidence-based advice to secure long-term benefits for the city.
- As a respected body, we advocate for positive change through constructive dialogue and critical challenge with the aim of delivering successful outcomes.
- We work in partnership with others to pursue wider public interest, engaging with our members and Edinburgh’s communities so that inclusive and wider views are represented and heard.
Role Purpose:
Often the first point of contact for Members, partners and media, you’ll work with a range of stakeholders across the city, playing an integral role in one of the world’s oldest conservation charities. You’ll work with our small team of two, and our incredible volunteers to design and deliver a new audience engagement plan. You’ll support and grow our Membership through the delivery of events from our annual talks and tours to Edinburgh’s Doors Open Days (part of Scotland’s largest free heritage festival). You’ll embed our new CRM, manage budgets, and report progress to the Board, funders and wider stakeholders. There will be lots of opportunities to engage in research, embark on and strengthen partnerships, and work with communities across the city and beyond. Ideally, you’ll have a passion for Edinburgh and enjoy working flexibly and dynamically to meet our charity’s needs. It’s an exciting time to join the Association, as we embark on the delivery of our new Business Plan, take back the coordination of Edinburgh’s Doors Open Days, and work with international and local partners to build evidence for the city’s 2040 Plan. Join us and help ensure that Edinburgh is a thriving city where our heritage is created, protected, and enjoyed by all.
We are seeking a change advocate with strong project development skills, a focus on funding for stability, and experience in commercialisation to manage our Reading is Caring programme.
Scottish Book Trust is a national charity that believes books, reading and writing have the power to change lives. A love of reading inspires creativity, improves employment opportunities, mental health and wellbeing and is one of the most effective ways to help break the poverty cycle. We work towards a Scotland where everyone has an equal opportunity to thrive through literacy.
What we offer
• Full fixed-term role
• Competitive salary
• Flexible hybrid working between home and our Edinburgh City Centre Office, with great access by train, bus, and tram
• Generous holiday entitlement
• Company Sick Pay
• Pension with 5% employer contributions
• Death in service benefit
• Free access to employee assistance programme
Scottish Book Trust’s Reading is Caring (RiC) team delivers the Reading is Caring programme that is designed to train both professional and family carers in how to use shared reading techniques to improve the connection and enhance wellbeing with the person living with dementia.
Following a successful award of funding from the Dementia Resilient Communities Fund, Scottish Book Trust is looking to appoint a Reading is Caring Manager to continue the development of the programme over the next 12 months. The Reading is Caring Manager will be responsible for the strategic planning, development and evaluation of the Reading is Caring programme. Our aim is for the programme to become a nationally accessible, self-sustaining model of training in our evidence based shared reading methodologies by advocating for and promoting the programme across the dementia sector.
Due to the limited nature of the funding, we are ideally looking for someone who can start this full-time position immediately to ensure delivery of the project goals within the funding time frame.
The role also includes developing/securing multiple income strands to enhance ongoing sustainability.
The role line manages the RiC Trainer and RiC Co-ordinator, as well as supervising freelancers on short term contracts
Job Purpose
This role, providing a Diploma in Data Analytics SCQF Level 8 will work with the Insight Manager to support the collection, management, analysis and reporting of audience and project data primarily related to the Mackintosh Illuminated Project. The work will help guide decision makers and support robust reporting across the project workstreams.
Through hands-on experience and structured learning, they will gain skills in data collection, management, analysis and reporting, giving them strong foundations for a career uncovering insight from data.
The role is part of the Audiences & Support Directorate and there is flexibility in the role location.
Key responsibilities and accountabilities
- Support the identification and understanding of key audiences related to the Trust and the Mackintosh Illuminated Project in particular.
- Learn to use a variety of data analysis tools (Excel, SQL, Python, Power BI) to help answer business questions
- Work with the Insights Manager to improve end-to-end audience research including data collection, storage, transformation, modelling and reporting.
- Contribute to Mackintosh Illuminated project reporting as required
- Work with the Mackintosh Illuminated project team and a range of Audience and Support, Public Engagement and Research and IT colleagues.
- Gain credits for the diploma including:
- Supporting Digital Business Transformation
- Applying Methods and Principles in Project Management
- Developing Meta-Skills and Personal Professionalism
- Managing Data Assets
- Planning Data Analysis
- Locating and Accessing Data Sources
- Transforming Data for Analysis
- Analysing Data
- Visualising and Communicating Data
- Implementing Machine Learning Models
Required qualifications, skills, experience & knowledge
Qualifications
Essential
- Participating in the SCQF Level 8 Diploma in Data Analytics as part of this role.
- National 5 (or equivalent) in Mathematics or IT related subject.
- National 5 (or equivalent) in English.
Desirable
- Interest in heritage and conservation.
The current duties of this job do not require a criminal records (Disclosure Scotland) check to be carried out.
Experience
Essential
- Excellent analytical and numeracy skills and attention to detail
- IT literacy and familiarity with data analysis tools (principally Excel) and the ability to pick up other tools as appropriate
- Demonstrable experience of our core values (brave, caring, curious, inclusive, vibrant).
- Strong teamworking skills
- Good communication skills with the ability to effectively communicate complex ideas
- Ability to manage time efficiently and effectively in an environment of changing priorities.
Desirable
- Passion for data and uncovering meaningful insights
Dimensions and scope of job
People Management
- No line management responsibility
- Close working relationship with A&S, property teams and other Directorates
Financial Management
None
Tools / equipment / systems
Training will be provided for all the below:
- Microsoft Office systems including OneDrive, Teams, Excel
- Core NTS Survey platforms (MS Forms, Snap Survey)
- SQL and Microsoft Azure
- Data analysis and visualization tools (Power BI, Python)
Key performance indicators and targets
- Contributes to key objectives of the Insights function such as survey data collected, projects completed and unique users to the Audience and Insights SharePoint Hub.
- Contributes to A&S KPI through supporting membership and marketing work with actionable insight.
- Completion of all coursework and assignments for SCQF Level 6 Diploma in Digital Marketing
Latest news See more
