Community Development Manager

Community Development Manager

£48,448-£55,053

Permanent, Full-time 35 hours per week

Location: Can be flexible to use the following HES sites as your base - Longmore House, Edinburgh, Engine Shed, Stirling or Fort George, Inverness

This role is to embed community empowerment approaches and the growth of volunteering in HES’s plans and programmes. You will develop and maintain impactful relationships at a national, regional, and local level to promote and advocate for the historic environment as a key element in collaborations towards successful community development and volunteering outcomes. You will oversee and support key HES corporate frameworks for delivery of corporate plan outcomes in HES’ community and volunteering areas of work.

About the role

The Community Development Manager sits within the Community and Economic Development Team which is part of the organisation’s External Relations and Partnerships (ER&P) Directorate. This role drives the strategic frameworks for HES’ work with communities and volunteers, ensuring our activity is tied to Scottish Government, national, regional policies, and priorities with a clear line of sight to HES Corporate Plan objectives. The role oversees key corporate frameworks for community empowerment and volunteering aims to develop a consistent corporate approach and programme of work. The role provides both practical project and advice-based support to enable the topics into planning and delivery frameworks across HES.

The role also identifies and manages various stakeholder relationships that translate to sector (and cross-sector) support and engagement, such as Make Your Mark. This is also a facilitative role, involving influencing and engaging with Scottish Government and relevant national organisations, sector peers and communities as a representative of HES, to gather and bring back intelligence and learning to share with the organisation and critically reflect on our community approaches. The role has line management responsibility for a Development Officer and Volunteer Development Officer.

The Community and Economic Development Team lead on identification and development of strategic partnerships; liaison and coordination with international, national, and regional community related organisations; economic development for HES and in support of the sector, for example through participation in Scotland’s City Region and Regional Growth Deals and Regional Economic Plans; and facilitation and coordination of cross-directorate collaborations to meet HES and Scottish Government policy objectives. The Team provides advice on good practice and approaches to colleagues/external stakeholders to achieve effective partnership working, project delivery and community/economic development at a local, regional, national, and international level in line with our corporate priorities.

The post is connected to key corporate and sector priorities surrounding Community engagement/development, and volunteer development, and supports programmes delivering Corporate Plan priorities. The post is responsible for a budget which is set annually.

· Working with the Head of Community and Economic Development, to implement and monitor HES’s strategic community framework, facilitating and coordinating HES’s community work across the organisation.

· Managing key HES operational frameworks and programmes - Community Connections Programme, the organisation’s delivery framework for community engagement and empowerment, and our internal Volunteering Framework

· Maintaining and developing strategic relationships with national, sector and regional stakeholders to enhance and integrate our community and volunteering offer.

· Keeping up to date with community and volunteering related legislation, policy and guidance, regionally and nationally, identify good practice and share with colleagues ensuring HES teams maintain knowledge and expertise in their work and practice.

· Lead on Community Asset Transfer requests and obtaining advice from specialist area to ensure compliance with legislation and policy.

· Develop and shape analytical systems for monitoring key issues, including supporting performance reporting on community empowerment and volunteering.

· Report on relevant activity against HES Corporate Plan and Annual Operating Plan goals and objectives.

· Undertake other duties that may, from time to time, be necessary and compatible with the nature and grade of this post

About you

You will be required to demonstrate that you meet the requirements and qualifications below as part of the selection process.

Essential requirements:

· Proven track record of delivering and managing successful community development activities and projects, including building consensus and managing conflict.

· Track record of managing, motivating, and supporting teams working in and with communities and/or volunteers.

· Experience of working in partnership and/or collaboration with a range of organisations and groups.

· Confidence and ability in advocacy and stakeholder management skills at senior level.

· Experience of working within complex communities facing a range of socio-economic challenges.

· Excellent skills in developing and/or managing programmes and plans/strategies, and delivering plans/strategies, including budget management.

· An excellent communicator who can vary their communication style when dealing with a wide range of audiences and situations.

· Proven analytical skills and the ability to capture and analyse information in the most effective way.

· Understanding of the Scottish public sector, especially at national and NDPB level.

Desirable requirements:

· Knowledge of the historic environment or a related sector.

· Familiarity with the work of the voluntary and community sector.

· Experience and knowledge of current research and policy development on community/volunteering engagement practice.

Interested?

Visit our website to view the full job description and for information about applying online for this interesting and exciting opportunity.

Closing date: 21 May 2025.