Purpose  

The Young Women’s Movement is Scotland’s national organisation for young women and girls’ leadership and rights: working collectively, leading meaningful change and creating a more equal society. Young women are at the heart of everything we do. Our movement is informed, shaped and led by and for young women. For 100 years, we have been a collective force that has, and will continue to, change things for the better for all young women across Scotland.   

We work directly with young women and girls to equip them to lead change on issues that matter to them and create safe spaces where they can gain confidence, knowledge and skills. We support young women to amplify their voices in their communities and in decision-making spaces.    

Our Policy and Participation Coordinator will play a key role in the delivery of an exciting two-year initiative aimed at increasing young women’s political literacy, engagement in democratic processes, and participation in national influencing efforts. This will include coordinating project activities whilst also supporting our broader influencing and policy agenda, ensuring young women are at the heart of all our work.   

Key responsibilities  

Youth participation   

• Lead on the coordination and delivery of our policy and influencing projects for young women and girls e.g. Young Women Demand / Young Women Lead and policy scrutiny groups.   

• Build meaningful relationships with diverse young women and girls from across Scotland, with particular focus on those experiencing marginalisation or underrepresentation.  

• Facilitate workshops, meetings and co-design sessions that support young women to develop political literacy, leadership skills, confidence, and advocacy capacity.  

• Offer direct support and signposting to young women participating in the programme, upholding safeguarding and wellbeing principles at all times.  

• Work with the Programmes Team to create and facilitate opportunities for young women to directly engage with decision-makers, amplifying their lived experiences and leadership through mechanisms such as parliamentary evidence sessions, meetings with MSPs/MPs, or strategic campaigns.  

• Ensure youth participation is meaningful, not tokenistic, and embedded across all aspects of our policy and influencing work.   

Policy & parliamentary engagement   

• Coordinate young women’s involvement in policy analysis and scrutiny, including the development of manifestos, evaluation of party policies, and engagement with democratic processes.   

• Work with the Communications team and young women to coordinate the co-design and delivery of public campaigns, resources, and communications.   

• Support young women to engage directly with elected officials, stakeholders and decision-makers, including coordinating meetings, roundtables and accountability events.  

• Track policy developments relevant to young women’s rights and identify timely opportunities for influencing.  

• Contribute to written outputs including blogs, briefing papers, policy recommendations and final project reports.  

• Work with the Events and Partnerships Lead to organise and deliver large scale and impactful events aimed at decision-makers and/or young women.   

• Build positive relationships with key political and policy stakeholders and represent the Young Women’s Movement at external meetings and events where appropriate.  

Project coordination   

• Develop and manage project timelines, ensuring key milestones and deliverables are met across projects.   

• Monitor and evaluate policy and influencing projects, demonstrating impact in line with internal tracking tools and reporting to funders and stakeholders as required.  

• Maintain regular and clear communication with internal teams and external partners.  

• Contribute to risk management and safeguarding protocols throughout our work with young women and girls.   

• Ensure accessible, inclusive and rights-based practices underpin all project delivery.  

Other  

• Evening and weekend work as required   

• Undertake any other reasonable duties that may arise.   

Due to the nature of our work with children and young people, successful applicants will be required to undergo a disclosure check through the PVG Scheme. 

Everyone who works at The Young Women’s Movement:  

• Has equality at the heart of everything they do.  
• Takes a participatory approach to our work. We are for young women and by young women.  
• Builds communities of friendship and support networks, finding joy in our collective actions and connections.   
• Understands the impact of challenging inequality on those most affected by it. We lead with kindness and empathy, putting collective wellbeing at the core of our organisation.   
• Delivers our work with integrity and are proud of the work we do.  
• Is bold and brave. We do not shy away from challenging the status quo and taking radical steps to make gender equality a reality in Scotland. 

Let’s talk about you. You will already have or be working towards:  

Knowledge and Understanding 

• Strong understanding of intersectional feminism and how structural inequality impacts young women and girls, particularly those most marginalised.  
• Knowledge of the Scottish political landscape, including parliamentary processes, young women’s democratic engagement, and key issues impacting young women’s rights.  
• Understanding of youth work principles and approaches including participatory practice.   
• Strong understanding of safeguarding, trauma-informed approaches, and accessibility.  
• Understanding of how to influence policy and public discourse through consultation responses, briefings, and public affairs work.  
• Understanding of the issues facing young women and girls in Scotland.     

Experience

• Coordinating youth participation or leadership programmes, ideally with young women or marginalised groups.  
• Facilitating groups and workshops, with a strong understanding of co-design and youth-led methods.  
• Experience in policy, advocacy or influencing work, including engaging with elected officials or decision-makers.  
• Coordinating projects, including setting timelines, tracking progress, communicating with stakeholders and monitoring and reporting on outcomes.  
• Developing and delivering campaigns using participatory practice that influence change for young women.   
• Writing or contributing to policy outputs e.g. parliamentary briefings, consultation responses and/or policy reports.  
• Organising and delivering impactful events for a range of diverse audiences.   
• Working within the Scottish political context to influence change, including engagement with parliamentarians, committees, and public services.  

Skills and Competences

• Strong facilitation and communication skills, with the ability to create welcoming, inclusive, and empowering spaces for young women.  
• Ability to think politically and critically, with an aptitude for policy analysis.  
• Excellent organisational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines in a fast-paced, values-led environment.  
• Digital competency and confidence using tools (e.g. Microsoft Teams, Google Drive, Zoom).  
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to build trusting relationships with young people, colleagues, and partners.  
• Commitment to the values and mission of the Young Women’s Movement, with a flexible, proactive and collaborative approach.  
• Strong written communication skills with the ability to present complex issues clearly, persuasively, and accessibly for a wide range of audiences.  
• Excellent verbal communication, public speaking, and presentation skills.  
• Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills, with the ability to work collaboratively with a range of partners, stakeholders, and young women.  
• Commitment to personal development, reflective practice, and continuous learning. 

Other

• Flexible and adaptable approach, with willingness to travel across Scotland when necessary.  
• A clean/full driving license is desirable to help reach young women and girls across Scotland.   

Why you should want to work with us:  

• We operate a 4-day working week which means full time is 28 hours.  
• We are supportive of flexible working arrangements in addition to the 4-day week. 
• Our annual leave entitlement is 28.5 days a year, including 6 public holidays. 
• We offer an additional day of leave to celebrate your birthday. 
• The organisation closes between Christmas and New Year, with no impact on your annual leave entitlement. 
• We are committed to supporting staff development through training and coaching opportunities.  
• We offer a range of enhanced feminist policies, including fertility, maternity and menopause support.  
• We are a supportive, collaborative and feminist team and board. 

Don’t meet every single requirement?    

Studies show that women and Black, Asian & Minority Ethnic people are less likely to apply for a job unless they meet every qualification. So, if you’re excited about this role but your experience doesn’t align perfectly with the job description, we’d love you to apply anyway. You might just be the perfect person for this role, or another role within The Young Women’s Movement. 

Recruitment process  

The deadline for applications is 9am on Monday 7^th July 2025.   

  

Please complete both The Young Women’s Movement Application Form and Equal Opportunities Form on our website.  

  

Interviews will take place online on 17^th July. Due to staff capacity and recruitment timescales the interview dates are fixed and it is unlikely we will be able to accommodate requests for alternative interview dates.   

  

If your application is successful in progressing to the interview stages, we will inform you no later than 5pm on Thursday 10^th July.   

  

If you would like to discuss any accessibility requirements for the recruitment process or the role, please contact our Acting CEO Emma Hill – Emma@youngwomenscot.org and we will be happy to discuss.