We are looking for a new Change Programmes Lead to join the FST Team!

Scotland’s performing arts sector is full of talented people, ambitious organisations and inspiring ideas. It also faces significant opportunities and challenges that no single organisation can address alone. Increasingly, progress depends on bringing people together, building partnerships and turning shared ambitions into practical action.

That’s why this role matters.

We’re looking for someone who enjoys combining strategic thinking, partnership-building and practical delivery to help shape programmes that strengthen Scotland’s performing arts sector. Someone who can understand complex challenges, build trusted relationships, develop realistic plans and ensure ideas are followed through to meaningful outcomes.

The Change Programmes Lead plays a key role in helping FST turn ideas into action.

Working closely with members, partners and colleagues, you’ll identify opportunities for positive change, develop practical responses and lead programmes that strengthen Scotland’s performing arts sector.

Some programmes are already well established and ready to grow. Others are emerging ideas that require research, partnership development and careful planning. This role therefore combines strategic thinking with practical delivery, helping shape both current and future areas of work.

Current programmes span areas such as workforce development, mentoring, accessibility, environmental sustainability, organisational resilience and leadership development. While every programme is different, they all share a common purpose: helping Scotland’s performing arts sector become stronger, more connected and better equipped for the future.

This isn’t simply a project management role. It’s about understanding complex challenges, bringing people together, building trusted relationships and creating the conditions for meaningful change. You’ll work across organisations, balancing different perspectives while maintaining a clear focus on shared ambitions and tangible outcomes.

Current Programmes & Priorities

The Change Programmes portfolio continues to evolve in response to member needs and emerging opportunities. Some of the current programmes and workstreams you’ll help lead and develop include:

Bursaries & Professional Development

Leading FST’s professional development bursary programme while exploring opportunities to strengthen its impact, reach and long-term sustainability.

Mentoring & Coaching

Refreshing FST’s mentoring offer through reconnecting previous participants, piloting new models and lighter-touch support surgeries and peer learning.

Workforce Development & Training

Developing and delivering programmes around technical skills, leadership, sustainability and Fair Work through partnerships and targeted professional development opportunities.

Access & Inclusion

Working with Birds of Paradise, Creative Scotland and sector partners to support the future development of Access Scottish Theatre, Scotland’s engagement with the UK-wide All-In programme and wider accessibility infrastructure.

Emerging Needs & Opportunities

Working with FST members and partners to identify new priorities, develop collaborative initiatives and secure partnerships and funding that support the future development of Scotland’s performing arts sector.

The Lavender Menace Queer Books Archive has grown out of Scotland’s first LGBTQ+ bookshops, Lavender Menace and West & Wilde. Bob Orr and Sigrid Nielsen, the owners of the original Lavender Menace Bookshop founded the Lavender Menace Queer Books Archive in 2019 to keep this valuable LGBTQ+ book heritage alive and share it with the community.

We have a mission to bring together the queer community in Edinburgh and beyond; celebrate LGBTQ+ authors and their works; and collect and preserve LGBTQ+ books (focusing on those published between 1970 and 2000). We work to create and maintain a free and welcoming community archive space for reading, research, and socialising. The archive is open to visitors and hosts a variety of author events, workshops, community groups and book clubs. We also have a digital catalogue of our collection.

To support the next stage of our growth, we are seeking a General Manager to build the sustainability of the Archive and ensure effective delivery of our programmes. Working closely with the Board, this exciting new role will lead organisational development, fundraising, financial administration, governance, and long-term planning, while managing and leading the work of a high performing staff team. Specifically, the postholder will provide high-level oversight of collections policy, ethics, and risk, ensuring the archive remains accessible, cared for, and responsive to community needs; whilst also leading the team to effectively deliver our new project “Unlocking Scotland’s LGBTQ+ Heritage”, which is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, we will be able to expand the reach of the Archive, and better connect communities to their heritage.

This role would suit a proven leader with professional experience in archives, libraries, museums, or heritage collections, who has a strong degree of LGBTQ+ cultural competence and who is able to operate with autonomy in a collaborative and supportive way. It presents a fantastic opportunity to grow your leadership and project delivery skills, and contribute to the long term sustainability of a vital community resource in Scotland.

The Lavender Menace Queer Books Archive has grown out of Scotland’s first LGBTQ+ bookshops, Lavender Menace and West & Wilde. Bob Orr and Sigrid Nielsen, the owners of the original Lavender Menace Bookshop founded the Lavender Menace Queer Books Archive in 2019 to keep this valuable LGBTQ+ book heritage alive and share it with the community.

We have a mission to bring together the queer community in Edinburgh and beyond; celebrate LGBTQ+ authors and their works; and collect and preserve LGBTQ+ books (focusing on those published between 1970 and 2000). We work to create and maintain a free and welcoming community archive space for reading, research, and socialising. The archive is open to visitors and hosts a variety of author events, workshops, community groups and book clubs. We also have a digital catalogue of our collection.

To support the next stage of our growth, we are seeking aResearch Coordinatortolead the development and delivery of community-led research into Scotland’s LGBTQ+ heritage, with responsibility for the Connecting Heritage strand of the project. The post holder will take forward a variety of work including research design, outputs and partnerships, supporting a team of volunteer researchers and producing accessible public facing outputs. Working collaboratively with the wider team, the postholder will ensure that the research is inclusive, ethical and embedded within community practice.

This role would suit an individual witha strong background in community based research, a strong degree of LGBTQ+ cultural competence and able to operate with autonomy in a collaborative and supportive way. It presents a fantastic opportunity to grow your leadership and project delivery skills, and contribute to theimpact and sustainability of thisvital community resource in Scotland.

A Unique Heritage Destination

The MacDougall of Dunollie Preservation Trust (DPT) is seeking an experienced and inspiring Site & Heritage Manager to lead Dunollie Museum, Castle & Grounds, one of Scotland's most significant heritage sites.

This is an exciting opportunity for a heritage professional with strong management, fundraising and business skills to lead our heritage site and museum during a pivotal period of transformation. Working closely with the Board of Trustees, you will balance heritage conservation with income generation, visitor engagement and long-term sustainability.

Key Responsibilities

• Oversee all on site operations for the Trust, including funded projects, events, commercial activities and the heritage offer.

• Develop and enhance Dunollie's visitor experience.

• Lead and motivate a multidisciplinary staff team.

• Assist and monitor in grant funding and identify new income opportunities.

• Build and maintain strong relationships with funders, donors, partners and stakeholders.

• Monitor budgets and financial results, analyse financial performance and report against organisational objectives.

• Ensure the preservation of the site's historic assets, collections and museum standards.

About You

We are looking for someone with:

• Significant experience in a management role within the heritage, museum, cultural or visitor attraction sector.

• A strong understanding of heritage conservation, museums and visitor engagement.

• Proven involvement in fundraising and grant management experience, including developing funding applications and reporting to funders.

• Excellent people skills, with the ability to inspire teams and build productive relationships with trustees, funders, partners and communities.

• Competent analytical and financial skills, including budgeting, performance monitoring and strategic planning.

• Experience of managing projects, delivering against targets and supporting organisational sustainability.

• A passion for heritage and a commitment to sharing cultural history with diverse audiences.

Why Join Us?

Dunollie Museum, Castle & Grounds occupies a unique place in Scotland's heritage landscape. This is a rare opportunity to lead a historic site with ambitious plans, helping to preserve its legacy while ensuring it remains vibrant, resilient and accessible for generations to come. The DPT is in an exciting transition stage with plans being made to transform and develop new buildings, enhance the heritage, visitor and learning offer, laying the foundations of a new era. This is an exciting opportunity to make a lasting contribution to the future direction of the DPT while ensuring the continued success of our day today operations.