Come and work with us!

The Equality Network works for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, ace and intersex (LGBTQIA+) equality and human rights in Scotland. We strive to be inclusive and open in our work, to challenge discrimination and to consult, involve and inform the individuals and the communities for which we work.

The Equality Network was founded in 1997 as a national organisation working for LGBT rights and equality in Scotland. We are a registered charity governed by a volunteer Board of Trustees. Scottish Trans Alliance has been an Equality Network project since 2007. Scottish Trans works to improve gender identity and gender reassignment equality, rights and inclusion in Scotland.

Partnership is a key part of our approach, and much of what we do involves working in partnership with diverse LGBTQIA+ people, other LGBTQIA+ organisations, and with organisations working in the wider equality and human rights field.

In 2026 we launched our new 3-year Strategy which addresses the current context in which we are working. With increasing risk to LGBTQIA+ protections, inclusion and equality and human rights realisation our work is more important now than ever. There are strategies working counter to our hope for a more inclusive Scotland, ones that sow division. We recognise that collaboration, partnership and coalition building is crucial. Our new strategy lays out how we will move forward, work together to push back, sustain and protect what we have already achieved, and together move towards progressive and meaningful change. You can read that here: Equality Network Strategy 2026-2029

Full Time Strategic Campaigns & Partnership Coordinator

Key dates and details

Recruitment live from

Friday 6^th March

CLOSING DATE FOR APPLICATIONS

10^th April at 5pm

Dates for interview

Candidates will be informed of successful progress to interviews in the week commencing the 20^th of April – We aim to coordinate interview’s online in the week commencing the 27^th April.

Approximate starting date

As soon possible following recruitment

Salary

£37,362 to £40,333 (depending on work experience*)

*We are advertising a sliding scale salary. We hope to encourage people with significant skill to apply, and we acknowledge that differing experience will warrant differing salary, with scope to grow.

Hours

This is currently a 35-hour per week role however we are exploring the 4-day working week in the coming year which would then amount to circa 28-30 hours per week at same rate of pay as 35 hours. This is to be confirmed and will be discussed with candidates at interview.

To note:

• We have confirmed funding for this role for 3 years: A 3-year period allows for the opportunity to properly address the scale of current issues facing the community, to develop something truly innovative and to explore and evaluate approaches.
• This role is entirely funded by the Three Guineas Trust.

Working practices

Most Equality Network staff work on a hybrid basis, with a mixture of working in the office and working from home. We have offices in Edinburgh and Glasgow. The post-holder will need to be based in Scotland.

The nature of the role will mean that travelling within Scotland, the UK, and internationally will be required from time to time.

The role will sometimes include evening and weekend working. We operate a Time Off in Lieu policy.

Candidates must be eligible to work in the UK.

Access statements

Equality Network is committed to being an inclusive employer. We strive to reflect the diversity of the communities we serve, actively working to prevent exclusion, and to uphold our legal and ethical responsibilities in promoting equality and human rights. We will be proactive in our inclusion and take steps to anticipate and address the needs of staff in relation to accessibility and equality of opportunity.

We recognise that diversity strengthens our organisation and the communities we serve. We are committed to creating an environment where difference is respected, valued, and celebrated across all areas of our work.

We actively seek to broaden representation within our staff, volunteers, and leadership, and ensure that diverse perspectives inform our decision-making. We will take deliberate steps to remove barriers to participation and progression, fostering a workplace culture in which everyone feels safe, supported, and able to contribute.

Disability and Neurodivergence

We try to be as inclusive and accessible as possible. We recognise that barriers are often created and upheld by systems and environments and we will work proactively to identify and remove barriers wherever possible. We strive to meet access requirements with reasonable adjustments in a timely and supportive manner. We promote understanding of disability and neurodivergence across our organisation and are dedicated to ensuring equitable opportunities for recruitment and development.

Antiracism

Equality Network is committed to being actively antiracist in our policies, practices, and organisational culture. We recognise the systemic nature of racism and the harm it causes, and we will take deliberate action to challenge and dismantle racial inequality within our organisation (including through our internal anti-racism working group) and in wider work. We strive to address structural barriers and promote racial equity in recruitment and progression. We will hold ourselves accountable through reflection and learning.

Wellbeing initiatives and staff benefits at Equality Network

Equality Network is committed to doing what it can to support the wellbeing of our staff. We recognise that the safety and wellbeing of our team is paramount to the work that we do, and to our ability to continue to do it. This is why it is a priority for us as an organisation to do what we can to ensure and better the wellbeing of our staff.

We recognise that the rise in anti-LGBTQIA+ sentiment, particularly anti-trans sentiment, impacts on staff wellbeing both inside and outside of work. As an employer, we have a responsibility to protect and support our staff, providing wellbeing support where appropriate, and considering staff burnout and mental health absences in risk management processes.

For all staff:

• We provide financial support for self-selected counselling/ therapy to all staff
• We are currently working with a wellbeing consultant to navigate the staff’s needs, and we aim to develop and embed working practices, boundaries and communication styles and tools that will better staff wellbeing.
• We currently use our bank interest (unrestricted funds) to create a wellbeing fund for staff to support their therapeutic practice, creativity, social support for one another and personal development.
• We offer flexible working arrangements for all staff in the bid to ensure wellbeing and a positive work life balance.
• We are working on the implementation of the 4-day working week.
• We believe in staff autonomy over working hours and ensuring a balance between working and home life allows for a more positive and productive team.
• We do and will continue to regularly review the pay and benefits offered to staff.
• We are a Living Wage accredited employer, and all staff are paid beyond the real living wage.
• Equality Network fully covers the minimum pension contribution of 8%

This is covered in full in our 3-year strategy here: Equality Network Strategy 2026-2029

Role Summary

Accountability

The Strategic Partnership and Campaigns Coordinator reports to the CEO.

Principal role

Working in cooperation with our policy team, comms team, community engagement teams and the Scottish Trans Manager and CEO, the Strategic Partnership and Campaigns Coordinator supports the development and delivery of the Equality Network’s work to improve LGBTQIA+ equality, rights and inclusion in Scotland.

The role’s primary purpose is to build strategic and accessible campaigns and relationships particularly around trans rights. This means that the post-holder will work closely with the Scottish Trans Manager.

The role will involve working with partners, the community, and with those who have influence (including the media) in Scotland and where necessary wider in the UK and internationally where expertise is needed on trans equality and human rights issues and priorities. The aim is to build partnerships and coalitions, change hearts and minds, and to collectively push for progressive change for marginalised LGBTQIA+ people, particularly trans people. This will also involve working with teams and partners on how these campaigns for progressive change can contribute to bettering narratives, particularly around trans people’s equality and human rights.

Our new strategy highlights the vital nature of partnerships in the face of a shared threat. Our partners include all other organisations which provide and advocate for our community as equalities and rights-holders, both those explicitly working for the rights of the LGBTQIA+ community and those who provide and advocate for other marginalised communities, intersectional communities or on issues relevant and pertinent to our community and their lives.

Our key aim with this role is to build effective coalitions in Scotland and to connect with intersecting campaigns to maximise impact.

This new role will work alongside our senior management team and across partner sectors to strategise and push back against current exclusionary policy and harmful narratives around trans people’s human rights.

Person Specification

Essentials

1. Extensive experience in developing and managing campaigns in the arena of social justice, equalities and human rights, including demonstrable evidence of working in strategic partnerships with others to develop and deliver campaign goals
2. An ability to take decisions in a holistic and strategic manner that makes progress towards long term goals, equality and human rights realisation
3. Strong interpersonal skills, including the ability and flexibility to work cooperatively and to rise above personal, ideological and other differences, to build relationships and work effectively with a wide range of stakeholders in building lasting and meaningful partnerships.
4. Experience of engaging with the press and mainstream media in written and oral formats
5. A strong understanding of and demonstrable commitment to LGBTQIA+ equality and human rights across a spectrum of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities.
6. Some understanding of how the policy and practice of national and local government, service providers and employers can impact on equality and human rights for LGBTQIA+ people.
7. Experience of working under pressure in a fast-changing situation where flexibility is required.
8. Strong written and oral communication skills including an ability to effectively advocate and make the case for change, to explain issues in accessible terms, and to match communication style to different audiences.
9. An ability to work on own initiative and organise a programme of concurrent work and activities.
10. Understanding of intersectional equality issues.

Desirables

1. Understanding of strategic communications
2. Existing networks with individuals and organisations working to improve equality and human rights either in Scotland, the UK or internationally
3. Awareness of international equalities and human rights initiatives, related social justice campaigns and how international developments may influence Scotland specific developments

How to apply

Please complete your application using a word document or voice recording and submit as a pdf or standard audio file as per directions below.

Please state how your knowledge, skills and experience meet each of the person specifications for this post as outlined. If you do not have the relevant experience, knowledge or skills, please refer to any relevant experience that would illustrate your ability to develop these skills. Use as much space as you need.

Please only state your name in your application document or audio file when saving your document/file as this will be removed before it reaches the assessing panel. We keep applications anonymous when assessing applications.

Please also complete a diversity monitoring form (docx file) and include this within a separate email attachment alongside your pdf application. This form will remain confidential and will not be seen by those assessing applications.

Please submit your application papers to claudia@equality-network.org by the 10^th of April at 5pm.

If you have any questions, please email Claudia.

If you would like to discuss the role ahead of applying, please reach out to rebecca@equality-network.org

If successful you will be informed via email ahead of an online interview before the week commencing the 20^th April. There may be a need to have a follow up interview beyond the first. Interviews will be held online during the week commencing the 27^th of April.

At this interview candidates will be asked questions that tightly align with the above person specification.

Ahead of interview you will also be asked to prepare for an activity, produce an output or to present a short presentation addressing a key theme to the role. Information about this aspect will be shared with candidates shortlisted for interview at least one week in advance of interview date.