Chief Executive Officer

Venture Scotland; City of Edinburgh; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Venture Scotland is seeking a values-led Chief Executive Officer to steer our charity, empowering young people and adults in recovery through outdoor personal development. You will lead strategy, support a small team and volunteers, and ensure a safe, inclusive culture while coordinating with the Chair and Board.

The role engages with safeguarding, PVG compliance, and cross-functional leadership in a mission-driven environment that values trust, belonging and compassion.

Qualifications

• Experience in strategic leadership for a charitable or not-for-profit organisation.

Responsibilities

• Lead the organisation's strategic direction and operational delivery.
• Support and develop volunteers and staff, ensuring safeguarding and PVG requirements are met.
• Collaborate with the Senior Management Team and the Board to achieve the strategy.

Job description

Venture Scotland are looking to recruit a skilled and experienced, values led CEO to lead our organisation. This is a unique opportunity to join a well-established charity, to work as part of an inclusive, supportive team culture and to make a real, often life-changing difference in the lives of our participants. Our work is meaningful, varied and challenging and in return, you will be able to lead on the delivery of our organisation's strategy and direction, have opportunities for self-development and training and benefit from our comprehensive staff support package.

Venture Scotland offers a long-term, outdoor-based personal development programme which empowers young people aged 16-30 and adults in addiction recovery, who face complex and difficult challenges in their lives, to create and sustain change. There are currently 9 employees and we have a turnover of just over £600,000.

We focus on the physical, mental and emotional wellbeing of our participants, working with them both in group settings and 1-2-1, to make lasting changes in their lives and help them play a positive role in their communities.

We are seeking a CEO, who identifies with our values of Trust, Respect, Belonging, Compassion and Empowering, to lead our team to deliver on our strategy. Volunteers are at the heart of our organisation and you will support our volunteer team and young ambassador programme. We welcome applications from diverse communities.

As the key leader within our organisation, the CEO evaluates, supports and develops volunteers and staff, manages logistics and ensures the highest standards of safety while building on our caring, open, collaborative and inclusive work culture.

As CEO within the organisation, you will also manage and work closely alongside the Senior Management Team comprising Programme Delivery manager, Finance and Administration Manager and Fundraising Manager to use your skills and experience to lead the organisation forward. You will report directly to the Chair and Board of trustees.

Do you want to lead a supportive team of people who really care about the people we are helping? Do you want to work in an organisation which listens, values everyone's views and cares about the health and wellbeing of their staff? Do you understand the transformative effect of the outdoors? Are you passionate about #ChangingLivesOutdoors? This role is considered 'regulated work' as it involves activities with both children and protected adults. Under our safeguarding policy, this role will require a PVG.

If you are applying for this role, you need to prove that you have the right to live and work in the UK. If you do not possess this right, then your application will not be considered. Please note - Unfortunately, we are not able to support sponsorship to work in the UK at this time.