Executive Director

Hot Chocolate Trust is a dynamic youth work charity and a community of excellence, vision, and care built by remarkable young people, outstanding youth workers… and you?

We are recruiting to replace our Executive Director who is moving on after 13 years in the role. We seek an effective, compassionate leader who can inspire others, strengthen partnerships and build on these strong foundations to further our vision: Young people living fulfilling lives as agents of positive change in their communities.

The Executive Director will provide strategic and operational leadership for Hot Chocolate Trust, working with the Board, staff, volunteers and young people to deliver its mission of creating spaces of belonging, creativity and transformation for young people in Dundee.

The role combines hands-on leadership with long-term vision, ensuring the organisation's sustainability, effectiveness and integrity. The post-holder will nurture Hot Chocolate Trust's distinctive ethos, rooted in Christian faith and in the community, creating a culture of belonging, respect, and shared purpose for people of all faiths and none.

This is a regulated role involving work with both children and protected adults. The Executive Director is required to be a PVG scheme member for work with both children and protected adults.

Strategic Leadership

· Lead the organisation in delivering its mission and strategy, ensuring alignment with HCT's values formed by professional youth work and a Christian ethos.

· Provide visionary and practical leadership that enables young people, staff, and volunteers to contribute meaningfully to HCT's direction and plans.

· Ensure that HCT develops in line with its charitable purposes, Articles of Association, and strategic plan.

· To uphold and nurture HCT's ethos, rooted in Christian faith and values and professional youth work practice, ensuring that these continue to shape how the organisation relates, reflects, and serves the young people and community.

· Maintain sufficient involvement in the youth work programme to ensure strategy is informed by practice.

Governance

· Work closely with the Chairs of the Board to ensure effective governance.

· Provide timely reports and guidance to the Board and its subgroups.

· Support the Board to reflect regularly on how HCT's values and ethos are expressed in governance, practice, and partnerships.

· Facilitate connections between Board members, staff, volunteers, and young people to strengthen mutual understanding and collaboration.

Management: Financial, Organisational & People

Financial

· Lead the development of a sustainable funding strategy and ensure the organisation has sufficient funds for its operations and long-term goals.

· Develop and maintain strong relationships with funders, donors, and partners.

· Take an active role in researching, developing, writing, and reporting on funding bids.

· Lead the development of income generation and influence through enterprise, especially in training and Teckle Data, Hot Chocolate Trust's youth work evaluation database service.

· Ensure financial systems and controls support transparent reporting and effective decision-making.

Organisational

· Ensure that HCT meets all legal and regulatory requirements, adopting best practice policy and procedure.

· Oversee risk management, property management, and health and safety arrangements.

· Ensure that monitoring and evaluation systems capture and communicate impact effectively.

People and Organisational Leadership

· Lead and support the leadership team (Head of Youth Work, Finance & Governance Manager, and Creative & Development Manager) ensuring clarity of purpose, effective communication, and accountability.

· Provide visible, values-based leadership that supports and empowers staff and volunteers to thrive and deliver high-quality youth work and organisational outcomes.

· Oversee and continuously strengthen HCT's approach to people management and development, ensuring that systems, policies, and culture together support inclusion, wellbeing, and high performance.

· Ensure that HCT meets its statutory and best practice responsibilities as an employer, including compliance with PVG (acting as Lead Signatory), safeguarding, and health and safety legislation.

· Build good organisational culture through regular team reflection, learning, and development opportunities (e.g. team days, staff meetings, leadership reviews), modelling inclusive, reflective, and action-oriented values through engaging, facilitative leadership.

· Champion a supportive, collaborative environment where staff and volunteers feel valued, trusted, and connected to HCT's mission and ethos.

· Provide senior-level support for safeguarding, including deputising for the Care & Protection Lead

External Relations, Influence and Communications

· Lead HCT's external presence and partnerships to extend the organisation's influence, learning, and impact locally and nationally.

· Represent HCT confidently within the youth work, community learning, voluntary, and faith sectors, contributing to policy discussions, practice development, and collaborative initiatives that improve outcomes for young people.

· Build and sustain constructive relationships with key partners, including Dundee City Council, The Steeple Church, funders, networks, and other youth and community organisations.

· Promote HCT's work, values, and learning through talks, conferences, and media engagement, ensuring it is recognised as a leading voice in youth work.

· Encourage reflection and resource development that share HCT's distinctive approach more widely and, where appropriate, generate new income streams to sustain its mission.

· Oversee effective communication across the organisation, ensuring clear, timely, and values-based messaging between the Board, staff, volunteers, and supporters.

· Ensure HCT's external communications — print, online, and in person — reflect the organisation's ethos, professionalism, and commitment to inclusion and hope.

Note: This job description is not exhaustive. The post holder may be required to undertake other duties consistent with the role. It is subject to periodic review to reflect the evolving needs of HCT.

Ethos and Faith

Hot Chocolate Trust's work is shaped by its Christian roots and by a commitment to building community, promoting justice, and nurturing hope. This foundation continues to guide the organisation's relationships, decisions, and sense of purpose.

HCT's vision is that young people live fulfilling lives as agents of positive change in their communities. Its mission is to build relationships with young people in Dundee city centre and develop support and opportunities with them to grow in confidence and wellbeing, connectedness, and impact.

These aims are lived out through HCT's values of:

• Community – creating safety, belonging, and mutual respect.
• Collaboration – working together with young people, colleagues, and partners to achieve shared goals.
• Innovation – being open, creative, and willing to learn and adapt.
• Sustainability – working for long-term wellbeing, inclusion, and a just, habitable world.

The Executive Director will uphold and model this ethos, ensuring that faith and values continue to inform HCT's culture and practice in ways that are open, inclusive, and authentic. They will nurture a community where everyone, regardless of faith or background, feels welcome, valued, and able to contribute.

Person Specification

To be considered for this role, applicants must demonstrate the following skills, knowledge, and experience:

Leadership and Strategy

· Significant experience providing both strategic and operational leadership within a small or medium-sized charity, social enterprise, or values-led organisation.

· Knowledge of the charity, youth, or community sectors in Scotland, and awareness of current policy and funding trends.

· Ability to lead through complexity and change, developing and implementing strategies that translate vision into practical, sustainable outcomes.

· A confident and collaborative approach to decision-making, with the capacity to balance long-term priorities with day-to-day realities.

Fundraising and Financial Sustainability

· Proven experience in securing grant and partnership funding, with an understanding of the funding landscape for charities.

· Ability to develop strong relationships with funders, partners, and supporters, ensuring that fundraising and income generation align with organisational purpose and values.

· Sound financial literacy, with experience in budgeting, planning, and reporting to a Board or funders.

People and Culture

· Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to inspire, motivate, and support staff and volunteers.

· Experience in developing positive, inclusive, and high-performing cultures that reflect organisational values.

· Understanding of HR good practice, including safeguarding and PVG responsibilities, and a commitment to staff wellbeing and development.

Partnerships and Influence

· Experience of building and maintaining partnerships across community, statutory, and faith sectors.

· Confidence in representing an organisation externally, building profile and influence through collaboration, storytelling, and advocacy.

· Understanding of policy and practice environment affecting young people and voluntary sector in Scotland.

Values and Ethos

· Understanding of and respect for Hot Chocolate Trust's Christian ethos and values, and the ability to model these values in leadership in ways consistent with its inclusive, relational culture.

· Commitment to social justice, inclusion, and the empowerment of young people to shape their own lives and communities.

· Openness to reflection, learning, and dialogue about meaning, purpose, and shared values in a diverse community.

Desirable Experience

· Experience of youth work or community development.

· Experience of working with or reporting to a Board of Trustees.

· Experience of business development or income diversification.

· Experience of public speaking, media engagement, or acting as an ambassador for an organisation.

· Coaching, supervision, or leadership development qualification.

· Active Christian faith

Benefits

· Competitive salary plus employer pension contribution of 10%

· 33 days annual leave p.a. plus 2 Retreat Days and 1 additional day of Birthday Leave

To be considered for this role please provide your C.V. (2-3 sides only) and a covering letter (2 sides only) by 10am on Monday 1st December 2025.

The covering letter should address the following questions:

· Considering the job description and person specification, what you will bring to the role?

· What, in your experience, are the important opportunities and priorities for community-based work with young people in Scotland today?

The assessment day will be Wednesday 10th December 2025 in Dundee.

Job Type: Permanent

Work Location: In person