Wider Achievement Development Officer (Empowered Outdoor Learning - schools and communities)
Bangholm Outdoor Centre
Salary: £40,501 - £47,639 (pro-rata for part-time)
Hours: up to 36 per week, 52 weeks
The City of Edinburgh Council is committed to safe, impactful outdoor learning and adventure education (OL&AE). The OL&AE Team operates 3 outdoor centres and has wide ranging responsibilities across safety and quality from onsite activity to residential provision.
We are delighted to announce an expanded opportunity to work as part of the Bangholm Outdoor Centre and build on recent achievements and practice.
The successful applicants will support the Council’s education settings to develop OL&AE. Responsibilities comprise 6 core areas; aligned to postholder competency and FTE. Strategic plans provide the direction and pace of working via outputs, timelines and outcomes. Key working includes supporting the new Empowered Outdoor Learning project, which is a collaboration between the Council’s Early Years, Inclusion and OL&AE teams (see attached for further information).
Core Area 1: coordinating a single OL&AE career-long professional learning offer. Involves coordinating and evaluating the offer; liaising with Council officers and partners who deliver the offer in response to service user feedback. Provides a broad spectrum of support; ranging from whole-setting change to the development of individuals (confidence, capacity and competence). Successful applicants will be expected to deliver some CLPL in accordance with their competency.
Core area 2: developing, supporting and maintaining OL&AE education resources and spaces for use across the curriculum. Includes a portfolio of digital and physical resources such as the Outdoor Learning MApp , loan box scheme, LfS game-based learning toolkit, lesson ideas mapped to curriculum pathways, plus Edinburgh’s new LfS framework. Also involves supporting settings in identifying and developing appropriate onsite and offsite spaces.
Core area 3: embedding an Outcomes and Impact Toolkit. This will support the OL&AE Team, settings and partners to better understand the effectiveness and impact of OL&AE. It will support robust evaluations and drive further improvement. Significant work has already been undertaken, and the successful applicants will progress this further. There is a major focus on measuring outcomes at Benmore and Lagganlia to support the new Schools (Residential Outdoor Education) (Scotland) Act 2026 and an emerging national residential quality framework.
Core area 4: developing and maintaining Edinburgh’s new 3-18 Learning for Sustainability (LfS) Learner Award. This project-based award is currently under development, supported by Edinburgh teachers. It is aligned to the new national curriculum being developed by Education Scotland. The successful candidates will support the OL&AE Team Manager to launch and develop the award.
Core area 5: maintain a new Empowered Outdoor Learning website and co-create publications. Successful candidates will ensure the website is up to date, relevant and valued. Various publications will be co-produced to promote the Empowered Outdoor Learning project and OL&AE Team.
Core area 6: ad-hoc Bangholm Outdoor Centre project work. Allocation of work will be managed by the Bangholm Operations Manager and aligned to strategic priorities, plus officer capacity and competence.
Further details of this role are via the Person Specification. Please note: the attached Job Description is a generic Wider Achievement and Lifelong Learning Development Officer resource.
As this opportunity comprises two positions (1.4 FTE total), we are keen to recruit persons with complementary competencies and receive applications from those interested in full or part-time working; we are open to different FTE combinations. The combined solution will provide the necessary breadth and depth of competency to deliver the relevant OL&AE strategic priorities. The successful applicants will bring energy, creativity, and a passion for OL&AE; using these to grow their roles. We are committed to developing postholders’ potential and aspirations aligned to our strategic priorities via career-long professional learning and new opportunities.
The successful applicants will be required to regularly visit locations across the City and occasionally beyond, including the Council's Benmore and Lagganlia Outdoor Centres. The roles are predominantly indoor based. There is some working outdoors throughout the year in different environmental conditions, sometimes in remote and potentially hazardous locations. Suitable and sufficient PPE, induction and support are provided. The allocated work office is Bangholm Outdoor Centre, Edinburgh, and successful applicants will be line managed by the Bangholm Operations Manager. Successful applicants will be required occasional weekends and evenings. Some homeworking may be possible from time to time, subject to approval by the Bangholm Operations Manager. Most working will be via Council offices.
We hope you are excited by the opportunity to make a significant contribution to OL&AE in Edinburgh and beyond. Please ensure any application is relevant and specific to this advert and attached information. Generic and speculative applications will be rejected. Interviews are expected to take place in August. For further information which may support your application and any questions, please contact [email protected] (Bangholm Outdoor Centre) or in their absence; [email protected] .
This post is regulated work with children and/or protected adults under the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007. The preferred candidate will be required to join the PVG Scheme or undergo a PVG Scheme update check. Where an individual has spent a continuous period of 3 months or more out with the UK in the last 5 years, an Overseas Criminal Record Check will be required. You will be required to provide this check. An unconditional offer of employment and commencement in the post will be subject to the outcome of both these pre-employment checks being deemed satisfactory.
We are committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce where everyone feels valued and able to be their best. We particularly encourage applications from women for senior roles, as well as people from minority ethnic backgrounds, people with disabilities or neurodivergent people, care experienced people, carers and LGBT+ people across all levels of the organisation, all of whom are currently underrepresented. All applicants will be considered fairly based on skills and experience. Disabled and care-experienced applicants who meet the minimum job criteria will be guaranteed an interview.
Find out more about our commitment to equalities https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/work-us/inclusive-edinburgh/4
As part of our goal to improve organisational culture and create a great place to work together for the people of Edinburgh, we want to make sure we're recruiting the best people. We’re interested not only in your skills and experience but also in your approach to work. Therefore, part of our interview process will be an assessment of how you would bring Our Behaviours of Respect, Integrity and Flexibility into your ways of working.
You can find out more on Our Behaviours web page Our Behaviours – The City of Edinburgh Council
Our salary range typically reflects the initial starting salary and annually increases until it reaches the top of the range.
Happy to talk flexible working.
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View Development Officer job description
View Development Officer person specification
