Digital Xtra Fund is looking for a Community & Grants Officer
An exciting and unique opportunity is available for a motivated individual to join Digital Xtra Fund as a Community & Grants Officer. The Officer will support grant recipients in achieving their targets, outcomes, and objectives and will explore new opportunities to engage and excite young people in tech. The preferred candidate will have a passion for technology as well as previous experience working with schools or educational organisations or working for a grants provider focussed on young people.
Role Title: Community & Grants Officer
Salary: £27,500 PA (one year initial FTC with potential to renew dependent on funding)
Hours: Monday – Friday, 09.00 – 17.00 (happy to discuss flexible working options)
Location: Opportunity for Remote or Office-based working (Linlithgow)
Reports to: Partnerships & Development Manager
Application closing: 23:59 on Thursday, 28 September 2023
Digital Xtra Fund is happy to discuss flexible working including working from home, compressed hours, reduced hours, or flexitime.
The Officer’s main focusses will be to:
- support grant recipients enabling them to deliver high-quality, extracurricular activities which teach digital skills (i.e., coding, robotics, and games development) and meta-skills (i.e., adaptability, resilience, and creativity) as well as concepts such as ethics of technology and tech for good;
- help build a community among grant recipients, the Fund’s partners, and other key stakeholders by promoting collaboration and sharing best practice as well as facilitating and managing industry engagement opportunities (both in-person and remote);
- help deliver ‘Code Like Kids’, a new learning and development opportunity from Digital Xtra Fund which engages industry professionals in fun, play-based coding activities. Participants will get hands on with some of the most popular coding devices used by young people while exploring how these platforms relate to the ‘real world’.
The role’s responsibilities will include, but not necessarily be limited to:
- Help grant recipients achieve their targets, outcomes, and objectives by encouraging partnerships, sharing resources, and highlighting best practice as well as organising one-to-one catch-ups during the delivery period (25%);
- Increase collaboration with the Fund’s industry partners by facilitating industry engagement opportunities and supporting the delivery of various ‘Code Like Kids’ modules (25%);
- Support the Partnerships & Development Manager with optimising the end-to-end delivery of the annual grants cycle including planning, promotion, delivery, evaluations, and reporting (25%);
- Assist with the Fund’s marketing and communications channels including social media, direct emails, and newsletters (15%);
- Assist with organising events or similar opportunities with supported initiatives/partners/key stakeholders to facilitate networking and knowledge sharing (5%);
- Explore other opportunities or collaborations which support digital skills for young people (5%)
Required Skills
- Experience working for an educational organisation that actively supports young people; or working/volunteering with schools, especially as a teacher/educator; or working for a grants provider focussed on young people. This experience would ideally relate to the areas of science, technology, engineering, or maths (STEM), but it is not essential. Key is the ability to demonstrate a passion for helping young people
- Clear and concise communication skills with the ability to relate to a variety of organisations from grassroots community groups, charities, and schools to larger businesses, industry partners or government departments
- Effective administrative and organisational skills including the ability to demonstrate previous experience managing multiple projects
- The ability to work both in a team and independently and capability to proactively take the initiative when required
- Confidence using basic office software such as Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace
- Occasional attendance at events which may occur outwith normal working hours
- Some travel within Scotland will be required
Other Desirable Skills
It would be beneficial if you also possess some or all the following skills, but they are not essential to apply for this role:
- Confidence using digital technologies (especially any coding, robotics, and/or games design platforms aimed at young people)
- Understanding concepts related to digital tech such as meta-skills, ethics, or tech for good
- Knowledge of or experience in the Scottish digital tech sector and/or an awareness of skills policies from the Scottish Government or Skills Development Scotland related to digital tech
- Familiarity of WordPress (or similar web content management system), Mailchimp (or similar email marketing platform), and/or Capsule (or similar CRM system)
- Full UK Driving Licence
Personal Qualities
- Enthusiastic about the importance of STEM education for young people
- Methodical and strategic thinking in approach to work
- Positive and innovative self-starter
- Projects a professional image of the Charity at all times
Benefits
- £27,500 per annum (initial one-year full time contract with potential to renew dependent on funding)
- Flexible working options available including working from home, working outwith normal working hours or reduced hours/days (salary would be prorated accordingly)
- Matched employee pension contributions to a maximum 5% following probationary period
- Onsite parking and gym at main office in Linlithgow
- Holiday entitlement of twenty-five (25) days per year in addition to eight (8) Scottish public holidays
About Digital Xtra Fund
Digital Xtra Fund is the leading Scottish charity supporting extracurricular digital tech activities for young people. We finance and support initiatives which engage and excite young people aged 16 and under with skills such as coding, robotics, games development, cyber, or data science. We believe every young person should have access to fun, innovative, and meaningful tech activities regardless of their gender, background, or where they live as well as an understanding of the range of opportunities these skills provide. The aims of Digital Xtra Fund are to:
- inspire young people to understand and create with technology, not simply use it
- enable exciting extracurricular digital tech activities across Scotland
- engage industry experts with young people to help contextualise digital skills
A full job description can be downloaded here. Please contact the Fund at [email protected] if you have any questions about the role. Please note, applicants must have the right to live and work in the UK (and be able to provide evidence).
To apply, applicants should submit a Cover Letter summarising why they are interested and qualified for the role as well as their CV to [email protected]. Applications will close at 23:59 on Thursday, 28 September, 2023. Successful applicants will be contacted w/c 9th October to schedule an interview.
