Frontline services senior manager jobs in edinburgh

The Community Engagement Officer is an essential role in fostering strong relationships with current and prospective members of the School Library Association community. The postholder will provide frontline support, drive online and in person engagement through outreach initiatives, and contribute to the growth and sustainability of the membership base. This is an exciting opportunity for someone passionate about school libraries, children's books, education, and community-building. An expert communicator, you will be experienced in developing relationships with a variety of stakeholders at all levels and relish a busy role.

Coordinating and supporting our Branch network, you will collaborate on initiatives for development, delivery and new projects as they come online. You will be the first port of call for advice and expertise relating to school libraries and enabling our members to more effectively support their school communities. As resident children’s book expert, you will help with initiatives such as the SLA Information Book Award and member book related events. Supporting the delivery of online and in-person networking events and workshops for members, you will work with your SLA colleagues, in particular the Training and Events Officer, to deliver a high-quality member offer and to ensure member needs are reflected in all offerings. The ability to travel to training and events across the UK is essential. Duties include:

Branch network and member support

• Support the SLA Branch Network and member outreach
• Identify opportunities for developing initiatives to grow and develop the Branch network community, that will deliver on the SLA mission
• Develop strong relationships with local, regional and national stakeholders to support network growth and enable members to take full advantage of all relevant opportunities available to them
• Provide advice for SLA members on all aspects of school libraries, ensuring they are supported and can be as effective as possible in their school communities 
• Drive engagement and development of online communities as part of the branch network
• Coordinate the mentoring scheme and ensure it is promoted effectively, with necessary support and development available to mentees and training for mentors

 Training and events

• Support the development and delivery of a calendar of online and in-person networking and engagement events and workshops
• Represent the association at relevant events and for programmes (e.g., conferences, webinars, book awards)
• Support development of training programmes, toolkits and resources using member insight to inform

Outreach and communications

• Use sector insight to identify opportunities for development of research and other initiatives, maintaining links and horizon scanning
• Provide SLA consultancy aligned with strategic approaches, supporting schools with development of their libraries, reading and information literacy provision to help children and young people reach their full potential
• Contribute to SLA communications such as TSL, newsletters, updates, and promotional materials
• Oversee the book review process in support of TSL, our quarterly journal

An ability to foster collaboration and community engagement will be an important part of this role. All team members contribute to office admin, maintaining member data and general office support.

To be successful in this role you should ideally be able to demonstrate:

• experience of working in school libraries, the education sector and a strong understanding of the education landscape
• strong knowledge of children and young people’s literature across the age ranges
• understanding of the curriculum and teaching and learning outcomes
• experience developing and delivering inspirational training, online and in person
• experience creating training resources, toolkits, teaching and learning activities
• the ability to galvanise and inspire others with flair and creativity
• the ability to multi-task, manage own workload, prioritise and meet competing deadlines
• the ability to work hours flexibly around event and training delivery

The salary for this position is £19, 594.59 (FTE £29,000) for 25 hours per week, and comes with a 6% employer pension contribution.

This is a remote working role, with regular all team meetings which you will be required to attend, in addition to training and events across the UK and online. Working patterns can be negotiated. We strongly encourage candidates of all different backgrounds and identities to apply. Each new role provides us with an opportunity for us to bring in a different perspective and we are always eager to diversify our team. The SLA is committed to building an inclusive, supportive place, where you can do brilliant and rewarding work.

Why work for the School Library Association?

We are in an exciting period of growth in the history of the SLA, with a new CEO, coinciding with the opportunity to influence a new government. Plans to redevelop our offer are in progress and you will have the opportunity to influence new approaches and ways of working. We are a small, friendly team who support each other to deliver an excellent service to our members and passionately believe in the power of school libraries to transform children and young people’s personal, social and educational outcomes.

Annual Leave is 25 days plus bank holidays. We offer free mental health support and counselling sessions and brilliant discounts with a variety of retailers including up to 40% off Vue cinema tickets through our HR partner.

About the School Library Association

The School Library Association (SLA) is an independent charity and membership organisation that believes every pupil is entitled to effective school library provision. The SLA supports all those working in school libraries. We have been representing the school library sector for more than eighty-five years, with membership to the Association thought of as essential to all those who work in and around school libraries. Membership to the SLA provides training, support in advocating with senior leadership teams, incredible discounts and collegiate networking opportunities for everybody working in and with school libraries.

How to apply

To apply please send your CV and a covering letter (no more than one page) detailing the experience you have in relation to the job description, that you can bring to this role, and how your skills align with what we are looking for. Applications without a cover letter will not be considered. We truly appreciate all applications, but due to the volume we receive, we will not be able to provide individual feedback. No agencies please.

Deadline: 10th November 9am. Please note we will be actively interviewing for this role; if you are interested apply as soon as possible as we may close recruitment early if the right candidate is found.

Director of Finance and Operations
The Akshaya Patra Foundation UK
Salary: £60,000-£70,000 per annum
Remote (UK-based) with expensed travel to London
Full-time, permanent

Akshaya Patra is one of the world’s largest school meals charities – nourishing 2.35 million children in India every day and now expanding our impact across the UK.

Our UK after-school programme, Empower Hour, provides hot, nutritious meals and targeted tuition to children growing up in poverty – extending the school day by 60 minutes to give them the fuel, support and enrichment they need to thrive.

What began in one school in 2024 is already serving ten, and – alongside driving continued expansion in India – we are now ready to scale our delivery to reach thousands more children across the UK’s most disadvantaged communities.

To help lead this exciting phase of growth, we are seeking a Director of Finance and Operations – a senior leader who combines strong financial stewardship with operational leadership and is motivated by purpose as much as performance.

You will sit on the Senior Leadership Team, reporting to the CEO, and oversee two core portfolios:

• Programmes – overseeing Watford kitchen operations, Empower Hour delivery and holiday hunger initiatives.
• Finance and Resources – leading financial planning and reporting, systems, compliance, HR development and organisational infrastructure.

This role will suit someone who enjoys both strategic thinking and practical implementation – someone who finds energy in building strong foundations and helping a values-led organisation grow well.

You may have built your career in charity, education, food provision, public services, the private sector or elsewhere – but you will bring:

• Senior-level experience across finance, operations or programme delivery.
• Strong financial acumen and understanding of charity governance and compliance.
• A collaborative leadership style – supporting, challenging and uplifting those you lead.
• Deep alignment with our mission to fight child hunger and educational inequality.

What we offer:

• Flexible and remote working.
• 34 days’ leave (25 days annual leave + Diwali + English bank holidays).
• Employer pension contribution.
• Investment in professional and vocational development.
• A meaningful leadership role in a growing global movement – empowering children in both the UK and India.

How to apply:

• Download the full job description and application details here or on our website.
• Please send your CV and a cover letter to the email address in the applicant pack outlining both your suitability for the role and what attracts you to Akshaya Patra and our mission.
• Closing date: Monday 3 November 2025.

If you believe no child should be held back by hunger – and you have the leadership skills and desire to help grow an organisation that makes that possible – we would love to hear from you.