Company Manager (part time)

• Permanent. 0.6 FTE = 21 hours a week, £22,500 per annum

Role

Youth Theatre Arts Scotland (YTAS) is looking for a part-time Company Manager to join our team. This role is ideal for someone who is motivated by enabling progress, implementing improvement and providing support.

We are looking for someone who excels at organising, is methodical and forward-thinking, and who is confident in supporting and leading a team. Sound working experience of HR practices will also be essential to your success in this role.

YTAS is the national development agency and umbrella body for Scotland’s youth theatre sector. Our vision is for universal access to quality youth theatre activity across Scotland and universal recognition of its impact. We believe in helping others, community, collaboration, excellence and joy.

The Company Manager position is an excellent opportunity to join a motivated team whose work over the next three years will be supported by multi-year funding recently awarded by Creative Scotland.

In this key leadership role, you will ensure the smooth running of our organisation, working alongside the CEO to oversee company operations, strategic planning and programme delivery. You will support a passionate staff team, fostering a well-managed, collaborative and positive work environment, where people thrive. This role will offer you the chance to achieve to this, and to help drive our vision forward.

We encourage and welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and identities. As a flexible-working organisation and a PiPA (Parents and Carers in Performing Arts) partner, we’re happy to discuss ways that allow you to balance caring responsibilities with your working life.

• Hybrid: Edinburgh office at WHALE Arts / Project locations in Edinburgh and Fife, with some work required across Scotland and possibly internationally.
• Closing 29th April 2025

Primary Purpose

This is a new role within a refreshed Starcatchers Staff Team for 2025/26 and beyond. The post-holder will be pivotal in the development of our Community Engagement activity leading on the implementation of this work, supporting the specialist Starcatchers Artists who lead on delivery, nurturing existing and seeding new relationships within communities and securing funding to sustain activity moving forward.

Specific Duties and Responsibilities

Community Engagement

• To lead on the development and delivery of all Starcatchers' Community Engagement activity including current programmes
• Seed new activities in line with organisational priorities
• To ensure the implementation of a continuous improvement framework within the team
• To ensure the principles of Starcatchers Voice of the Baby research are embedded and reflected in artistic practice
• To ensure the participation of the babies, young children, parents and carers who engage in Starcatchers activity is evident in all aspects of service delivery
• To develop and maintain relationships with partners to support the delivery and potential future development of project activity
• To oversee the implementation of research and evaluation surveys across all Community Engagement activity and provide feedback and figures for reporting, evaluation and development purposes
• To manage the Community Engagement budgets and ensure delegated budgets operate within organisational monitoring and reporting arrangements.
• To regularly attend Community Engagement sessions and provide support to delivery staff
• To ensure the Health & Safety policy is implemented in accordance with best practice and all activity is planned to include risk-assessment and compliance with Health and Safety and event management regulations
• To ensure the effective implementation of Starcatchers policies and procedures
• To provide line management support to the Community Engagement Artists
• To identify and apply for funding for Community Engagement programmes, both existing and new initiatives
• To support or lead on reporting to funders as required

General

• To play an active role in the strategic development of Starcatchers as a member of the Management Team
• To fully participate in company meetings and events as required
• To contribute to the on-going fundraising of the organisation as required
• To attend relevant training as and when required
• To positively represent Starcatchers at events
• Any other duties appropriate to the post and organisation
• On site: Based in Cockenzie, but work can be across various locations in East Lothian
• Closing 18th April 2025

Overview of Organisation:

Heavy Sound is a Community Interest Company, incorporated in 2015, based in East Lothian. We work with disconnected young people and adults, re-engaging them through strength-based activities of interest including music, biking, sports, creative arts, education, mentoring and 1:1 therapy. By building trusting relationships we help inspire positive opportunities for further learning, life skills development, and future training and employment.

16+ Programme:

Heavy Sound transforms the lives of vulnerable, disengaged and, in the main, care-experienced 11–15-year-olds across East Lothian. Based on their needs, we have developed a 16+ Programme to extend this support to provide:

• Qualifications
• Support into further education, volunteering, training and employment

Participants are referred mainly through education and social work, and engage in a variety of activities including education, music, biking, sports and mentoring, leading to qualifications and awards, and life skills development.

Flexibility in hours is required as there is a weekly evening 16+ drop-in.

• On site: Based in Cockenzie, with outreach work across East Lothian
• Closing 18th April 2025

Job role:

The role is to manage and deliver outreach youth work projects, activities, and events across East Lothian, working in partnership with existing youth clubs and other stakeholders.

Heavy Sound has a 40ft single decker bus, The Community Reach & Inclusion Bus (The Crib) which provides community outreach initiatives including music, creative arts, and bike activities. The role will involve bringing equipment, and on occasions our bus (The Crib), along to youth clubs and community events, and running various activities from it. Activities will mainly be music and bike-based consisting of DJ’ing, electronic music production and basic bike mechanics. If there is not suitable space for The Crib, activities take place in community halls etc.

The role can either be part-time to deliver the above, or potentially full-time if the applicant has an additional skillset in music, creative arts, biking, sports, outdoor pursuits, education, or mentoring.

An ability to drive the bus is not essential but would be highly desirable. Only a normal Category B driving license is required as the vehicle doesn’t carry passengers and is classed as a ‘mobile project vehicle’ by DVLA.

Flexible working is required as there will be evening and occasional weekend work.