Wider Achievement & Lifelong Learning Development Officer (Outdoor Learning, Schools and Comm Services) - Bangholm Outdoor Centre in Edinburgh

Salary: £39,129 - £46,023 (pro-rata for part-time)
Hours: up to 36 per week, 52 weeks

The City of Edinburgh Council is committed to safe, impactful outdoor learning and adventure education (OL&AE). The OL&AE Team operates 3 outdoor centres and has wide ranging responsibilities across safety and quality from onsite activity to residential provision. We are delighted to announce an expanded opportunity to work within a successful team and build on recent achievements and practice.

The successful applicants’ responsibilities and working will be allocated across 3 core areas and aligned to postholder competency.

• Core Area 1: Adventurous activity via Bangholm Outdoor Centre (OC) – supervise, develop and contribute to delivery of Bangholm OC’s adventurous activity provision, including review, development and application of processes and procedures. Approximately 40% of allocated time / generally indoors with some outdoor delivery – adventurous activity and training.
• Core Area 2: Council’s Excursions Policy – support, apply and contribute to the delivery of CEC’s Excursions Policy, including development of resources, reviewing and responding to requests and submissions and providing training and advice. Approximately 40% of allocated time / generally indoors with some outdoors – monitoring visits.
• Core Area 3: Adventurous activity across the OL&AE Team - support adventurous activity delivery across the OL&AE Team through delivery of training, including NGB awards, representing OL&AE team with partners & relevant groups, and contributing to strategy development. Approximately 20% of allocated time / indoors – admin and theory plus some delivery outdoors.

Further details of this role are via the Person Specification. Please note: the attached Job Description is a generic Wider Achievement and Lifelong Learning Development Officer resource. As this comprises two positions (1.4 FTE total), we are keen to recruit persons with complementary competency and receive applications from those interested in full-time or part-time working – we are open to different FTE combinations. The combined solution will provide the necessary breadth and depth of competency to support and develop safe, impactful OL&AE.

The successful applicants will bring energy, creativity, and a passion for OL&AE; using these to grow the role aligned to OL&AE strategic priorities. We are committed to developing postholders’ potential and aspirations aligned to our strategic priorities via career-long professional learning and new opportunities.

The postholders will be required to regularly visit locations across the City and beyond, including the Council's Benmore and Lagganlia Outdoor Centres. The role is predominantly indoor based. There is some working outdoors throughout the year in different environmental conditions, sometimes in remote and potentially hazardous locations. Suitable and sufficient PPE, induction and support are provided. The allocated work office is Bangholm Outdoor Centre, Edinburgh. Postholders will be required to work occasional weekends and evenings.

We hope you are excited by the opportunity to make a significant contribution to OL&AE in Edinburgh and beyond. Please ensure any application, including a personal statement, is relevant and specific to this advert and attached information. Generic applications will be rejected. Interviews are expected to take place in March.

This post is regulated work with children and/or protected adults under the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007. The preferred candidate will be required to join the PVG Scheme or undergo a PVG Scheme update check. Where an individual has spent a continuous period of 3 months or more out with the UK in the last 5 years, an Overseas Criminal Record Check will be required. You will be required to provide this check. An unconditional offer of employment and commencement in the post will be subject to the outcome of both these pre-employment checks being deemed satisfactory.

We are committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce where everyone feels valued and able to be their best. We particularly encourage applications from women for senior roles, as well as people from minority ethnic backgrounds, people with disabilities or neurodivergent people, care experienced people, carers and LGBT+ people across all levels of the organisation, all of whom are currently underrepresented. All applicants will be considered fairly based on skills and experience. Disabled and care-experienced applicants who meet the minimum job criteria will be guaranteed an interview.

As part of our goal to improve organisational culture and create a great place to work together for the people of Edinburgh, we want to make sure we're recruiting the best people. We’re interested not only in your skills and experience but also in your approach to work. Therefore, part of our interview process will be an assessment of how you would bring Our Behaviours of Respect, Integrity and Flexibility into your ways of working.

You can find out more on Our Behaviours web page. Our salary range typically reflects the initial starting salary and annually increases until it reaches the top of the range. Happy to talk flexible working.

Responsibilities

Experience:

• Essential: At least two years actively / recently working in Outdoor Learning and Adventure Education (OL&AE), including:
• working with children and young people;
• creating and delivering safe, impactful adventure activity programmes - throughout the year in different environmental conditions;
• creating and applying adventurous activity safety management systems;
• facilitating Adventure Activities Licence Scheme inspections (AALS);
• reviewing (making judgements) and advising on safety management systems for internal provision;
• supporting OL&AE instructors (induction, training &/or deployment); and
• working to a budget.
• Desirable: School curriculum development via OL&AE activity. Delivery of NGB courses (training and assessment). NGB Course Director. Reviewing (making judgements) and advising on safety management systems for external providers. Supporting, coordinating and / or managing an offsite visit approval framework in accordance with employer guidance and across many units e.g. local authority or multi-academy trusts. Recent technical adviser duties (adventurous activity). Recruitment, selection, induction & coordination of instructors.

Knowledge and Understanding:

• Essential: Ability to create and review safety management documentation, including standard operating procedures and risk assessments (internal provision). Ability to apply offsite visits employer guidance to delivery, advice and development of resources. Ability to act as a technical adviser (related to personal competencies). Computer literate with a working knowledge of appropriate software applications, including Microsoft 365 Word, Excel, Teams and Outlook. Ability to work with other postholders and wider Council staff under guidance from the Bangholm OC Operations Managers and OL&AE Manager. Ability to work with external providers and partners. Ability to use initiative and develop the role to meet future needs and opportunities. Ability to develop knowledge, skills and understanding via career-long professional learning; aligned to OL&AE Team strategic priorities.
• Desirable: Proven ability to review safety management documentation, including standard operating procedures and risk assessments (external providers – range of formats). Proven ability to review and update offsite visits employer guidance and associated resources.

Qualifications:

• Essential: Educated to degree level or equivalent. A minimum of 1 high level National Governing Body (NGB) awards. For example, but not limited to:
• Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor Award (MCI), or higher.
• British Canoeing Awarding Body (BCAB) Coach Award (Advanced Water) Kayak or Canoe, or higher.
• The Royal Yachting Association (RYA) Sailing Senior Instructor.
• Cycling Scotland Tutor and / or Mountain Bike Tutor status in British Cycling or Cycling UK.
• British Association of Snowsport (BASI) Instructor Level 3 or Snowsport Scotland equivalent.
• A broad range of NGB qualifications to direct deliver OL&AE programmes (minimum of 3 NGB awards). For example, but not limited to:
• Mountain Training (MT) Mountain Leader.
• MT Winter Mountain Leader.
• MT Rock Climbing Instructor (RCI).
• British Canoeing Award Body (BCAB) Moderate Water Leader Canoe or Kayak.
• BCAB Coach.
• British Cycling Mountain Bike Leader Level 2 or equivalent.
• The Royal Yachting Association (RYA) Instructor.
• Archery GB Instructor.
• Competence of leading common adventurous activities such as gorge walking, bushcraft, ropes courses, orienteering, and raft building. Willingness to undertake ongoing career-long professional learning for personal development and supporting OL&AE Team needs and strategic development priorities. Current first aid certificate.

• Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor Award (MCI), or higher.
• British Canoeing Awarding Body (BCAB) Coach Award (Advanced Water) Kayak or Canoe, or higher.
• The Royal Yachting Association (RYA) Sailing Senior Instructor.
• Cycling Scotland Tutor and / or Mountain Bike Tutor status in British Cycling or Cycling UK.
• British Association of Snowsport (BASI) Instructor Level 3 or Snowsport Scotland equivalent.
• Wider range of NGB qualifications (more than 3) across ‘land’ and ‘water’. Active NGB Course Director. For example, but not limited to:
• Mountain Training Course Director.
• BCAB Course Director.
• RYA Trainer / Sail or Power.