We’re looking for a Development Manager to lead the development and delivery of complex community projects across Scotland.

You'll support communities to realise larger-scale opportunities in renewable energy, energy storage, flexibility services and local energy systems. Working as part of the Local Energy Scotland team, you'll provide specialist technical and commercial expertise, helping communities navigate project development, overcome barriers and bring projects through to delivery.

You'll also play an important role in the ongoing development of the Scottish Government's Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES), helping to identify emerging opportunities, develop innovative project models and ensure communities can benefit from developments across the energy sector.

This is an exciting opportunity for someone with strong project development experience who enjoys working collaboratively with communities and partners to create lasting environmental, social and economic benefits.

The team

Our renewables team supports communities across Scotland to develop and deliver projects that reduce carbon emissions, improve energy resilience and accelerate the transition to net zero.

You'll join a friendly, supportive and collaborative team delivering the Scottish Government's Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES). Working closely with community organisations, public sector partners, network operators, consultants and contractors, you'll help create the conditions for more ambitious and impactful community energy projects across Scotland.

What you will do

• Manage a portfolio of higher-value, technically complex and strategic community energy projects from early-stage concept through to delivery, operation and optimisation.
• Identify and promote opportunities in renewable energy, energy storage, flexibility services and local energy systems.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with community organisations, Distribution Network Operators, contractors, consultants, public sector partners and funders.
• Contribute technical expertise and market insight to support the ongoing development of CARES and community energy policy and delivery.

What you will bring

• Experience developing renewable energy, energy systems or other complex infrastructure projects.
• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to present complex information clearly to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Experience providing technical leadership, quality assurance or specialist advice across projects or programmes.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and relationship management skills.

Who we are

Energy Saving Trust is a leading and trusted organisation, dedicated to promoting energy efficiency, low carbon transport and sustainable energy use. We aim to address the climate emergency and deliver the wider benefits of clean energy as we transition to net zero.

At Energy Saving Trust we don’t just offer jobs – we offer careers. For our people, being part of the effort to address the climate emergency makes working for us truly meaningful and rewarding.

Work where you thrive At Energy Saving Trust, flexibility isn’t just a policy, it’s how we work. Most of our roles can be done remotely, and many of our people choose to work from home full-time. Prefer an office environment? We have welcoming spaces in London, Edinburgh, Belfast, Cardiff and Hadleigh for those who want to connect in person.

We’ll support you with:

• Generous holiday (25 days + bank holidays + extra Christmas leave)
• True flexibility in how and where you work
• Strong pension & life assurance
• Enhanced family leave
• Green travel perks (EV scheme, cycle to work)
• Professional development support
• Yearly wellbeing allowance

These are just some of the benefits we offer.

Reasonable adjustments: We want to ensure that our recruitment process is inclusive of and accessible for, everyone.

If you think you may need additional support or reasonable adjustments made to any part of the recruitment process, please get in touch.

Diversity and inclusion

Energy Saving Trust is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive and equitable workplace where everyone can be themselves, with support to be their best.

We strongly encourage applicants from a wide range of backgrounds and with different identities and experiences to apply for roles with Energy Saving Trust.

We are a Disability Confident Committed employer and we ringfence a minimum number of interview slots for candidates who apply via the Disability Confident scheme and meet the criteria for a role.

The Finance Manager is a member of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) and independently manages The Welcoming Association’s day-to-day finance function as the organisation’s sole finance specialist. The role provides timely, reliable financial information, maintains effective financial controls, and contributes financial expertise to strategic and operational decision-making by the SLT, CEO, and Board.

Reporting to the CEO, the postholder works closely with the Treasurer, budget holders and external advisers.

Additional information

Please note that you must already be eligible to work in the UK to be employed by The Welcoming Association.

The post holder’s base location will be The Welcoming’s office at 20/1 Westfield Avenue, Edinburgh, EH11 2TT.

Could you play a vital role in helping families overcome poverty and build brighter futures for Scotland's children?

Join Children First and be part of a once-in-a-generation transformation in how families access support to alleviate crisis, prevent harm and build long-term stability. As part of Scotland's mission to eradicate child poverty, we are expanding our Money Advice Service to ensure more families can access expert financial support when they need it most.

We've been preventing harm, supporting recovery and driving change since 1884. Today, our Money Advice Team works alongside families across Scotland, helping them maximise income, reduce debt, overcome financial hardship and build resilience for the future.

This is an exciting opportunity to join our National Money Advice Team, supporting families both within local communities and remotely through our growing national service.

About the Role

As a Money Adviser, you will deliver specialist money, welfare benefits, debt and energy advice to children, young people and families across Scotland.

Working as part of our National Money Advice Team, you will provide advice through telephone, webchat and digital channels while also supporting local communities through home visits, workshops, school-based activity and community drop-in sessions.

You will work alongside local Children First teams, helping families access financial support, maximise household income and resolve debt and energy-related challenges. Through relationship-based practice, you will empower families to make informed decisions, improve financial resilience and create safer, more secure futures for their children.

A key focus of this role will be increasing access to high-quality Type I and Type II Money Advice services within some of Scotland's most disadvantaged communities, helping tackle inequality and reduce the impact of poverty on children and families.

What You'll Be Doing

Supporting Children and Families

• Working alongside families experiencing financial hardship, poverty and adversity.
• Completing benefit entitlement checks and income maximisation assessments.
• Supporting families to access grants, benefits and financial assistance.
• Providing practical advice, guidance and advocacy to help improve financial wellbeing.
• Using relationship-based practice to build resilience, confidence and positive outcomes.
• Ensuring children's wellbeing, rights and voices remain central to all support provided.

Money, Debt and Welfare Rights Advice

• Delivering specialist welfare rights, money, debt and energy advice.
• Supporting benefit applications, redeterminations and appeal processes.
• Helping families understand and manage debt options.
• Providing budgeting support and financial capability guidance.
• Negotiating and advocating with Social Security Scotland, DWP, HMRC, local authorities, utility providers and creditors.
• Supporting families experiencing fuel poverty and financial crisis.

Community and Outreach Work

• Delivering workshops and awareness sessions within communities and schools.
• Facilitating drop-in advice sessions and outreach services.
• Supporting families within their own homes where appropriate.
• Building strong local partnerships to improve access to services.
• Promoting financial wellbeing and early intervention approaches across communities.

Working Together

• Developing positive relationships with colleagues, volunteers and partner agencies.
• Working closely with Children First Services across Scotland.
• Collaborating with education, health, housing and third-sector organisations.
• Participating in supervision, reflective practice and continuous professional development.
• Contributing to service development and organisational learning.

What We're Looking For

We're looking for experienced Money, Welfare Benefits or Financial Inclusion Advisers who share our commitment to improving outcomes for children and families.

You'll bring:

• Experience delivering money, debt, welfare rights or financial inclusion advice.
• Knowledge of the welfare benefits system and income maximisation approaches.
• Experience supporting people facing financial hardship or crisis.
• Strong communication, advocacy and relationship-building skills.
• Experience working with vulnerable children, families or communities.
• Excellent assessment, problem-solving and case management skills.
• Confidence delivering advice face-to-face, by telephone and through digital channels.
• The ability to manage a varied workload and work independently.
• An understanding of the impact poverty, trauma and adversity can have on children and families.
• A commitment to children's rights, safeguarding and relational practice.

SNSIAP-accredited money advice experience would be advantageous but is not essential.

Our Values

Everything we do is guided by our values:

With Love - We put children first with compassion, empathy and kindness.

With Purpose - We work alongside families and communities to transform children's lives together.

With Strength - We do whatever it takes to protect Scotland's children and help families thrive.

What You'll Get From Us

At Children First, you'll be part of a values-led organisation committed to developing and supporting our people.

We offer:

• 40 days annual leave including public holidays.
• Contributory pension scheme.
• Flexible and hybrid working opportunities.
• Wellbeing support and health benefits.
• Blue Light Card discounts.
• Learning, training and professional development opportunities.
• The opportunity to make a lasting difference for children and families across Scotland.
• The chance to be part of a national programme helping eradicate child poverty.

Join Us

If you have experience delivering money, debt or welfare benefits advice and are passionate about helping families overcome financial hardship and build brighter futures for their children, we'd love to hear from you.

Children First Support Line

Could you play a vital role within our national Support Line, helping deliver Scotland's mission to eradicate child poverty?

Join Children First and be part of a once in a generation transformation in how families access help to alleviate crisis, prevent harm and build long-term stability to break the cycle of child poverty. Funded by the Scottish Government, we are doubling the size of our Support Line with the aim of supporting 7,500 more families across Scotland in the first year.

We've been preventing harm, supporting recovery and driving change since 1884 and our ambitious plans for the Support Line build on our experience of delivering cash-first, short, medium and long-term holistic support to families living in, or at risk of, poverty.

This is an exciting opportunity to join our growing multidisciplinary team and help ensure every family in Scotland has somewhere to turn when they need help.

About the Role

As a Support Line Triage Call Taker, you will be the first point of contact for children, young people, families, kinship carers and professionals seeking support from Children First.

Through telephone, webchat, email and outbound contact, you will provide a warm, compassionate and professional response, helping people feel heard, understood and supported from the moment they reach out.

Using skilled listening, effective questioning and sound judgement, you will gather information, assess needs and risks and connect people to the most appropriate support. You will play a key role in ensuring timely access to Children First services, including family support, money and debt advice, welfare rights support, energy support, kinship care advice and advocacy services, while helping families access wider community resources and partner support.

Working in a fast-paced contact centre environment, you will contribute to a service that strengthens families, reduces the impact of poverty and keeps children's safety, wellbeing and rights at the centre of everything we do.

What You'll Be Doing

Supporting Children and Families

• Providing a compassionate, professional and welcoming first response to families and professionals contacting the Support Line.
• Creating a safe environment where people feel listened to, respected and understood.
• Using effective questioning and assessment skills to understand individual circumstances, strengths and support needs.
• Undertaking initial assessments of need, vulnerability and risk.
• Identifying safeguarding concerns and taking appropriate action in line with Children First policies and procedures.
• Supporting children, families and carers to access the right help at the right time.

Information, Advice and Support

• Providing information, guidance and reassurance to families facing a range of challenges.
• Completing warm introductions and referrals to specialist Children First services.
• Supporting families to access emotional, practical and financial support.
• Helping families experiencing poverty, financial hardship, housing difficulties or social isolation connect with relevant services and resources.
• Processing applications for emergency supports including food and fuel assistance where appropriate.

Contact Centre Operations

• Managing inbound and outbound calls, emails and webchats efficiently and professionally.
• Supporting appointment scheduling, follow-up activity and queue management.
• Maintaining a positive experience for everyone using the service.
• Identifying repeat contacts, emerging themes and unmet need to help improve service delivery.

Working Together

• Developing positive working relationships with colleagues, volunteers and external partners.
• Building knowledge of local and national services including housing, employability, financial wellbeing and community support.
• Participating in supervision, reflective practice, training and team learning.
• Contributing to service development and continuous improvement.

What We're Looking For

We're looking for someone who is passionate about supporting children and families and who can build trust quickly through empathy, compassion and kindness.

You may come from a contact centre, customer service, advice, support, housing, employability, health, social care or community-based background.

You'll bring:

• Experience of speaking with people in a customer service, contact centre, helpline, advice or support role.
• Experience of supporting people who may be distressed, worried or facing challenging circumstances.
• Excellent communication and listening skills.
• The ability to gather information sensitively and make informed decisions about next steps.
• Confidence using digital systems and managing communications across multiple channels.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage competing priorities.
• An understanding of the issues affecting children and families, including poverty, financial hardship and family wellbeing.
• A commitment to safeguarding, children's rights and relational practice.
• A willingness to learn and develop within a supportive and values-led organisation.

Our Values

Everything we do is guided by our values:

• With Love -We put children first with compassion and kindness.
• With Purpose -We work alongside families and partners to transform children's lives together.
• With Strength -We do whatever it takes to protect Scotland's children.
• What You'll Get From Us -At Children First, you'll be part of a values-led organisation committed to developing and supporting our people.

We offer:

• 40 days annual leave including public holidays.
• Contributory pension scheme.
• Flexible and hybrid working opportunities.
• Wellbeing support and health benefits.
• Blue Light Card discounts.
• Learning, training and career development opportunities.
• The opportunity to help shape an ambitious national service supporting thousands of families across Scotland.

Join Us

If you share our belief that every child in Scotland should grow up safe, loved and free from poverty and want to be part of a team that is transforming how families access support, we would love to hear from you.

Together, we can help alleviate crisis, prevent harm and build brighter futures for children and families across Scotland

Please visit the following link to learn about our recruitment events to meet our team, hear about our plans.issuu.com/children_first/docs/children_first_support_line_recruitment_pack