We are seeking a visionary Chief Executive Officer with exceptional leadership qualities to spearhead our charity, Concrete Garden, though a new and exciting period of growth and transformational change. The ideal candidate will be bold and brave and embody a passion for community empowerment and sustainability, driving forward our community’s ambition and charity mission with dedicated commitment and innovative thinking.

This role presents a unique opportunity to make a tangible impact, leading our community and team towards a brighter future for all those we serve.

Overview of the Position:

The Chief Executive Officer will play a pivotal role in shaping the strategic direction of Concrete Garden, working closely with the Board of Trustees to ensure the organisation's long-term success and impact.

And leading on the recruitment for a number of new posts to build capacity in leadership and drive forward community growth and regeneration. This position demands a dynamic individual with a proven track record in fundraising, asset management, financial management, strategic planning, and team leadership.

Start Date: Immediate or must be able to start by 27th May for a one-month handover with the incumbent CEO.

Reporting to: The Board of Trustees

Job Description

You will provide a key role in our front of house service, ensuring that our retail space offers a friendly customer experience. As part of your role, you will support the team with general administrative and financial tasks to ensure the smooth running of the office and retail area, all within a very busy retail and manufacturing environment.

Company Profile

Glasgow Wood Recycling is a social enterprise and charity established in 2006. We are committed to achieving a sustainable population and planet. We aim to reduce the amount of wood going to landfill by finding creative, and socially inclusive ways to reuse this valuable natural resource. We create this image to our customers, and try to encourage them to limit the amount of wood going to landfill.

The wood waste that we collect from all over Glasgow and further afield is gathered, and sorted at our South Street workshop. This helps achieve our enviornmental goals. We then reuse the wood waste to make quality furniture and design bespoke pieces for home, businesses and social sector organisations, anything from tables in bars to eco-gardens in schools.

Through these activities, and at the heart of what we do, we provide volunteer and training opportunities to local people, as a practical way of tackling unemployment and social exclusion. Our volunteers either participate in our workshop, help our drivers for delivery/ collection services, and offer support in our retail area, to ensure this is tidy and stock is in the correct piles.

Key Responsibilties

• To provide high quality front of house service to customers in store, as well as processing sales and payments.
• To maintain accurate filing systems & keep up to date record of finances, sales and customer order information.
• To process customer orders accurately for the workshop to manufacture, and answer telephone calls, electronic communications and correspondence.
• To contribute to the day-to-day facilities management e.g. recycling, storage waste and housekeeping.
• Helping ensure the office and retail environment is attractive to both customers and staff.
• Be willing to support volunteers and trainees, and undertake appropriate career training.
• To laise with workshop assistants to ensure the retail space is continusly maintained.
• Be committed to helping Glasgow Wood uphold its values in relation to people and the environment.

Key Skills

• Excellent customer service skills.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Be flexible and able to complete tasks when asked at short notice.
• Confident with I.T. including using excel/ office and Xero - full training will be provided.
• Excellent time management skills, and able to prioritse tasks approately.
• Appropriate literacy and numeracy skills.
• Competent problem solving skills.
• Able to give attention to detail and being accurate.

Experience & Knowledge

• Essential that candidates have some experience of office work.
• Retail/sales experience is desirable.
• A passion for working with customers and offer a high quality service.
• An understanding of the importance of enviornmental sustainability.
• An understanding of the challanges involved working for a social enterprise.
• Experience of working with wood is deserable, but not essential.
• Experience of working in a volunteering environment is deserable, but not essential.

Training

• Health and Safety including manual handling and work on site safely.
• Waste minimisation training.
• Ongoing proffessional development opportunities.

The Community Links Worker programme, funded by EVOC & Edinburgh Health & Social Care Partnership, is delivered in partnership with GP Practices and the 3rd sector to support people to live well through strengthening connections between community resources and primary care.

The Community Link Worker will be employed by Edinburgh & Lothians Greenspace Trust and will work as part of three practice teams (Gracemount, Liberton and Inch Park) in the South East locality of Edinburgh to provide 1:1 person-centred and practical support to people in contact with the GP practice team.

Taking a person-centred approach, you will work with individuals to enable them to identify personal outcomes and priorities for their health and well-being and link them to local, city and national activities and support services.

The postholder must have experience of working with people who are facing complex social and emotional circumstances, a strong understanding of the challenges affecting people living in areas of disadvantage in relation to living well, extensive effective interpersonal skills in working with people on a 1:1 basis as well as experience in networking and relationship building with other professionals and organisations.

PVG: This post requires membership of the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme. Application will be processed for the successful candidate.

This is an exciting opportunity for an individual who is passionate about climate action, good governance and charity management to take a key supporting role in building the community led network and ensuring its success.

This person will be an excellent administrator with a keen eye for detail, supporting the organisation to achieve its aims and objectives through the management of everyday operations.

This will include ensuring compliance with all policy and related expectations of a publicly-funded organisation, managing HR strategies, volunteer agreements and day-to-day finances such as payroll and expenses.

As part of a fast-paced environment and collaborative team, there will be an opportunity for you to grow and develop in your role. You will initially play a key role in the set up and establishment of management processes and systems for the new charity, the development and implementation of the organisations’ fundraising strategy as well as supporting the networks’ activities and events to ensure their success.

Edinburgh Communities Climate Action Network (ECCAN) is a network of over 60 community group members and 100 individual members. ECCAN has recently been approved as a Scottish Charity Incorporated Organisation by OSCR. We aim to engage and empower individuals and community groups in taking meaningful action to address the climate and nature emergency, working towards a just, thriving and resilient Edinburgh.

This is part of a strategic Scotland-wide network of regional Climate Action Hubs, supported by SCCAN - Scottish Communities Climate Action Network.

You will have a background as a PA, team administrator or a voluntary organisation administrator, with experience supporting staff and teams to excel in essential organisational activities.

Additional Requirements: The post holder will be subject to a Disclosure Scotland check.

Location: You will be based in member premises in the heart of the city, working closely with other agencies and colleagues across Edinburgh. Flexible hot desking is possible in various community locations as well as home working.

Responsible to: ECCAN Network Lead.