Associate director of finance jobs in Edinburgh

Purpose of the post

The Financial Planning & Analysis Manager will support the Associate Director of Finance to provide insightful analysis of financial trends and oversee the recoverability of funds.

They will coordinate the month-end process and work with Finance Business Partners to coordinate the quarterly forecast and the 2026/27 budget.

They will also act as Finance Business Partner to a number of teams, working closely with Budget Holders and external partners to provide effective management of resources and risk, and monitoring of quarterly partner reporting.

Main responsibilities

Financial Planning & Analysis element of role (60%):

• Coordination of month-end process: overseeing the month-end checklist and coordination of FBPs; production of monthly management accounts using JET reports
• Coordination of quarterly forecasting and annual budgeting across cost centres and funds: preparation of forecasting templates; coordination of FBPs; upload and review of forecast onto finance system
• Coordination of long-term (high level) forecasting across all cost centres and funds to end of current Core Funding cycle
• Oversee the cost recovery process of new and existing funds (overhead recovery and monitoring of funding gaps)

Finance Business Partnering element of role (40%):

• Work with Budget Holders to manage financial performance, forecasts, and budgeting including understanding financial opportunities and risk for the area of business partnership.
• Provide donor reporting and analysis as required to funders of specific programmes.
• Consolidation of quarterly partner reporting

Experience

• CCAB qualified with a minimum of 5 years practical experience in financial analysis or business partnering roles

Desirable

• Experience of fund management
• Experience of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
• Experience of JET reports 
• Experience in the academic or scientific research sector
• Experience working with UKRI and/or Research Councils
• Experience of funding under Full Economic Costing (FEC) model
• Experience of managing stakeholder relationships within an academic or not-for-profit environment

 

Skills

• Excellent quantitative skills, use of Excel and finance systems
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to communicate effectively and confidently with people at all levels.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to handle sensitive issues positively
• Excellent organisational skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment and to working in an agile, flexible and pragmatic way
• Ability to quickly learn and adapt to new environments
• Ability to lead and work as part of a team
• Ability to work autonomously and make decisions without supervision
• Ability to process complex information and present targeted messages to different audiences.

Are you a qualified finance professional who enjoys working in partnership with others to turn financial insight into better decisions? Join Shelter as a Senior Finance Business Partner and play a key role in supporting our directorates to plan, prioritise and deliver work that helps end the housing emergency.

About the role

This role will be leading in the financial business partnering needs of our Income Generation directorate. 

Among your responsibilities will be the need to align financial plans to operational and strategic plans and make sure they’re clearly understood by Business Units. Seeing that each Unit is provided with a channel of effective, two-way communication with Finance will be important too. And, when it comes to seeing that they receive regular relevant and useful financial insight and analysis, again, we’ll count on you to deliver. You’ll be working within a great finance department to achieve this, who work as a team of experts to safeguard resources and support decision making across Shelter. We strive to ensure Shelter is financially sustainable in order to achieve our vision of a home for everyone.

Role specifics

We’re looking for a qualified accountant who is confident working with colleagues across an organisation and able to explain financial information clearly to non-finance audiences. You’ll have experience assessing financial risk and producing clear, insightful analysis to support good decision-making. With strong attention to detail, excellent numeracy and solid Excel skills, you’ll be comfortable managing your time, meeting deadlines and reprioritising when needed. Experience of charity finance and working with fundraising teams would be an advantage.

Apply to be part of our team and be the change you want to see in society.

Benefits 

We offer a wide range of benefits, including 30 days of annual leave, enhanced family friendly policies, pension and interest free travel loans. Our employees also have access to a tenancy deposit loan, payroll giving, cycle to work scheme and an employee assistance programme.

We are happy to talk about flexible working, personal growth, and to promote a workplace where you can be yourself and achieve success based only on your merit.

About the team

 Shelter’s Finance Team sits within the Strategy Enablement Directorate, which also includes HR Operations, Technology and Data, and Governance, Planning and Property. The Finance Team consists of 32 people led by the Assistant Director of Finance.

This role sits within the Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A) Team. FP&A produces financial reports and analysis, provides expert advice, and enables collaboration to support effective decision making throughout the charity.

How to Apply

Please click ‘Apply for Job’. You are required to submit your work history and a supporting statement. The supporting statement should include your responses to the points in the ‘About You’ section of the job description of no more than 350 words each. 

Please provide specific examples following the STAR format and ensure you demonstrate how you address the behaviours below in your responses:
 

• We prioritise diversity and have an inclusive and open mindset

Any applications submitted without a supporting statement will not be considered.

About Shelter

Home is a human right. It’s our foundation and where we thrive. Yet everyday millions of people are being devastated by the housing emergency.

We exist to defend the right to a safe home. Because home is everything.

We need ambitious, passionate people to join us. This is your chance to play a part in the fundamental change we are striving to achieve.

Our enemy is the social injustice at the core of the escalating housing emergency. To win this fight, we must be representative of the people we are here to help and those who support our movement. In all our people decisions, we take pride in being inclusive, equitable and transparent. We are committed to combating racism both within and outside Shelter. We welcome you on our journey to becoming truly anti-racist.

Safeguarding statement

 Safeguarding is everyone's business. Shelter is committed to protecting the health, wellbeing and human rights of those we support, and enabling them to live free from harm, abuse and neglect. All our staff will be expected to observe professional standards of behaviour and conduct their work in line with our Safeguarding Policies. 

Shelter does not accept unsolicited CVs from external recruitment agencies nor accept the fees associated with them.

About HOST 

*HOST supports social change initiatives around the world by providing fiscal hosting, operational infrastructure and governance support. Our Legal function ensures that our work is safe, compliant and aligned with our mission, enabling our partners to operate with confidence in complex environments. 

The Role

HOST seeks a qualified solicitor to establish and lead its internal legal function. The role requires expertise in UK contract and charity law, applied in an international nonprofit context. The primary jurisdiction will be England and Wales; however, given HOST’s global operations, familiarity with or awareness of the legal systems in the Netherlands, Singapore, and India would be advantageous. You will support hosting, grantmaking, partner support, and global operations, ensuring contracts, due diligence, and legal frameworks are robust, proportionate, and operationally effective.

This role combines hands-on legal review with systems design, risk oversight, and practical guidance for non-legal teams, working closely with the Executive Director and Operations leadership. As this is a newly created position, the scope and priorities of the role will naturally evolve over time in discussion with the Legal Circle. We recognise that establishing effective legal processes, procedures, and documentation will take time, and we value a thoughtful, iterative approach to building the function well.

This is a part-time role (approximately [2–3 days per week / 0.4–0.6 FTE], to be agreed).

Experience working in-house, and experience operating primarily in a remote working environment, would be an advantage.

Key Responsibilities

Legal Oversight & Contracts
Review and approve agreements and maintain standard templates.
Provide clear, practical risk-based advice to internal stakeholders.
Manage legal requests through a structured, auditable intake process.
Engage and liaise with external law firms where specialist advice or jurisdictional expertise is required, managing those relationships appropriately.

Due Diligence & Risk
Assess higher-risk matters (e.g. sanctions, safeguarding, governance, employment, data protection).
Align legal processes with Finance and Operations.
Maintain clear and proportionate risk records.

Legal Systems & Governance
Develop and maintain key policies and template documents.
Embed appropriate legal workflows across the organisation.
Support governance and compliance improvements.

Scope

Will Do:
Lead legal review, maintain templates and policies, deliver accessible legal guidance, oversee a structured and transparent legal workflow, and coordinate external legal support where appropriate.

Will Not Do:
Lead commercial negotiations, manage operational delivery, approve retrospective decisions, or act outside the legal remit of the role.

Support & Resources

You will have access to appropriate online legal research tools and resources, subject to discussion regarding organisational needs and associated costs.

HOST will support Continuing Professional Development (CPD), with scope and funding agreed based on identified needs and budget.

HOST will cover the cost of the annual practising certificate (currently approximately £300–£400 per year).

About You

Requirements:
Practising solicitor in England & Wales, authorised to work in-house.

Skills:
Strong grounding in UK contract and charity law.
Experience drafting and interpreting agreements.
Ability to communicate legal advice clearly and pragmatically to non-legal colleagues.

Desirable:
Experience in data protection, employment law, sanctions, international law, or risk and compliance frameworks.
Previous in-house experience.
Experience working effectively in remote-first or distributed organisations.

Personal Qualities:
Collaborative, pragmatic, solutions-focused, mission-aligned, and confident guiding non-legal teams through complex issues.

Success Measures
Legal intake is consistent, auditable, and predictable.
Templates and policies are clear, compliant, and trusted by teams.
Advice is privileged, proportionate, regulatory-aligned, and enables partners to operate confidently.

Are you passionate about making a real impact through safer, high‑quality environments? Do you want to use your estates, health & safety and compliance expertise to help drive meaningful change across a national charity? If so, Life Charity would love to hear from you.

We are looking for an experienced, proactive, and values‑driven Estates Manager to lead our Estates function and ensure our services, properties, and environments consistently meet the highest standards.

The Role:

As Estates Manager, you will be the driving force behind the quality, compliance and safety of Life’s estate. This role combines strategic oversight with hands‑on management of our property portfolio, ensuring all sites are safe, secure and operating to required standards.

You will:

• Lead Health & Safety and Premises/Facilities Management across the charity
• Ensure compliance with relevant legislation, regulatory requirements and internal standards
• Oversee risk management, audits, inspections and safety monitoring
• Manage the Estates Coordinator and foster a culture of continuous improvement
• Work with external partners to ensure checks are carried out (Gas, Fire Safety, Legionella, Asbestos, etc.)
• Manage property acquisition, disposal, leases, maintenance and contracts
• Develop and maintain estates policies and reporting systems
• Drive a positive, proactive health & safety culture across Life

This is a fantastic opportunity for someone wanting to lead meaningful change within an organisation that truly makes a difference.

What You’ll Bring:

We’re looking for someone who is:

• Highly organised, proactive, and able to take initiative
• A strong communicator with excellent written and verbal skills
• Confident managing estates compliance, risk, safety and property-related functions
• Experienced in managing a portfolio of properties (minimum 3 years)
• Able to lead others and support their development
• Skilled in identifying improvements and driving change

Qualifications/Experience:
✔ NEBOSH (or equivalent) in Occupational Health & Safety
✔ Evidence of continuous professional development
✔ Experience in data analysis or financial management (desirable)
✔ HND or equivalent in business/charity administration (desirable)

Information about the role: 

For further information, please see the attached job description. 

Please note, there is a requirement to drive for this role.

Salary: £38,000 per annum

Hours: 35 hours per week

Location: Home Based with travel to Leamington Spa and sites around the UK

Benefits:  

At Life we are passionate about providing our employees with a supportive and engaging environment. As well as ongoing development and training, we offer our:  

• Generous holiday allowance, starting at 25 days per year, plus 8 Bank Holidays (pro rata for part time hours) 
• Birthday Leave  (applicable after 1 years service)
• Additional annual leave for long term service  
• Company Pension Scheme  
• Signed member of the Menopause Workplace Pledge 

Safeguarding and Equality: 

Life is committed to protecting all staff, volunteers and service users from harm of any kind. Life expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment through our code of conduct.   

We are committed to ensuring diversity and equality within our organisation by encouraging applications from all backgrounds.  

All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks. Life takes its obligation to protect the rights of children and vulnerable people very seriously; therefore, the successful candidate for this post will be also subject to extensive background checking, including an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check (DBS) which is paid for by the Charity.  

Senior Compliance Officer

About Internews

Internews works globally to ensure people everywhere can access trusted, quality information that empowers participation, accountability, and healthier, more informed communities. For more than 35 years, in over 100 countries, we have strengthened local media, supported civil society, and helped millions of people access crucial information across issues such as health, governance, conflict, and the environment.

We are an international nonprofit with administrative hubs in California, Washington DC, London, and Paris. Our teams represent a wide mix of backgrounds, identities, cultures, and lived experiences. We actively foster an environment rooted in dignity, belonging, justice, and flexibility.

About the Role

We are seeking a high-performing, experienced, and self-directed compliance professional to provide maternity cover within the Grants, Contracts & Compliance (GCC) department.

This role requires someone who operates with excellence, independence, and sound judgement from day one—a person who is confident navigating complex donor rules, shaping risk‑mitigation strategies, and leading award management processes without needing extensive onboarding. We are seeking an experienced practitioner with proven applied experience, rather than a purely theoretical background.

You will oversee the full lifecycle of European donor‑funded awards, ensuring rigorous contractual and regulatory compliance across Internews. Working closely with colleagues across Programmes, Finance, and Global Development, you will help maintain a culture where doing things right is prioritised over shortcuts.

The ideal candidate brings deep expertise with major European donors (European Commission, Sida, FCDO), a proactive mindset, and the ability to lead, train, and influence teams across the organisation.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES include the following, with other duties upon request: 

Compliance

· Review and approve proposal budgets for assigned funding opportunities.

· Review donor agreements and ensure terms are acceptable; support the Director of GCC in strengthening organisational risk‑mitigation practices.

· Advise staff on Internews’ internal and donor rules across the project cycle.

· Work with Programme Officers and cross-functional teams on effective project start‑up, including inductions, adapting award procedures/templates, and ongoing staff training; conduct country visits when required.

· Collaborate with Finance to support successful programme audits.

· Maintain and update organisational data on institutional donor platforms (e.g., EU Transparency Register, IATI).

· Develop and maintain training materials and guidelines for at least one major donor; provide expert compliance guidance across GCC.

· Deliver inductions and training for new and junior GCC staff.

· Set up and maintain complete and up‑to‑date award records in line with donor and Internews requirements.

Development

· At proposal stage, review and approve teaming agreements and NDAs with bid partners.

· Review and approve donor budget submissions, ensuring accuracy, consistency, compliance, and adequacy.

· Coordinate pre‑award due diligence for prospective donors.

· Review and negotiate donor agreements and modifications, managing associated risks.

· Establish and maintain proposal, award, and contract records within the award management system, including significant data entry.

Procurement Management

· Advise staff on procurement requirements and maintain internal records for procurements under awards.

· Support development of compliant procurement plans.

· Lead and administer higher‑value procurements, including negotiating contractor terms.

· Draft and execute sub‑contracts and amendments in full compliance with donor and Internews policies.

· Troubleshoot contractual issues, prepare termination notices, and manage related risks.

· Prepare procurement documentation for audits and serve as point of contact for procurement audit processes.

· In all duties, uphold Internews’ Core Values and demonstrate commitment to fostering a culture of Belonging, Dignity, and Justice.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

· Line‑manage GCC staff when assigned.

· Deputise for the Director of GCC as required.

· Lead award management for flagship programmes and advise programme teams and partners on donor compliance, budgeting, and agreement management.
 

QUALIFICATIONS

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Required

· University degree in a relevant field or equivalent lived/professional experience.

· Extensive senior-level experience in award management within an international nonprofit or international development organisation.

· Demonstrated hands‑on experience interpreting and applying donor rules and compliance requirements (especially European Commission, FCDO, and SIDA) in real project implementation contexts.

· Proven experience managing procurements and negotiating contracts, including drafting and executing agreements and amendments in compliance with donor and organisational requirements.

· Experience preparing procurement documentation for audits and managing procurement‑related risks.

· Demonstrated experience troubleshooting compliance, contractual, and financial issues, and advising programme teams on practical solutions.

· Experience assessing and managing compliance and contractual risks across the project cycle.

· Experience using award management systems or structured grant/contract databases, including maintaining accurate award records and donor‑required data.

· Native-level proficiency in English (written and spoken).

· Strong writing and editing skills, with prior experience producing key work outputs such as proposals, budgets, reports, and trainings.

· Excellent interpersonal and stakeholder management skills, including diplomacy, negotiation, cross-team collaboration, donor communication, and discretion with confidential information.

· Strong analytical and problem‑solving abilities, with a demonstrated track record of applying critical thinking to complex compliance or award management challenges.

· Excellent time‑management and organisational skills, including the ability to handle shifting priorities in a fast‑paced or complex operating environment.

· Proven ability to work both independently and collaboratively within multicultural and remote teams; demonstrated leadership capacity.

· Flexibility to manage periodic shifts in workload and working hours.

· Experience mentoring or training staff on compliance, procurement, or donor‑related procedures.

· Experience leading cross‑functional processes involving both programme and operational teams.

Preferred

· Prior experience living or working in a global majority country/region

· Proficiency in Russian (written and spoken).

· Experience with EU/UK‑funded projects (e.g., EC, FCDO) in complex environments.

· Experience developing internal policies, guidelines, or training materials related to compliance, procurement, or award management.

· Familiarity with Internews’ operating environment, systems, or organisational approaches.

Vacancy Timeline:

Deadline for applications: 13 March 2026 (Note: This is a rolling recruitment process candidates might be invited for interview before the deadline)

MISCELLANEOUS:

Candidates must submit a succinct cover letter of no more than 2 pages explaining how they satisfy the requirements of the role, and a CV highlighting relevant experience. Successful candidate will also be asked to provide three professional referees, one of whom must be from their most recent employer.

The above noted job description is not intended to describe, in detail, the multitude of tasks that may be assigned but rather to give the associate a general sense of the responsibilities and expectations of their position. As the nature of business demands change so, too, may the essential functions of this position.

This position will be located in the United Kingdom and therefore, a successful applicant must both be present in the UK for the duration of the assignment and be able to demonstrate their Right to Work in the UK in order to commence employment.

This is a new role within St Luke’s for Clergy Wellbeing created to strengthen and embed high-quality clinical practice across our services. The Clinical Quality Learning Lead will support the continuous improvement and quality assurance of our talking therapy provision, enhancing safety, consistency, and a shared learning culture across our network of therapy providers. This will ensure that our grant-funded support continues to meet the highest standards of care for clergy and their families. 

This role suits someone who can dedicate around one day a week to provide clinical quality oversight, support reflective learning and strengthen best practice.

You will be ideal if you:

• Have relevant clinical experience and registered practitioner (see job pack)
• Share our passion for clergy wellbeing
• Have a heart for learning and sharing learning to improve practice
• Enjoy developing communities of practice. 

St Luke’s is a small, dedicated team. Our success depends on each person contributing to the life of the team and the vision of St Luke’s. This role does not require the post holder to have a Christian faith but must be in sympathy with our vision and values. 

Location: Remote
Hours: Part Time (21 hours per week)
Contract: Fixed term to end of January 2028.
Salary: £26,100 – £28,200 pro rata (£43,500 - £47,000 FTE)
 
This is an important project working in partnership with Government, the NHS, partners and affected communities as part of national memorial activities to reflect on the impact of Covid-19 for people across the UK.
 
The contract is linked to the anticipated development and delivery timeline of the Reflection Spaces project, which is the primary focus of the role.
 
Key Relationships: Programme Leads, COO, Director of Strategic Engagement, AD Finance and Operations, Trustees, External Partners
 
Overall Purpose
 
The Project Manager will work with NHS member charities and key stakeholders to design, lead and manage a high-profile programme of activity alongside key partners and those with lived experience to create memorial reflection spaces for communities most impacted by COVID-19. This is referred to in this document at the ‘Reflection Spaces’ project.
 
You will bring a dynamic, can do approach to support the design and delivery of the Reflection Spaces project, ensuring collaboration across a wide range of stakeholders, including our identified NHS Member Charities, voluntary sector organisations, funders, evaluators and government officials to create beautiful high quality and reflective spaces supportive of those experiencing bereavement with creative elements to mark their significance.
 
It involves working collaboratively with a wide range of stakeholders including our member charities, NHS trusts, funders, evaluators, and government officials, and ensuring initiatives are delivered successfully.
 
Overall Objectives
 
To support the design and implementation of new sensory reflection spaces that create a living memory and legacy for communities of those lost during the pandemic. The new COVID-19 memorials will be created across the country that reflect the importance of green spaces to the nation during the pandemic for health and wellbeing, and to bring people together in remembrance and commemoration to those who have experienced loss.
 
To convene and engage stakeholders to inform the national elements of the project including development of the creative brief, ensuring a golden thread that brings all of the locally funded projects together.
 
You will coordinate teams, stakeholders and partners to ensure high quality delivery, excellent interpretation and relevance through codesign to represent the user needs from established steering and engagement groups to ensure quality and impact.
 
You may also be required to oversee other NHS Charities Together initiatives successfully so they deliver on their objectives, managing stakeholders, and are delivered on time and to budget - in particular the Green Communities project, which is an existing grant programme with NHS Charities to create and improve green spaces and help improve the nation’s health.
 
Key Responsibilities
 
Project Design and Development

• Work with the Programme Leads and SRO to develop the Reflection Spaces project from design to implementation considering sustainability and legacy of local project design and implementation with NHS charity members.
• Managing high profile stakeholder relationships and partners across government, horticultural partners and bereavement organisations to codesign the programme of activity and/or high level design brief to guide local project delivery.
• Establish evaluation requirements for the programme and projects delivered at a local level and in line with partners involved, leading processes to convene, capture and share evidence, data and insight to support knowledge of impact for users of the spaces. Commission and manage external evaluations where appropriate, ensuring quality and alignment with project aims.
• Plan funding aspects of the programme allocating awards to chosen NHS Charities able to support the requirements of the spaces as per brief.
• Develop project plans with clear objectives, timelines, milestones and manage and monitor associated budget, ensuring that projects are financially sustainable and cover our costs.

 
Delivery and Management

• Lead initiatives, in particular the Reflection Spaces project, to ensure they are delivered on time, within scope and budget.
• Establish and oversee robust project governance, risk management, and reporting processes, maintaining strong administration and compliance throughout
• Regularly review and monitor impact against the goals of the programme, ensuring the benefits and impact we seek are being achieved
• Provide line management of staff where required, such as the Senior Projects Officer working across our other related greening projects
• Manage project resources and staff effectively, fostering a collaborative team culture and supporting and ensuring team members are empowered
• Support or lead the process of securing appropriate partnership propositions, selecting service contracts or grant arrangements where appropriate, with regard to considerations such as control and VAT efficiency. Where multiple potential partners exist, ensure we have effective decision making to select the most appropriate partnerships in line with our strategic criteria, either through procurement or application assessments and establish appropriate tender processes for artistic commissioning.
• Manage contracts or grant arrangements with external partners, including evaluators and delivery organisations, delegating as required; lead or support negotiations as needed and ensure partners meet their obligations.
• Oversee and manage the delivery of the Greener Communities project to completion.

 
Stakeholder Engagement & Collaboration

• Convene and engage stakeholders, including member charities, NHS trusts and employees, funders and evaluators, to co-produce and steer projects collaboratively.
• Facilitating and supporting engagement to harness lived experience voice to inform the design and delivery of locally delivered projects to ensure relevance and suitability of spaces and also to support national commemoration events such as the National Day of Reflection.
• Manage stakeholder relationships throughout the lifecycle of each project, ensuring effective communication and engagement.
• Provide support and guidance to member charities through the projects we fund, enabling high quality spaces and user experience and outcomes.
• Represent the organisation externally, acting as a champion for NHS Charities Together and NHS charities
• Form professional and beneficial relationships with internal and external stakeholders – including at a senior level, representing the department internally and externally and bringing your experience of greening for health.
• Work collaboratively with teams across the organisation to plan commemorative events around the National Day of Reflection and to support the design of communication plans.

 
Creative Arts Installation

• Lead the creative arts commissioning aspects of the Reflection Spaces project in collaboration with partners to ensure spaces have interpretation and recognition around their purpose and also any installation artwork featuring across all sites acting as the golden thread for the programme.
• Identify and build effective relationships with new stakeholders and funders who are required for the artistic aspects of the Reflection Spaces project to support ambition, working collaboratively to secure income such Arts Council applications or equivalent for the devolved nations such as Creative Scotland.
• Establish creative steering groups that help to codesign artistic aspects that will establish interpretation of the spaces and create a ‘golden thread’ unifying the spaces

 
Other duties

• Visibly live NHS Charities Togethers values of Human, Collaborative and Pioneering, including our commitment to diversity and inclusion.
• Carrying out the duties of post in accordance with NHS Charities Togethers policies and procedures on Health and Safety and take responsibility for ensuring personal health and safety.
• Working flexibly, prioritising workload, and working effectively as part of a team. Demonstrating an ability to work calmly and effectively when under pressure of tight deadlines, to deliver work on time and to a high standard.
• Work with organisational systems to capture and share stakeholder interactions in a timely manner
• Adhere to relevant legislation, best practice, policies, and processes including, but not limited to charity law, the fundraising regulator, GDPR and professional codes and standards.

This is not meant to be an exhaustive list of duties. The need for flexibility is required, and the post holder is expected to carry out any other related duties that are within the employee’s skills and abilities whenever reasonably instructed.
 
REF-227 012

Are you a visionary leader who can help shape the next stage of our work to protect, create and restore Scotland’s woodlands?

We are looking for our next Chief Executive, someone who can lead the charity into an exciting period of growth and change.

FWS is a Scottish charity working to create a Scotland where trees and native woodlands are thriving for our wildlife, communities and climate.  Our mission is to protect, create and restore these vital habitats through knowledge, partnership and practical action.

Founded in 2012 to support innovative thinking for trees and native woodlands, we have grown into an organisation delivering practical action at scale. Today, our work stretches from city spaces to wild places — supporting farmers and landowners to create or restore native woodlands, strengthening local nurseries, building sector skills, and bringing trees into everyday landscapes across Scotland.

The organisation has grown rapidly over the past three years, and now operates as a team of seven delivering national programmes across Scotland.

About the role

This is a rare opportunity to shape a small, ambitious and high‑performing charity at a time of growth and increasing national influence.

As Chief Executive, you will report to and work closely with our Board of Trustees, providing strategic leadership and acting as the organisation’s senior representative. You will:

• Lead the delivery of our strategic plan and future direction
• Strengthen partnerships across the woodland, environmental, community and land‑use sectors
• Oversee programme delivery and organisational performance
• Support, motivate and develop our small and committed team of seven, working across programmes, fundraising and communications
• Represent Future Woodlands Scotland at senior levels across Scotland

You will bring strategic clarity, a collaborative leadership style, and the ability to build strong, trusted relationships across sectors and with funders.

Location

This role is Scotland-based, working from home with travel across Scotland to meetings. Our current team is spread across Dumfries & Galloway, Lothian, Central Scotland and Aberdeenshire.

Contract and salary

• 8% employer pension contribution
• Permanent, part‑time (3 days per week)
• £65,000–£75,000 FTE, depending on experience
• 25 days annual leave + 10 public holidays (pro rata)
• Additional annual leave increasing with length of service, up to a maximum of 10 additional days.

How to apply

Before applying, please read the Candidate Pack for full details of the role, responsibilities and the application process. You can find it on our website. 

Invitations are invited from suitably qualified people and applications should consist of a CV and covering letter. The covering letter should explain how you meet the essential skills set out in the Candidate Pack and what you would bring to Future Woodlands Scotland.

If you would like an informal chat about the role, please contact Shireen Chambers to arrange a call (details in Candidate Pack).

Key dates:

• Application deadline: Midday, Monday 16 March 2026
• Interviews: Monday, 30 March 2026, in Edinburgh in person