At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead community services, shape strategy, and support a passionate team.
- Company: Join Space, a dynamic organisation focused on community impact.
- Benefits: Enjoy 32 days annual leave, flexible hours, and a supportive work environment.
- Other info: Opportunity for career growth and to influence meaningful change.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in people's lives while developing your leadership skills.
- Qualifications: Experience in community services and strong people management skills required.
The predicted salary is between 40000 - 50000 € per year.
Position: Head of Community & Connections
Hours: 22 hours/3 days per week (hours can be spread across 4/5 days)
Pension: 5% employer’s contribution
Annual Leave: 32 days annual leave, increasing to 37 days in year two of employment (pro-rata); includes some set public holidays and closure over Christmas and New Year
Benefits: Access to award-winning Employee Assistance Programme from day one of employment
Location: The Broomhouse Hub (EH11 3RH)
PVG: This post requires membership of the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme; Space will pay for and process the application as part of onboarding
Term: Permanent
Closing date: Monday, 8 June 2026
The Role
The Head of Community and Connections is a key leadership role, taking ownership of our frontline services, which includes our varied and diverse work with Children & Young People, Adults & Older People, and Community Learning & Development. You’ll be line managing a team of experienced, skilled, and passionate individuals, enhancing their strengths and supporting them to further develop. Working closely with our board, CEO, and management team, you’ll help shape strategy, strengthen partnerships, and ensure the standard of our services remain high quality, sustainable, and rooted in community need. This is a rare opportunity to step into a pivotal leadership role at a defining moment for Space. You’ll play a central role in shaping our next strategy, influencing what our services look like over the next three to five years, and helping translate ambition into meaningful impact. You’ll also support the development of an emerging Community Health Service, building on strong foundations to create something ambitious, responsive, and genuinely impactful for local communities. If you’re someone who enjoys shaping direction, developing people, and turning ideas into reality, this is a role with real scope and influence.
Key tasks:
- Help develop and deliver Space’s organisational strategy
- Shape services to be impactful and responsive, spotting opportunities to grow, improve, or reimagine what we do—always guided by community voice
- Represent Space confidently across networks, partnerships, and collaborations
- Support and develop project managers to flourish in their role, coaching and creating space for reflection and learning, sharing learning, and championing continuous improvement
- Ensure safeguarding, compliance, and HR responsibilities are understood and embedded
- Lead change thoughtfully, bringing people with you
- Oversee service budgets and support managers to feel confident with finances
- Work alongside fundraising team to identify, secure, sustain funding
- Build strong, transparent relationships with funders and partners
- Be a key leader in Space team, building positive working relationships across organisation
Qualification/Skills:
- Experience leading or overseeing frontline health and social care or community-based services at senior level
- People-first mindset and strong, values-led people management experience
- Good judgement: Know when to stick to policy and when to exercise common sense to make balanced decisions
- Positive, can-do attitude, ready to roll sleeves up and take on challenges
- Clear communication, able to naturally connect with people on all levels across the organisation and stakeholders; easily build reputation for being approachable and trustworthy
- Confident working with budgets and financial information; able to understand and translate to others; knowledge of charity finances an advantage
- Experience working with a Board of Trustees and reporting to funders
- Ability to plan well, write business cases, manage multiple complex projects at the same time
- Strong digital skills, confident using Microsoft Office (Outlook, SharePoint, Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and digital collaboration tools
- Solid understanding of health and safety practices and safeguarding
- Flexibility with working hours to provide occasional on-call telephone support to services running outside typical office hours
Head of Community & Connections in Edinburgh employer: Spacescot
At Space, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer that values community impact and employee development. Located at The Broomhouse Hub, our supportive work culture fosters collaboration and innovation, offering generous benefits such as 32 days of annual leave and a 5% pension contribution. Join us to lead a passionate team dedicated to making a meaningful difference in the lives of individuals and communities, while enjoying opportunities for personal and professional growth.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Community & Connections in Edinburgh
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Get out there and connect with people in the community and industry. Attend events, join online forums, and don’t be shy about reaching out to folks on LinkedIn. The more connections we make, the better our chances of landing that dream role.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your personality! When you get the chance to meet potential employers or team members, let your passion for community work shine through. We want to see your enthusiasm and how you can bring that positive energy to the role.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for those interviews by knowing our mission inside out. Research Space and think about how your experience aligns with our goals. We love candidates who can articulate how they’ll contribute to shaping our strategy and making an impact.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, it shows us you’re genuinely interested in being part of our team and community.
We think you need these skills to ace Head of Community & Connections in Edinburgh
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application:Make sure to customise your application to reflect the specific skills and experiences that align with the Head of Community & Connections role. Highlight your leadership experience and how you've positively impacted community services in the past.
Showcase Your People Skills:Since this role is all about people management, don’t shy away from sharing examples of how you’ve developed teams or supported individuals in their growth. We want to see your people-first mindset in action!
Be Clear and Concise:When writing your application, keep it straightforward and to the point. Use clear language to communicate your ideas and experiences, making it easy for us to see why you’re a great fit for the position.
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to submit your application through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your details and ensures you’re considered for this exciting opportunity at Space!
How to prepare for a job interview at Spacescot
✨Know Your Community
Before the interview, dive deep into understanding the community Space serves. Familiarise yourself with their needs, challenges, and successes. This will not only show your genuine interest but also help you articulate how you can enhance services and make a real impact.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Style
Be ready to discuss your approach to people management. Prepare examples of how you've developed teams in the past, especially in frontline services. Highlight your ability to coach and support project managers, as this role requires strong leadership and a people-first mindset.
✨Prepare for Strategic Discussions
Since you'll be shaping the organisational strategy, think about your vision for the next three to five years. Be prepared to discuss how you would identify opportunities for growth and improvement, and how you would ensure that services remain responsive to community voices.
✨Financial Savvy is Key
Brush up on your knowledge of charity finances and budgeting. Be ready to discuss how you've managed budgets in previous roles and how you can support managers in feeling confident with financial information. This will demonstrate your capability to oversee service budgets effectively.
