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.

As Social Work Scotland’s Children & Families Social Work Policy and Practice Lead you will provide the national team and partners with operational insight and expertise across the diverse range of children and families issues which, on a day-to-day basis, social work is involved in. You will play a key role in national discussions around the Promise, child protection, youth justice workforce capacity and the ongoing development of the profession. You will assist project leads in the delivery of their work programmes, and support colleagues and Social Work Scotland members to realise our organisation’s objectives; that includes playing a role in public facing communication about the role and value of social work.

You will link in directly with Social Work Scotland’s Children and Families Committee, our Board, local authority Chief Social Work Officers and key partners (such as the Office of the Chief Social Work Advisor) to progress the national agenda. You will be a visible representative of the profession, and you will assist others to articulate Social Work Scotland’s positions in a number of high-profile forums and settings.

In helping to support effective national leadership of social work in Scotland, you will be expected to ensure the voices of children, families, carers and communities inform all aspects of this role.

VSA is the largest city social care charity in the UK, with over 150 years of experience supporting vulnerable children, adults, and families across Aberdeen and beyond. The organisation delivers life-changing services through residential care and community outreach, promoting physical, emotional, mental, and social wellbeing. VSA supports individuals facing complex challenges, including mental health diagnoses, additional learning needs, addiction, isolation, and poverty, with a focus on empowerment, compassion, and enabling people to live the best lives possible.

VSA is seeking an outstanding Chief Executive Officer to lead the organisation through a period of strategic transformation within the Scottish social care sector. This is a pivotal opportunity to shape the organisation’s future, building on a long history of high-quality service delivery while responding to evolving policy, funding frameworks, and community needs.

Reporting to the Board of Trustees, the CEO will provide overall leadership and direction for VSA, ensuring strong governance, effective risk management, and financial sustainability. They will work closely with the Executive Management Team to deliver the organisation’s strategic objectives, embed a culture of innovation and accountability, and maintain the highest standards of care for service users.

The CEO will represent VSA externally, engaging with government, regulators, and partners to ensure the organisation’s voice is influential in shaping the future of health and social care. Through effective advocacy and stakeholder management, the CEO will strengthen VSA’s position in the sector and secure opportunities for innovation and growth.

Candidates will bring significant senior leadership experience, ideally gained within a health and social care context, with a track record of leading complex, multi-service organisations. They will demonstrate strong financial and commercial acumen, experience delivering sustainable change, and the ability to engage confidently with a wide range of stakeholders. Above all, they will be values-driven, visible, and authentic leaders, committed to supporting staff and ensuring that service users’ needs remain central to decision-making.

The successful CEO will guide VSA through this period of strategic transformation, ensuring the organisation remains resilient, sustainable, and well-positioned to continue serving Aberdeen’s communities as it has for over 150 years. This is an exceptional opportunity to shape the future of a historic, mission-driven organisation, leaving a lasting legacy and making a meaningful difference to the lives of the people VSA supports.