The Robertson Trust are looking for a fixed term Programme and Practice Officer to help us to make a real difference to preventing and reducing poverty and trauma in Scotland. If you would like to be part of one of Scotland’s biggest independent funders, with the clear aim of tackling poverty and trauma, this role could be for you. 

Over the next decade, we have committed to use all of our tools and resources to work with others to reduce poverty and trauma across four themes:  

• Education pathways 
• Financial security 
• Nurturing relationships 
• Work pathways 

The Programme and Practice team work collaboratively with internal colleagues and a range of external stakeholders to drive ‘big change that lasts’ on poverty and trauma. We work to develop and deliver our proactive funding strategy within the four thematic areas above. In doing so, the team will help to shape the Trust’s influencing work and build our subject and policy expertise across our thematic areas.  

Key to our approach will be building relationships with our colleagues, our grantholders and with external organisations and expertise. Crucially, this will include a commitment to placing people with experience of poverty and trauma at the heart of our work.  

We are looking for one individual to join our Programme and Practice Team as a Programme and Practice Officer on fixed term maternity cover (12 months from contract start).  

Key responsibilities will include: 

• Helping to develop and deliver the Trust’s proactive funding plans for our long-term change awards (our Programme Awards) including learning from what we fund now to shape our plans to do so in the future 
• Supporting and enabling collaboration across the Trust’s full staff team in relation to our thematic areas across our work to fund, support and influence. 
• Building the Trust’s relationships and connections with diverse stakeholders in our thematic areas, placing people and families with experience of poverty and/or trauma at the heart of our work  
• Helping the Trust build its subject and policy expertise in our thematic areas 
• Helping to shape the Trust’s plans around influencing and delivering social change 

A full job description is available on our website. 

The person 

We are looking for someone with relevant experience in programme development and delivery, who will embody the values of The Trust. 

You should have a passion for tackling poverty and trauma, an insight into and understanding of the causes and impacts of poverty and trauma for individuals, families, and communities and ideally some understanding of one or more of our themes. 

You must have high emotional intelligence to support our internal and external collaboration work and a keen interest for increasing participation and placing the voice of those with experience of poverty and trauma at the heart of the work that we do. 

You should have the potential to build policy and subject expertise and a keen interest for politics to develop a strong judgement in supporting our proactive funding plans and our influencing work. 

We are an Equal Opportunities employer. We want to encourage applicants with diverse backgrounds to work with us. We believe that greater diversity of experience, skills and ways of thinking will challenge our thinking and practice on poverty and trauma and broaden our collective knowledge and networks. We encourage applications from suitably qualified candidates from all parts of the community, regardless of age, disability, race, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, religion or belief or socio-economic background. We also encourage applications from those with experience or knowledge of how poverty or trauma impact on people’s lives. 

Benefits 

• Salary £39,906 FTE 
• 35 days holiday per calendar year, inclusive of public holidays, which can be taken on a flexible basis apart from the Christmas and New Yer holiday when the Trust closes.  
• Pension - 10% employer contribution or 14% if employee contribution is 7% 
• Additional employee benefits – an attractive benefits package on offer, which is currently under review. 

The Robertson Trust is committed to hybrid and other forms of flexible working. The Trust is open to reasonable adaptations to overcome barriers. We are a Living Wage employer accredited by the Living Wage Foundation. 

How to apply 

To apply please email your CV and a covering letter explaining why you want to work for The Robertson Trust and how you are suited to each point on the person specification for this role. Applications without a cover letter will not be considered.  

Closing date for applications is midnight on Sunday 6th April 2025.  First interviews will take place on the 22nd and 23rd April 2025.