2 days ago Be among the first 25 applicants

Engages with: All levels of the Association and external interests and associates

Contract: Three-year fixed term contract

Salary: £ 50,000 negotiable according to skills and experience

Working hours 35 hours Monday-Friday with options negotiable for flexible working and reduced or compressed hours

Annual leave: 32 days leave plus 6 days public holidays

Location: Central Edinburgh; hybrid working options are negotiable but normally three days per week are required to be based in the office

Please find full job specification and more information on the role in the documents below.

Strategic Purpose

The Director holds full executive responsibility for developing, implementing and monitoring the Cockburn Council’s strategies, objectives, policies and decisions, enabling the Association to fulfil its charitable purposes. The job priorities are focused on ensuring financial sustainability, membership growth, and enhanced organisation profile, working closely with the Chair, Trustees, and President. While a keen interest in Edinburgh and the quality of its environment, and commitment to the principle of citizen participation are expected, specialist skills or experience in planning, architecture, conservation or design are not a requirement. At this stage of the Association’s history, we are seeking a Director with management and business skills who will implement a change programme for our long-term sustainability.

JOB DESCRIPTION

The job is focused on leading and managing the first phase of the Cockburn Council’s longer term change programme, concentrating on the following priorities for which the postholder will be held accountable:

·Leading and developing plans aimed at securing the Association’s financial sustainability in the short, medium and longer term, ensuring compliance with OSCR requirements

·Initiating and developing new income-generating and fund-raising activities including engagement with local businesses and organisations with a view to securing corporate support

·Building the profile and visibility of the Association to attract new members while meeting the expectations of existing members through imaginative communications, events and campaigning activity

·Managing and developing the Association’s staff and volunteers with sensitivity to the effects on employee wellbeing arising from a period of transition.

Please note that the job includes a number of other ongoing operational duties which will be expected to form part of the Director’s everyday workload. These are listed in Appendix A. The trustees undertake to offer strategic direction and appropriate support to enable the postholder to focus on the above priorities.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Qualifications

It is essential that the successful candidate is qualified to degree level in a subject relevant to the job description as outlined above.

A Masters level qualification or other professional qualifications or certifications relevant to the job are desirable but not essential.

Skills, Experience and Knowledge

The successful candidate must have demonstrable skills, experience and knowledge of the following key areas:

· Leadership and management : people, projects, financial resources, income-generation, business planning, performance monitoring, risk, contracts, change programmes, delegation, information systems. A commitment to diversity and inclusion must be evidenced. Office management is highly desirable.

· Communication : written, verbal and presentational, with the ability to engage effectively with different audiences using tailored methods.

It is desirable that applicants will have experience of working within or in partnership with the charity sector and that they can offer skills in good governance practice. Experience of managing small teams and/or working within a collaborative or co-leadership environment will be very useful.

Other desirable skills may be offered in examples of work experience such as creative problem-solving; influencing and negotiation; debating and summarising arguments; fund-raising; grant applications; event management; and social media.

The successful candidate will be a highly motivated self-starter, enthusiastic about the Cockburn Association’s activities and campaigns. They will be committed to change while understanding the need for sensitivity in their work of communicating and managing change. In the words of one of the Cockburn’s early members, Patrick Geddes, the watchword is ‘conservative surgery’ for the Association, embodying a holistic, adaptive approach, rather than ‘demolish and replace’.

They will be capable of working independently, managing the Association’s interfaces diplomatically and professionally; committed to collaborative working, and remaining mindful of the need to uphold its long traditions of impartiality and independence.

They will possess personal qualities of integrity, reliability and humility, and will support and help foster the values underpinning the Council’s conduct, to be respectful, inclusive and collegiate.

TO APPLY

The Cockburn Association is committed to a culture which values diversity and inclusive work practices. We particularly welcome applications from individuals from underrepresented backgrounds.

To apply for the position, please submit:

· An up to date, job-relevant CV including your qualifications, professional affiliations, employment history, achievements and the contact details of two referees, one of which should be your current or most recent employer. Please indicate whether you are willing for us to contact referees prior to the interview process.

·A covering letter explaining your interest in the post and what you think you would bring to the role, giving selected examples of how your experience, skills and knowledge match the job and person requirements.

Applications should be emailed to admin@cockburnassociation.org.uk with the subject line:

CONFIDENTIAL: APPLICATION FOR ROLE OF COCKBURN ASSOCIATION DIRECTOR 2025

We will send you an acknowledgement of your application. If you do not receive this, please contact Brigid Golden on 0131 557 8686 or by emailing the above address.

Provided below are the key dates:

Closing date: Friday 8 August 2025

Interviews:w/b 29 August 2025

All shortlisted applications will receive an invitation to attend an interview with a panel of three. The interviews will take place at the Cockburn Association’s office in Trunk's Close, 55 High Street, Edinburgh EH1 1SR. If you need any adjustments or flexibility in the interview process, please do not hesitate to ask.

For general background information about the Cockburn Association, please contact Brigid Golden in the first instance on 0131 557 8686 ( admin@cockburnassociation.org.uk) or for a confidential informal discussion about the role, please contact the Chair, Dr Lesley Martin on 07969 178483.

FULL JOB SPECIFICATION AND MORE INFORMATION:

Please go to our website www.cockburnassociation.org.uk

Seniority level

• Seniority level

  Director

Employment type

• Employment type

  Full-time

• Industries

  Historical Sites

Referrals increase your chances of interviewing at The Cockburn Association by 2x

Get notified about new Director jobs in City Of Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom.

Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom 2 days ago

Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom 2 weeks ago

Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom 1 month ago

Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom 1 day ago

Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom 1 week ago

Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom 5 days ago

Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom 4 days ago

Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom 2 weeks ago

Vice President - Operations Control Manager

Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom 1 week ago

Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom 1 week ago

Senior Director, Head of Office - Edinburgh

Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom 1 week ago

Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom 1 day ago

Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom 6 hours ago

Head of UK Private Banking Customer Relationships

Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom 1 day ago

Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom 1 hour ago

Newbridge, Scotland, United Kingdom 2 weeks ago

Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom 2 weeks ago

Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom 4 days ago

Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom 1 month ago

Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom 1 day ago

Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom 2 weeks ago

Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom 1 week ago

Procurement Operating Director / IT Category Director

Regional Finance Director for Scotland East and West

Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom 5 days ago

Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom 2 months ago

Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom 1 week ago

Director, Product – Performance Marketing

Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom 2 days ago

Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom 1 week ago

Vice President, Operations Strategy and Delivery, Fraud & Financial Crime

Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom 2 weeks ago

Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom 1 week ago

Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom 3 weeks ago

Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom 2 weeks ago

We’re unlocking community knowledge in a new way. Experts add insights directly into each article, started with the help of AI.