External affair director jobs in Edinburgh
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Main Purpose and Scope of the Job
Main point of contact and support for organisational corporate compliance and the efficient and effective management of Corporate Services activities including Members governance admin activities, Insurance compliance and renewals, Indian Liaison Office (ILO) compliance, and supporting portfolio compliance activities.
Key Activities
Corporate Services
- Lead the drafting, monitoring, implementation, and regular review of Corporate Services and IT policies.
- Act as the primary point of contact for all insurance matters, including compliance, administration, renewals, claims, travel insurance, and ad hoc queries.
- Ensure full compliance with ILO statutory requirements and other countries (e.g. Kenya) compliance as required.
Governance
- Ensure governance activities (Members and FRC), are undertaken efficiently and effectively and prepare minutes of meetings. (May involve some international travel).
- Collate completed Conflicts of Interest & Confidentiality forms and summarise data for the Register, circulating it for meeting reports.
Finance & Audit (Internal)
- Be the primary contact with BDO (Internal Auditors) and prepare, collate and provide all necessary requests for information.
- Review payments - Cheque signatory, authorised signatory and approval of certain invoices to delegated authority level.
Due Diligence
- Support the Head of Legal Affairs by reviewing due diligence documentation from a corporate services and finance point of view to ensure risks (financial and/or reputational) are duly highlighted.
Other
- Support staff and ensure the function’s activities are delivered to the highest standard whilst optimising available resource utilisation.
- Support the Senior Director, Corporate Services & Finance.
Qualifications / experience required (in order to successfully carry out the job role)
- A degree in a relevant field such as Business Administration, or Policy and Business Compliance.
- Experience of working in the charity sector (desirable).
- Experience of developing and maintaining policies.
- Experience managing compliance frameworks across multiple jurisdictions.
- Experience handling insurance claims and renewals.
- Experience of governance responsibilities & senior team interaction.
- Experience supporting internal or external audits.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate complex corporate situations.
- Excel literate to a detailed level plus experience of other MS Office programmes and report writing.
Registered Charity 
21 - 50
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
What does it take to lead the national voice for special schools at a time of real change?
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – National Association of Special Schools (NASS)
National – home-based, with regular travel across England and Wales, particularly London
£90,000–£110,000 per annum
Full-time, permanent.
About NASS
The National Association of Special Schools (NASS) is the membership association for special schools in England and Wales. We bring together independent special schools, non-maintained special schools, special academies, maintained special schools and multi-academy trusts with specialist provision.
We exist to inform, support and represent our members, helping specialist schools improve outcomes for children and young people with SEND and secure the place of specialist provision within the wider education system. NASS is known for being accessible, responsive and personal, combining national influence with practical support that members value as timely, human and trustworthy.
This is a pivotal moment for the organisation. In February this year, the Department for Education published a major white paper on SEND reform which will require NASS to both influence national policy on behalf of our members and children and young people, as well as support them to navigate the changes. Our new CEO will need to review our strategy while building on our strong platform and momentum to further deepen our influence and strengthen our internal capacity.
As our next Chief Executive, you will:
- Strategy & Impact: Lead NASS through a period of policy and structural change, ensuring the organisation remains clear on purpose, responsive to members and influential in the SEND landscape.
- Governance & Finance: Work closely with the Board of Trustees to provide strong governance, prudent financial stewardship, robust risk management and clear strategic oversight.
- Operational Leadership: Provide confident leadership to a small, remote team, strengthening collaboration, accountability, resilience and a positive, high-trust culture.
- Income Generation: Oversee budgeting, planning and reporting while developing thoughtful opportunities to diversify income through membership, partnerships, events and related activity.
- Community & Partnerships: Build and sustain trusted relationships with government, parliament, regulators, sector bodies and member schools, ensuring NASS remains relevant and well connected.
- Member Services: Protect and enhance the practical offer to members, from briefings and special interest groups to conferences, webinars, training and peer-to-peer learning.
- Brand & Profile: Act as a credible public ambassador for NASS, helping to modernise communications and broaden the organisation’s voice beyond a founder-shaped model.
- Future Growth: Shape a distributed leadership profile and support a more varied, accessible and engaging approach to membership, advocacy and communications.
- A seasoned senior leader with experience in a charity, membership body, education or public sector setting, and a clear track record of leading through change.
- A strong strategic thinker, able to absorb complex information quickly and translate it into clear, practical direction.
- A confident communicator with the gravitas to represent NASS with members, staff, trustees, MPs, peers, media and national partners.
- A politically astute relationship-builder, comfortable navigating a complex and fast-moving external environment.
- Experienced in governance, with a sound understanding of working with boards or trustees and supporting effective decision-making.
- Numerate and commercially minded, with experience of budgets, financial planning, income generation or partnership development.
- Credible, approachable and resilient, with the emotional intelligence to lead well in a high-profile, remote and sometimes uncertain context.
- Direct SEND experience would be a significant advantage, alongside understanding of specialist education or similarly complex stakeholder environments.
Why NASS?
- This is a chance to lead a respected, member-led organisation with a strong national reputation and a clear public purpose.
- You will help shape the future of specialist education at a time when SEND reform is high on the agenda.
- NASS has a loyal, experienced and collegiate remote staff team, supported by an active Board of Trustees.
- The organisation offers a genuinely influential platform, with strong connections across the sector and with government.
Application
For full details of the role including how to apply, please download the full appointment brief. For an informal and confidential conversation about this position, please contact Jenny Hills at Harris Hill via apply button with times to speak and (optional but appreciated) a CV or professional profile which will be treated with the strictest confidence.
Closing date for applications: 9am, Monday 8th June 2026
As leading charity recruitment specialists and a certified B Corp, Harris Hill is committed to high and ever-improving standards of equitable and inclusive recruitment. We actively welcome applications from all sections of the community regardless of age, disability, gender, race, religion, sexuality and other protected characteristics.
Thank you!
Sight Scotland is Scotland’s leading charity providing specialist care, education and research for people with vision impairment. The charity has been in existence for over 230 years, and offer a variety of services in the community as well as education, transcription into alternative formats and residential care for adults and children. Their vision is of an inclusive Scotland where people of all visual abilities have the opportunity to thrive. To achieve their mission and as part of the new fundraising strategy the Fundraising and Audience Development team recognises that there are efficiencies within fundraising operations that need to be identified and implemented – this role will be critical to delivering that.
Within the Fundraising and Audience Development team the post holder will work closely with peer managers on areas such as supporter journey planning, developing CRM integration with platforms such as MailChimp for integrated marketing opportunities, providing accurate and useful reporting and CRM dashboards, and processes for prospect research and pipeline management. This role has line management responsibility for the Fundraising and Engagement Administrator.
This role would suit someone who has experience of fundraising operations, supporter care or database functions within a fundraising team. The successful candidate will want to work in a role where they can use their experience to really shape and improve fundraising operations and have both immediate and long-term positive impact on income generation.
Application notes
Please download the Candidate Info Pack provided for further information about the role, timelines and next steps.
To progress your application, please contact THINK recruitment to organise an informal screening call. Please note, we cannot shortlist candidates who have not had a screening call so please allow enough time to have a call before the closing date.
If you need assistance with downloading the pack, please contact THINK Recruitment and our team will support you.
Closing date for applications: Midnight Tuesday 2nd June 2026
Interviews are expected to be held on Thursday 11th June 2026
