3 Senior digital innovation officer jobs in Edinburgh
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The National Biodiversity Network Trust is the UK charity dedicated to making biodiversity data accessible and useful. We co-ordinate the National Biodiversity Network, develop the NBN Atlas, support iNaturalistUK and are developing the NBN Record Manager. Our work connects biological recording, digital infrastructure and better decisions for nature across the UK.
Our vision is Nature thriving everywhere, in all its diversity.
Our mission is Making data work for nature.
We are looking for an experienced leader to undertake a newly-created Head of Data & Digital role reporting to the Chief Executive Officer on a full-time fixed-term contract of 24 months.
Purpose of Job
- Lead the NBN Trust’s data and digital function, providing strategic and functional leadership across the NBN Atlas, related digital products and services, and the Trust’s wider data and digital portfolio.
- Line manages the Trust’s data and technical team managers, ensuring clear priorities, strong performance, proportionate governance, and effective delivery across business as usual, funded projects, and strategic development.
- Ensure the Trust’s data and digital work is led in a way that is inclusive, accessible, and supportive of a diverse range of staff, partners, and users.
- Deliver the Trust’s 2-year National Lottery Heritage Fund’s organisational sustainability project, “Building a Sustainable Future for the UK’s Biodiversity Data Heritage”, including the development and testing of value-added data and digital services, hosted products, and support offers that strengthen financial resilience without compromising the Trust’s public good role.
- Support the strategic direction, stewardship, and future sustainability of the NBN Atlas, related digital products and services, and the Trust’s wider technical delivery, ensuring that risks, opportunities, and investment choices are well managed.
- Play an active role in the NBN Trust’s Executive Team, contributing to organisational planning, funding development, cross Trust collaboration, and external engagement where this supports delivery and the Trust’s wider strategic objectives.
- The role provides strategic and functional leadership across the Trust’s data and digital work, working closely with the Principal Software Engineer as the Trust’s senior software engineering lead.
Main Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership and Function Management
· Lead the Trust’s data and digital function, aligning work with organisational priorities, the NBN Atlas strategy, and the wider Operating Plan.
· Provide strategic advice to the CEO and senior colleagues on delivery priorities, service development, digital risk, technical resilience, and future investment needs.
· Translate complex technical, delivery, and service development issues into clear options, trade-offs, and recommendations for the CEO, Executive Team, Board, and relevant committees.
· Lead, line manage, and develop the Trust’s data and technical managers, and relevant technical project staff, ensuring clear objectives, strong management practice, accountability, wellbeing support, and effective performance management.
· Build leadership capacity within the function, supporting managers to develop their teams, handle performance issues well, and contribute positively to the Trust’s culture and ways of working.
· Assess capacity, sequencing, and resource pressures across the data and digital portfolio, working with team managers to identify priorities, trade-offs, and resourcing needs and advise the CEO accordingly.
· Work across the Trust to improve prioritisation, sequencing, decision making, and resource allocation across data and digital activity.
· Champion inclusive leadership and equality, diversity and inclusion in team management, service design, recruitment, and ways of working, helping ensure the Trust’s data and digital function is accessible, supportive, and well-led.
Data Infrastructure, Services, and Innovation
· Provide strategic leadership for the stewardship, prioritisation, development, and continuous improvement of the NBN Atlas and related data and digital products and services, working with the relevant data, technical, and programme leads.
· Ensure data and digital activity support the long-term accessibility, usability, quality, and public value of biodiversity records and related digital services.
· Lead diagnostic work, market testing, and service development to identify viable value-added data and digital offers, working with relevant data, technical, programme, and commercial colleagues to shape propositions.
· Oversee the selection, development, and testing of pilot services, hosted products, training, or support offers, working with the relevant delivery leads and refining propositions in light of evidence, demand, legal advice, licensing constraints, and delivery capacity.
Governance, Risk and Project Delivery
· Lead delivery of the organisational resilience project within agreed scope, time, and budget, with support from colleagues and external consultants as required.
· Ensure major data and digital programmes have proportionate project governance, reporting, stakeholder, and advisory arrangements in place, working with relevant programme and project leads and identifying additional project support where required.
· Commission and manage consultants and contractors, ensuring briefs are clear, outputs are practical, and learning is embedded in delivery, working with relevant technical or data leads where specialist assessment or oversight is required.
· Act as the senior staff lead for the Data and Technology Committee, working in partnership with its Trustee Chair and relevant data and technical leads to support effective oversight of the Trust’s data and digital infrastructure, strategic development, risk, and associated governance.
· Oversee function-level risks relating to data and digital resilience, data governance, licensing, delivery capacity, and service sustainability, working with the relevant technical and data leads to ensure specialist risks are identified, managed, and escalated appropriately.
· Balance governance, assurance, and innovation so that data and digital systems support delivery, resilience, and public value without creating unnecessary burden.
· Work with finance and programme colleagues to ensure accurate budgeting, reporting, monitoring, and evidence of impact.
Partnerships, Income Development and External Engagement
· Build and manage relationships with key partners, data providers, heritage and conservation organisations, public bodies, consultancies, funders, and prospective service users.
· Help shape and test future income opportunities, including service offers, hosted portals, training, funded programmes, and strategic partnerships.
· Develop and support fundable and deliverable future propositions arising from the work, ensuring the Trust is better positioned for long term resilience.
· Act as the Trust’s UK Node Manager for GBIF, leading relationships, coordination, and representation linked to the UK Node function, and ensuring this role supports the Trust’s wider strategic, technical, and partnership objectives.
· Represent the Trust externally on biodiversity data infrastructure, digital leadership, service development, standards, and innovation, working alongside relevant technical and data leads where specialist expertise is required
Trust Wide Contribution
· Play an active role in the Executive Team, contributing to organisational planning, business improvement, and wider strategic discussions.
· Keep the wider NBN Trust team up to date with, and involved in, relevant data and digital activity as appropriate.
· Contribute to Trust wide initiatives, events, business planning, and other activities as needed.
· Share ideas, lessons learned, and opportunities openly to improve organisational performance.
General Responsibilities
- Attend any required learning and development opportunities.
- Collaborate effectively with other departments.
- Contribute to a respectful and inclusive working environment.
- Ensure commitment to continuous professional development.
- Follow organisational policies including Health & Safety, Cybersecurity, IT, Finance, and EDI.
The ability to travel occasionally is required, including international travel. Candidates must also be based in and have the right to work in the UK, and be able to work effectively from home.
These are the criteria we will be looking for in your application. If you don't meet all of them in full, but can offer something else that would help you excel in the role, we'd still encourage you to apply.
Essential Experience and Qualities
· Strong leadership experience in data, digital, technical, product, or programme roles, ideally with responsibility for teams, delivery, and strategic planning.
· Ability to operate at both strategic and practical levels, moving between organisational leadership, service design, risk management, and delivery oversight.
· Experience of commissioning and managing consultants, contractors, or specialist external support to deliver clear and practical outputs.
· Experience of developing partnerships, shaping propositions, or securing income through funded programmes, service offers, or strategic collaboration.
· Good judgement, with the ability to assess trade-offs, challenge assumptions, and make proportionate decisions in a resource-constrained environment.
· Strong communication and relationship management skills, including confidence with senior stakeholders, funders, partners, and technical specialists.
· Knowledge of biodiversity data infrastructure, environmental data, heritage data, or closely related fields would be beneficial, but is not essential if the candidate can learn quickly and lead credibly.
· Experience of working with Boards, committees, or governance groups, including presenting complex issues clearly and supporting effective decision-making.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
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About Action for Pulmonary Fibrosis
Action for Pulmonary Fibrosis is a UK charity. We bring people together to drive change so that everyone affected by pulmonary fibrosis can live well for longer.
We provide support, information and education, raise awareness, campaign for better diagnosis and care, and invest in research. Our strategy, For Every Breath, Every Journey, Every Future, is shaped by lived experience and supported by stronger organisational foundations and sustainable income.
The role
Reporting directly to the Chief Executive, you will lead APF's communications, marketing and engagement function. You will turn organisational priorities into an integrated plan, set clear standards and measures, advise senior leaders and ensure that marketing, media, content, digital and internal communications work together.
You will lead three managers: the Senior Marketing and Communications Manager, the Press, PR and Stories Manager, and the Communications Operations and Engagement Manager. The Digital Marketing Coordinator will report to the Senior Marketing and Communications Manager. This structure gives you the scope to shape the whole function while delegating specialist delivery clearly.
Your early work will include establishing the team operating model and annual plan, moving PF Together to quarterly publication, strengthening email marketing, leading a complete website content rewrite, creating clearer supporter journeys and building a proactive media and story pipeline. You will also work closely with fundraising so that strong propositions and campaigns reach the right audiences and contribute to acquisition, retention and income growth.
The role will lead APF's approach to communications data, performance reporting and responsible use of AI and connected systems. Human judgement, data protection and information security will remain central to how these tools are used.
Please submit your CV and cover letter via Charity Job.
First stage interviews will take place virtually on Friday 9th October 2026
Second stage interviews will take place in person at our Peterborough office on Thursday 15th October 2026
Registered Charity
21 - 50
Action for Pulmonary Fibrosis (APF) is a national charity dedicated to improving the lives of individuals and families affected by pulmonary fibrosis.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Position: Breathing Space Coordinator, Wales
Hours: 21 hours per week
Contract: Fixed term until March 2029
Location: Home-based in Wales
Salary: £26,912 per annum FTE, (£16,147 per annum actual for 21 hours per week) plus excellent benefits
Salary Band and Job Family: Band 1, Charity
You’ll start at our entry point salary of £26,912 per annum FTE (£16,147 actual), increasing to £28,594 per annum FTE (£17,156 actual) after 6 months service and satisfactory performance and to £30,276 per annum FTE (£18,166 actual) after a further 6 months.
About us
We make sure people living with MS are at the centre of everything we do. And it’s this commitment that unites us across the UK.
Our strategy is based on what people affected by MS have told us is important to them. It gives us a clear and determined focus.
Our work is based on the hopes and aspirations of our MS community. Together we campaign at all levels, fund ground-breaking research and provide award winning support and information.
Our people are our greatest asset and the key to our success. We offer a vibrant, progressive working environment where you'll be able to make a difference.
About this job
This part-time, fixed-term role (21 hours per week) will coordinate our Breathing Space project in Wales until March 2029. The project enables unpaid carers supporting people with MS and other neurological conditions to take short breaks.
We are seeking an enthusiastic, experienced Project Coordinator who enjoys delivering fixed-term funded projects, working directly with the people we support and our volunteers. Excellent communication skills and a proven ability to achieve project objectives are essential.
You will work closely with unpaid carers, people affected by MS and other neurological conditions, key external partners, the Service and Support Team, the Director for Wales and teams across the MS Society. Focused on outcomes and tangible results, you will build strong stakeholder partnerships and represent the MS Society at meetings and events promoting the project to unpaid carers.
The role can be based anywhere in Wales, but regular travel across Wales is expected.
Welsh language skills are desirable
Closing date for applications: 9:00 on Monday 28th September 2026.
Anticipated interview date: 6th & 7th October.
Interested?
PLEASE PRESS THE 'HOW TO APPLY' BUTTON FOR MORE INFORMATION.
Equal Opportunities
We particularly welcome applications from people with disabilities and or from ethnic minority backgrounds.
We’d be grateful if you downloaded and completed the equality and diversity monitoring form and submit it with your application.
Disability Confident Employer
We’re a Disability Confident Employer and we’re committed to promoting equality and diversity.
You can ask for reasonable adjustments as part of both our recruitment and new starter on-boarding processes.
If you need any help or adjustments to apply for this role, please contact us. You can also ask for the application materials to be sent to you in a different format. Such as for them to be sent to you by email or in a larger word format.
More about our employee benefits:
We have a wide range of employee benefits including (but not limited to):
Encouraging work life balance
- 38 days paid annual leave (including bank holidays), pro-rata for part-time
- More annual leave entitlement, based on length of employment
- Smart working options (with the opportunity to work remotely and find a smart working pattern that suits both you and us)
- Flexible working options
Caring for you and your family
- Generous sick pay entitlement
- More sick pay entitlement, based on length of employment
- Opportunity to buy and sell annual leave in each calendar year
- Free access to a GP virtually 24 hours a day/7 days a week allowing you unlimited advice, reassurance and where appropriate diagnosis
- Enhanced leave for new parents
- Free access to a confidential 24 hours a day/7 days a week helpline service for both you and your family with a specialist range of support and information
- Special leave options (such as up to 5 days paid leave for domestic or personal emergencies a year)
- 10 days paid disability leave a year, pro-rata for part-time
- 10 days paid carers’ leave a year, pro-rata for part-time
- Cycle to work scheme
- Death in service scheme
- New family-friendly benefits, including paid leave:
- In the event of miscarriage or still birth
- To support fertility treatments
- For antenatal appointments for both parents
Thinking about your finances
- Enhanced salary sacrifice pension scheme
- Discounted season ticket loan and interest-free emergency loans
- Give as you earn to support other charities of your choice before tax
- New employee portal including lifestyle savings vouchers and personal wellbeing
Enriching your life at work
- Personalised development plans with a wide range of training courses and opportunities to source additional training options with your line manager
- Yearly internal apprenticeship opportunities
- New, modern offices that embrace working together both in-person and remotely
- Various opportunities to influence how we internally operate (including surveys, and focus and committee groups)
- Active and supportive internal employee networking groups for collaboration and peer support
- 2 days paid leave a year for volunteering for MS Society activities during normal working hours (such as fundraising events, or campaigning in the local community)
- 2 days paid leave a year for volunteering with other charities during normal
Safeguarding
We’re committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of everyone who uses our services and we come into contact with.
This is regardless of Gender, Race, Disability, Sexual orientation, Religion or belief, Pregnancy, Gender reassignment.
We recognise our particular responsibility to make sure vulnerable adults and children are protected.
We have measures in place to protect everyone we come into contact with from abuse and maltreatment of all kinds.
Your right to work in the UK
You must have the right to work in the UK to work in paid employment with us. You’ll need to share documents showing you’re eligible to work in the UK if we offer you employment.
You can find the UK visas and permits granting you the right to work in the UK on the UK Government website. We currently don’t have a Sponsor Licence agreement with the Home Office and aren’t able to support you with your visa applications.
No agencies please.
Registered Charity
101 - 500
To fund world-leading research, share the latest information and campaign for everyone's rights. Together we are a community. Together we can stop MS
