Chief Executive for Girlguiding Scotland
This position is now closed
Job description...
- Location: Girlguiding Scotland, 16 Coates Crescent, Edinburgh EH3 7AH. This is an office-based role, with the option to work part of the week from home. There will be a requirement for travel throughout Scotland and the UK including evenings and weekends with occasional overnight stays.
- Salary: £68,000 – 73,000 per year depending on experience
- Status: Permanent Contract
- Hours: Full time, 35 hours per week. You will be required to work additional hours – including evenings and weekends – for which time off in lieu (TOIL) will be given. Overtime is not paid.
- Reports to: Chief Commissioner & Trustees of the Board
- Closing Date: Tuesday 7 April 2026 at 9am
- Interview Dates - Stage 1: Monday 27 and Tuesday 28 April at the Girlguiding Scotland headquarters in Edinburgh. Stage 2: it is anticipated that this will take place online, in the evening of Tuesday 5 or Wednesday 6 May.
Welcome from our Chief Commissioner
I am so pleased that you are interested in joining our team. This is a really exciting time to join Girlguiding Scotland. With nearly 40,000 young members and powered by 9,000 volunteers we are the largest charity for girls and young women in Scotland. Girlguiding Scotland has been around for over 100 years, and we have much to be proud of in that rich and vibrant history, but we know that to remain exciting and relevant to young people we must continually evolve.
Our approach at Girlguiding Scotland is two-fold. We support and develop volunteer teams to deliver guiding in local areas, and we also provide high quality events and experiences at a national level that encourage volunteers to make a difference to the lives of girls across Scotland.
We had a very a successful 2025, where we launched our Volunteer Recruitment Project, celebrated our volunteers, held an inspiring Lead 2025 event, an international wide game in Amsterdam, a takeover by 8,000 members of a safari park and launched our youth voice panel’s manifesto. In 2026 we plan to strengthen support for local commissioners and welcome more volunteers to grow guiding in Scotland. We are proud to be holding One Team 2026 an event where volunteers can network, share and learn from each other. For our young members, we are excited to launch ‘Get On Board’ – a resource to support girls and volunteers to increase confidence with using public transport. We also look forward to Camp CEO in August – a 4-night residential for girls to develop leadership skills and meet CEOs from across industries in Scotland.
Our current chief executive is retiring so we are looking for an experienced and inspirational leader who shares our values and vision, to enable even more girls and young women to fulfil their potential. You will lead the staff team and play a key role working in partnership with the Scottish chief commissioner and her team, as they support the volunteers who deliver guiding in our communities. You will be a role model for members and an ambassador for the organisation in the wider Scottish community.
For our staff, girls and volunteers, we want Girlguiding Scotland to be a place where everyone is welcome, free to be themselves, and has an equal sense of belonging – whoever they are and wherever they’re from. We are committed to employing and supporting a diverse workforce and welcome applicants from all backgrounds. In recognition of this we are accredited with the LGBT Youth Scotland charter at silver level. We also recognise the importance of staff being paid fairly and being able to achieve a good standard of living, which is why we are also an accredited Living Wage Employer.
Girlguiding Scotland is committed to promoting diversity, inclusion and equal opportunities. We welcome requests for reasonable adjustments in our recruitment process so if you need help to complete your application, please let us know.
After reading this application pack I hope you feel inspired to apply to join us. If we can provide more information or support to help you apply, please contact our retained consultants at AWS Executive, Donna McKay ([email protected]) or Alan Surgeon ([email protected]).
Best wishes,
Elaine Rough
Girls can do anything.
We help every girl discover this for herself, whether she’s 4 or 18 or in between. All girls have a home at Girlguiding – whoever they are, and wherever they are. This is a place where she can be herself, get creative, explore, and most of all have fun.
Where she’ll make special friends and do things, she never thought she could.
Girlguiding is what each girl wants it to be. She can choose her own path through our activities and events. It might be giggles in sleeping bags. Songs around a campfire. The buzz of getting a new badge. The sound of thousands of excited girls at their very own music festival. The thrill of doing something for the first time. Coming home exhausted and full of stories and having made new friends.
We help girls think big and be bold. We catch them if they stumble and encourage them to try again. We show them a world of possibilities big and small. We’re for girls, with girls, led by girls. We’re Girlguiding Scotland.
Our vision
An equal world where all girls can make a positive difference, be happy, safe and fulfil their potential.
Our mission
Through fun, friendship, challenge and adventure we empower girls to find their voice, inspiring them to discover the best in themselves and to make a positive difference in their community.
Our values
Caring – Challenging – Empowering – Fun – Inclusive – Inspiring
Girlguiding Scotland is seeking an experienced Chief Executive to lead and inspire both staff and volunteers in shaping the future of guiding across Scotland. This is a unique opportunity to make a lasting impact, helping girls and young women across the country reach their full potential.
As Chief Executive, you will provide visionary leadership, creating a positive, supportive culture where staff and volunteers feel valued, empowered, and motivated to deliver the organisation’s mission. You will work closely with the Scottish chief commissioner and trustee board to ensure strong governance, sustainability, and a clear focus on strategic priorities.
You will also work in partnership with the deputy Scottish chief commissioner to guide the operational board in successfully delivering key projects, ensuring goals are met and opportunities for growth are maximised.
As a visible leader, you will act as a role model for members and represent Girlguiding Scotland in the wider Scottish community. In addition, you will strengthen connections with Girlguiding UK, building positive, reciprocal relationships and ensuring alignment of vision, purpose, and strategy.
This role is a chance to lead a passionate organisation at an exciting time, making a tangible difference in the lives of girls and young women throughout Scotland.
This is a full-time position based at Girlguiding Scottish Headquarters in Edinburgh, with some hybrid working. Hours of work will normally be Monday – Friday, 9am – 5pm. There will be an extensive requirement to attend meetings and events held in the evening and at weekends, in line with volunteer availability, for which time off in lieu (TOIL) will be given.
Please refer to the Job Pack for more information.
For further information or to arrange a confidential discussion about the vacancy, please contact Donna McKay ([email protected]) or Alan Surgeon ([email protected]) at AWS Executive.
Suitable candidates will then be invited to apply by completing the application form and submitting via the Apply box below.
Please note that only the completed application form is required to apply for this role – we do not require a CV in addition to this.
We anticipate that the first round of interviews will take on Monday 27 and Tuesday 28 April at the Girlguiding Scotland headquarters in Edinburgh.
Candidates who are successful in the panel interview will be invited to attend a discussion with a Youth Panel of Girlguiding members. It is anticipated that this will take place online, in the evening of Tuesday 5 or Wednesday 6 May.
Girlguiding Scotland values inclusivity, and so we welcome requests for support or reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process. If you need any support to complete your application, then please get in touch to discuss how we can support you.
This position is now closed.
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