TCV
Connecting people and green spaces
Job Vacancies
Green Skills Leader
Location: Edinburgh
Salary: £30,085 per annum
Hours: 35 per week (full time)
Contract Type: Fixed term until 31/03/2028
Apply by 17th November 2026
About the role
The John Muir Way is one of Scotland's most iconic long-distance walking routes, spanning 134 miles from Helensburgh on the west coast to Dunbar on the east. The John Muir Way Green Skills programme, a three-year initiative funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, focuses on improving biodiversity along this route, creating opportunities for trainees aged 16 - 24 years old with barriers to employment, to learn new skills, build confidence, and contribute to Scotland's natural and cultural heritage.
The John Muir Way Green Skills programme is a 3-year employability initiative with 18 months remaining, through which a total of 72 trainees are engaging in practical biodiversity tasks and projects along the route. The Green Skills Traineeship helps build practical skills, knowledge and confidence for work, volunteering or further learning in the environmental and conservation sector.
The programme aims to bridge the skills gap and tackle workforce challenges, increase connectivity and break down the disconnect with nature, and create accessible opportunities that recognise and value different ways of thinking, learning and engaging.
As the Edinburgh Green Skills Leader you will lead a team of six Green Skills Trainees per year, including the existing cohort. The post holder will have overall responsibility for line managing the trainees, leading delivery of practical training and the delivery of practical biodiversity enhancement tasks on partner sites. In Edinburgh the Green Skills Leader will liaise with greenspace teams from City of Edinburgh Council and community groups to agree sites and projects. This role will also contribute to the project evaluation, local budget management, and programme promotion. Trainees are in attendance 3 days per week (Monday - Wednesday), the role is hybrid and you will be required to be on site on the same days that the trainees are present and for team meetings.
You will be part of a team of 4 Green Skills Leaders working with Scottish Canals and Local Authorities along the route.
You will work closely with the People Advisor and People Admin Coordinator managing the schedule of external training, trainee attendance, annual leave, onboarding, and programme exiting of trainees. These roles will report into the John Muir Way Green Skills Operations Leader.
Experience of leading a small team.
Previous management of a training programme/structured delivery model.
Mentoring and/or coaching young people.
A passion for supporting young people to achieve their goals.
Knowledge and understanding of practical biodiversity projects and events.
Experience in recruiting and managing trainees and/or other stakeholders.
Experience in working in partnership with multiple organisations with potentially differing demands.
Support trainees through regular one-to-one meetings to agree personal goals, review their progress and plan next steps.
A full, clean or near clean UK driving licence is required for this post, which has been held for a minimum of one year.
To fulfil the role, you must be resident in the UK and have the right to work in the UK.
Safeguarding
TCV is committed to safeguarding the wellbeing of children and adults at risk.
All employees are expected to follow TCV's Safeguarding Policy, complete mandatory safeguarding training, and promptly report any concerns.
Safeguarding is a core part of working safely and responsibly at TCV.
A bit more about us
We are The Conservation Volunteers.
Our vision is Better Nature For All.
Our mission is to connect people together to protect and restore nature, delivering lasting benefits for both
Since 1959, The Conservation Volunteers has been a charity creating opportunities for people to create, improve and care for nature in the green spaces around them across the UK.
Our variety of projects cover a bit of everything involving nature. Volunteers muddy their boots in parks, community gardens, woodland, sites of special scientific interest, nature reserves, schools and hospital grounds, helping create a glorious network of protected green space across the UK.
This work connects people with nature, and that connection delivers powerful results.
Join in, feel good.
Please take a moment to view the recruitment pack.
Please view the job description.
It's important to demonstrate that you meet the criteria outlined in the job description.
How to apply
Please submit your completed application form to Tricia Burden no later than midnight on 17th November 2026. We reserve the right to close the vacancy early or extend the closing date depending on the number of applicants. This is to ensure that we can manage application levels whilst maintaining a positive candidate experience.
Please download TCV's fillable PDF application form. Alternatively, you can download the TCV application form in a non-fillable PDF or Word format.
If you download the PDF form we advise opening it in Adobe Acrobat Reader to complete it. Online PDF previewers (e.g., Google Drive) do not always support form completion.
Interviews will be held on 23 November 2026 via Microsoft Teams.
Occasionally, we receive a large number of responses to our advertisements. If you do not hear from us within two weeks of the closing date (17th November 2026), please assume that your application has been unsuccessful on this occasion. Thank you for your interest in TCV.
To better understand who is applying for and obtaining roles at TCV, please complete our Equality and Diversity Monitoring Form. You can download this in either PDF or Word format. This information is crucial for identifying and eliminating barriers that may prevent people from joining us. Rest assured, this data will not be part of your application evaluation.
Our goal is to create a diverse and inclusive organisation where everyone's individuality is recognised and valued. We believe that embracing diversity helps us achieve our goals more effectively. We welcome applications from all individuals who wish to be part of our future, regardless of age, sex, race, disability, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital/civil partnership status, or pregnancy and maternity.
As a Disability Confident Employer, we offer interviews to all applicants who have a disability, impairment or mental or physical health condition who meet the minimum criteria for the job. We provide reasonable adjustments and are committed to having an inclusive and accessible recruitment process.
If you wish to be considered under this scheme, please tell us in the appropriate part of the application form.
Acceptable Use - Artificial Intelligence (AI)
We recognise that candidates may use AI tools to support their application, for example to help structure or edit written responses or as an accessibility aid. TCV does not prohibit appropriate use of AI for these purposes. However, the information you submit should accurately reflect your own experience, skills and understanding.
During interviews and other assessments, we expect candidates to respond independently without the use of AI tools, unless its use has been agreed as a reasonable adjustment.
Reasonable Adjustments
We are happy to consider any reasonable adjustments that candidates may need during the recruitment process, and you will be asked whether you require any during your application. If you would like to discuss your requirements further please contact the People Team via email or by telephone on 01302 388883. We also offer reasonable adjustments on the job.
Pre-employment checks
Any employment with TCV will be subject to the following checks prior to your start date:
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