Job Description

We are seeking an influential and visionary Director to lead Birthlink, a high-impact charity dedicated to championing the rights of people impacted by adoption and those subjected to abuse in care in Scotland. In return we offer a small, talented and committed staff team, a supportive and engaged Board, and excellent terms and conditions including a salary of 55,000 - 60,000, a 35-hour working week, flexible working, annual leave, public holidays, paid leave between Christmas Day and New Year's Day, and two paid ''Wellbeing Days''. The contract is for a four-year period.

As Director, you will provide both external and internal-facing leadership for the charity. You will drive our campaigning, fundraising and influencing work. You will lead with a commitment to inclusivity, equity, and collaboration. You will work closely with the Board, Senior Leadership Team, staff, volunteers, the communities and beneficiaries we serve, ensuring our work remains grounded in our values and responsive to the needs of those we support.

This position will suit someone with proven experience in successfully delivering safe, effective high-quality services, whilst managing increasing service demands in a rapidly changing environment. Applicants should have experience of managing and leading multi-disciplinary teams, budgetary management and working collaboratively with all stakeholders to leverage more from our collective resources for the delivery of better outcomes across service areas.

The applicant should have demonstrable experience in strategic planning and the production of detailed board and committee reports. You will be required to evidence the ability to effectively challenge existing ways of working and promote and lead improved practice as part of wider organisational improvement, in partnership with other agencies.

You should have well-developed analytical and problem-solving skills to facilitate effective decision making and to successfully manage competing demands. You will also demonstrate the ability to network effectively to build effective relationships, with well-developed communication and influencing skills, you will have a proven record of innovative thinking with a willingness to challenge and overcome complex situations.

It is a both an exhilarating and challenging time to join us to take Birthlink to the next level. We look forward to hearing from you.

About Birthlink

Birthlink was founded in 1911 a Scottish charity, based in Edinburgh, a small but high impact charity.

Our vision is for a society where people impacted by adoption and the care system have their human rights respected and have full access to records and all information held about them. To enable people to understand their identity, their family, family life and to understand decisions made about and to them including the impact of societal norms, values and legislation of the time.

Our aim is to enhance and promote the wellbeing of adults with a Scottish connection. Specifically, those who have been affected by forced adoption, adoption or abuse in care in Scotland wherever in the world they live today.

Birthlink's Services and Functions

Birthlink is arranged into service areas. The Director will work with the Board of Trustees and Operational Managers to develop and implement a sustainable service delivery model and to ensure Birthlink's support services' work contributes to our campaigning, advocacy and vice versa.

Post Adoption

The Post Adoption Information Line is open to anyone seeking information or advice about post adoption support, people affected by adoption and professional and other stakeholders Scotland's Adoption Contact Register (ACR), established in 1984, linking birth relatives separated by adoption and facilitating mediation for those looking to reunite. People impacted by adoption can register; adopted people, birth parents, brothers and sisters and birth relatives. The aim of the ACR is to reconnect family members. Research and searching information and records by accessing the Scottish Adoption Registry index of adoption records to establish where people's records may be held. Supporting adopted people to access their Court Process Papers, or the adoptee can authorise Birthlink to view and transcribe these legal papers on their behalf. Requesting and accessing adoption and post adoption records and supporting people to make sense of their records. Professional volunteer researchers research public records to locate family members. Mediation between people connected on the ACR, at pace set by all people prior to meeting, to safeguard privacy and support the process of reunion. DNA Counselling

Care Connect

We are currently working with Future Pathways, Scotland's in Care Survivor Support fund, to provide the Care Connect service to individuals who have registered with them and are looking for support with care records, family histories, or contacting family members.

Right of access - subject access requests for people with care experience Supporting people subjected to abuse in care in Scotland to access their records irrespective of where they are in the world today Supporting those people to make sense of their records and their history To develop and understand their family tree and reconnect with people

Redress Service

The Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry was established under statute on 1 October 2015 and is independent of The Scottish Government and is chaired by Lady Anne Smith. The Inquiry is investigating the abuse of children in care in Scotland. The Inquiry will report to Scottish Ministers as soon as reasonably practicable, with recommendations to improve the law, policies, and practices in Scotland.

The overall aim and purpose of The Inquiry is to raise public awareness and investigate the nature and extent of abuse of children whilst in care in Scotland. Consideration is being given to the extent to which institutions and bodies with legal responsibility for the care of children, failed in their duty to protect children in Scotland (or children whose care was arranged in Scotland) from abuse (regardless of where that abuse occurred), and, to identify any systemic failures in fulfilling that duty.

Scotland's Redress Scheme opened in December 2021 and will remain open for some years yet, Scotland's Redress Scheme

Birthlink's Redress Team are key Delivery Partners of the Redress Support Service. We work with the Redress Support Service to help survivors in their redress journey:

Support people who have been subjected to abuse in care in Scotland, to seek records to support their Redress application Research, locate and request information from organisations/ institutions that children were placed with/in Trauma sensitive and informed support to access, read and make sense of those records Signposting and referral to external agencies for additional support as required

Thrift Stores

Our Thrift or Charity Stores form a key source of organisational revenue and place Birthlink strongly within the local and wider Edinburgh community. The shops continue to undergo a business rationalisation exercise to maximise revenue and effectiveness through increased brand awareness, development of online sales distribution channels and the continuous development of our offer of a wide range of good quality, low-cost items for the public, while seeking to provide the environmental benefits associated with the reuse of goods. Our stores provide crucial volunteering opportunities that can help people build their skills, experience and confidence.

Two thrift stores

Store 1 - Clothing Store 2 - Books and non - clothing items

Projects

Projects about the heritage of Birthlink, people's experiences of being supported by the organisation and the impact of connecting with their families are examples of complete projects.

The most recent project is the heritage project, with unique funding from the Heritage Trust, Heritage Project Report Peoples Stories - Real life stories - Maybe He- 10 Years After 40 Years 40 Stories

Our pledge is to .

.

.

Be accountable and reflect on our practice Be open to feedback and challenge each other to develop best practice Treat people with dignity and sensitivity Act ethically and transparently Offer a safe environment for staff, volunteers, and beneficiaries with empathy, kindness and warmth Work in a person centred, trauma informed and sensitive manner and advocate where needed Offer all people a space to be heard Listen, acknowledge, and believe people's experiences Empower the people we support, and each other Collaborate with others and value everyone's contribution Inspire and enable learning Resolve concerns promptly

Is this you?

A senior leader with acumen in the following areas: governance, finance, performance and risk management, leadership, development and oversight of strategy, frameworks, systems and implementing and operationalising them. Managing budgets and an understanding of reporting requirements and the socio political, political, economic and financial environment aligned with Birthlink and the wider field.

You have demonstrable commitment to and knowledge of equality, diversity and inclusion and are an excellent collaborator. Have strong leadership qualities with a creative, can-do approach and a caring, empathetic values-driven leader. Leading by example to create a safe, inclusive, trauma informed, psychologically safe and engaging culture with an understanding of the Feminist issues impacting on our beneficiaries, their children and families and the intergenerational and generational impact of these.

Able to demonstrate knowledge and experience of the Adoption and Care Experienced Policy Agenda, The Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry, Scotland's Redress Scheme, Information Governance and Data Protection, Historic Forced Adoption, Adoption, Records Access and the challenges faced by people seeking their information and working with boards and engaging and influencing at this level. Possessing an understanding of mediation and counselling theories and processes is beneficial.

You deliver impactful campaigning and advocacy, are a skilled public speaker and communicator, experience including coalition building and working with a wide range of stakeholders alongside understanding the benefits of effectively using web-based systems and social media.

Possess a clear understanding of what is required to manage and run volunteer-delivered services and membership organisations and building, leading and motivating them.

How to Apply

To receive the

job pack and further information to support your thinking

, or if you have any question or queries connect with

Gaynor.Clarke@birthlink.org.uk

and Linda.McLeod@birthlink.org.uk

To apply to become the Director of Birthlink, email your CV setting out your career history, emphasising your relevant experience and how it meets our criteria. Alongside your CV address the following questions:

1)

What makes you a particularly strong candidate for the role of Director and what campaigning and/or influencing experience would you bring to help us increase our impact (500 words).

2)

What strategies would you employ to ensure data privacy and security within the organisation? Tell us about the key challenges for people seeking their information and records (300 - 500 words)?

3)

What do you see as the key challenges facing Birthlink and how you would go about tackling these issues? (300 words)

Please ensure that you have included a telephone number, as well as any dates when you will not be available or might have difficulty with the recruitment timetable.

Deadline for applications:

10 September 2025

Successful Candidates

will be invited for interview by 12 September and 17 September 2025

Interviews:

19 September 2025 and 26 September 2025

To understand how we are performing, we will ask that you kindly complete a brief equal opportunities questionnaire. This will be shared with you when you submit your application and associated documents. Please be assured that your responses are kept confidential, separate from your candidate record, and not part of any application you make.

Job Types: Full-time, Temporary, Fixed term contract
Contract length: 48 months

Pay: 55,000.00-60,000.00 per year

Education:

Bachelor's (required)
Work Location: In person

Application deadline: 10/09/2025