Database support assistant volunteer jobs in Edinburgh

At Alzheimer’s Society, we are working towards a future where dementia no longer devastates lives. That future depends on research that is ambitious, inclusive, and shaped with the people it is intended to serve.
Across our Research and Innovation directorate, we fund and support world leading dementia research. We work with researchers and NHS partners across the UK. We help turn ideas and discoveries into real change for people affected by dementia.
We are committed to a research culture that is collaborative, accessible and grounded in compassion. We value different perspectives. We want everyone to feel respected and heard.
We are now looking for three Assistants to join our team:

- Research Grants Assistant
- Research Engagement and Participation Assistant
- Research Nurse Programme Assistant

These roles sit within our wider Research and Influencing directorate. They each play an important part in delivering well-coordinated and inclusive research activity.
Each role is different. But they share a common purpose. To make dementia research easier to access, better connected, and more meaningful for everyone involved.
We are looking for people who are motivated by purpose. People who care about fairness in how work is done. People who believe inclusion should be lived, not just stated.
What you’ll do
Each of these roles helps make sure dementia research is well organised, accessible and meaningful. This includes people affected by dementia, researchers and partners.
As a Research Grants Assistant, you will help ensure our research funding processes run smoothly and fairly. You will support funding rounds, maintain accurate systems and records, and help coordinate panels, meetings and communications. Your work will help create a clear and supportive experience for researchers and colleagues, from application through to funded delivery. You will also support events and activities that help make our funding processes more transparent and accessible.
As a Research Engagement and Participation Assistant, you will help open up opportunities for more people to learn about and take part in dementia research. You will support engagement activities that reach diverse communities, helping ensure information is clear, welcoming and easy to understand. You will coordinate events and materials that encourage participation in research, support communication across teams, and help us listen to and reflect the voices of people affected by dementia in how we share opportunities.
As a Research Nurse Programme Assistant, you will support a national programme that is helping more people access dementia clinical trials across the UK. You will work with NHS sites, research nurses and colleagues across the UK Dementia Trials Network to support training, communication and coordination. You will help ensure information, resources and learning are shared consistently, and that people involved in the programme feel supported, informed and connected.
Across all three roles, you will:

- Provide reliable and thoughtful administrative and coordination support across research activity
- Maintain accurate, secure and well organised records and systems
- Support inclusive events, meetings, workshops and training sessions
- Communicate with researchers, NHS colleagues, partners and community members in a clear, respectful and accessible way
- Help ensure information is accurate, consistent and easy to understand
- Contribute to improving how we work so that processes are simpler, fairer and more effective for everyone
- Work collaboratively across teams, recognising and valuing different experiences, perspectives and ways of working

About you
We know people come to this work from many different places. You might have experience in research, health, science, policy or administration. You might come from community work, education, caring roles, the voluntary sector, or bring lived experience. You might be returning to work or changing direction. What matters most is how you work, not where you come from. We are looking for people who want to do meaningful work, who are thoughtful, and who bring care and reliability to what they do.

- Comfortable using IT systems, including databases, and open to learning new tools
- Able to work with a wide range of people with respect and care
- Experience supporting events, coordination or engagement work, or transferable skills from other settings
- Able to organise your time and manage multiple tasks with care and attention
- Interest in science, health, policy or research, and how evidence can improve lives and reduce inequality

Together, these roles offer an opportunity to contribute to dementia research that is shaped by inclusion, compassion and collaboration. You’ll be part of a team that values diverse experiences, listens to different voices, and works to make research more accessible and equitable for everyone involved. If you share our commitment to fairness, respect and meaningful impact, we would welcome your application.
Our commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging
We need to ensure the voices around our table better reflect and understand the communities we exist to serve. We strongly encourage individuals to apply who have a disability, impairment or health condition or individuals who identify as Black, Asian or from another minority ethnic background, as these groups are currently under-represented at Alzheimer's Society. We want everyone we work with, as a colleague, volunteer, supporter, or someone we support, to feel included and that they belong at Alzheimer's Society. Our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy here along with our internal employee forum and Employee Lived Experience network groups help us promote inclusion and belonging, becoming an engaged and inclusive organisation for all our people. 
Our hiring process
During your recruitment process we want to make sure that you bring your whole self and can be at your best. We are working hard to ensure our recruitment process is as inclusive as possible, so please do inform us of your experience and anything you think we could do better by completing our candidate survey when you apply.  Please also contact Alzheimer's Society Talent Acquisition Team via [email protected] for application support or any adjustments you might need. To ensure fairness and consistency to select the best candidate for this role, all our applications are anonymised up until an interview has been confirmed. We are committed to safer recruitment and ensuring the welfare of those we work with, due to the nature of some of our roles, we might need to carry out a Criminal Record Check at the relevant level. You can read more information via our Website.

Ronald McDonald House Charities UK is seeking a proactive and creative Mass Participation Events Manager to lead the delivery and growth of our mass participation portfolio. The role will lead on the strategy, performance and delivery of our challenge events programme, ensuring events achieve agreed income and participation targets and work closely with the Head of Mass Engagement to shape and test future Ronald McDonald House Charities UK owned mass participation events, supporting sustainable, diversified income growth.

Key Responsibilities:

Event Strategy & Planning

• Develop and deliver a clear strategy for challenge and mass participation events, aligned to fundraising targets and audience engagement objectives.
• Identify and assess new event opportunities, including third party and bespoke challenges, to diversify and grow income.
• To play a key role in developing new events, taking them to market and adopting a test and learn approach in collaboration with the Head of Mass Engagement & wider Engagement Directorate.

Event Delivery & Logistics

• Support the Senior Event Fundraiser to lead the end-to-end management of events, including budgeting, planning, supplier coordination, risk management, and on-the-day execution.
• Ensure all events are delivered to a high standard, providing an exceptional experience for supporters.

Supporter Engagement & Stewardship

• Build strong relationships with event participants, providing excellent supporter experience and tailored stewardship journeys.
• Support the development, delivery of and evaluation of effective supporter journeys across the events portfolio, focused on maximising net return and supporter retention.
• Create and develop engaging communications and materials to inspire fundraising and deepen supporters’ connections to the charity.

Marketing & Promotion

• Lead the delivery of an audience and insight led events marketing programme, working closely with the Brand, Communications and Digital team to maximise participation and net return.
• Keep abreast of income and data trends across the sector to help inform future activities and events fundraising programmes.

Monitoring & Evaluation

• Agree and deliver against ambitious income and acquisition targets, maintaining costs within agreed budgets.
• Set, manage and report against budgets, milestones and KPIs across the events portfolio, demonstrating accountability for performance.
• Use data and insight to evaluate event performance, inform decision making and continuously improve participant experience.
• Produce regular performance reports and insights for internal stakeholders

Collaboration & Partnership

• Work closely with senior managers and colleagues across the department to maximise opportunities for collaboration and integrated delivery.
• Build and maintain effective relationships with key stakeholders, including but not limited to - McDonald’s Relationship Team, House teams, fundraising partners, suppliers and third party event organisers.

Skills & Experience

Essential

• A proven track record of excellent management of an event portfolio to meet income and acquisition targets.
• Experience of delivering data and insight led marketing and stewardship programmes to drive acquisition and net income.
• Experience of managing multiple projects with complex budgets, multiple stakeholders and stretching KPIs.
• Line management and team development experience.
• Knowledge of health and safety, risk management in event delivery & fundraising compliance.

Desirable

• Experience of virtual fundraising and development of new events.
• Ability to plan, prioritise and balance a busy and varied workload.
• Familiarity with digital fundraising platforms and MS Dynamics.
• Experience supporting innovation or new product development, working with agencies to deliver new fundraising products.