Community Development & Social Enterprise
Role Overview
The Director of Venture Support Services will drive the strategic development and growth of The Ventures Lab’s pooled services. This role requires a strong balance of strategic leadership, operational oversight, and stakeholder engagement to ensure high-quality service delivery and long-term sustainability.
A key part of this role will be building and leading a team to deliver high-quality business support services. The successful candidate will be responsible for recruiting, managing, and developing a team of professionals to ensure seamless service delivery.
Additionally, the Director of Venture Support Services will develop a network of professional partners across various sectors and disciplines, securing a community of trusted advisors, pro-bono experts, and service providers who are committed to supporting purpose-led businesses through volunteering, discounted services, or strategic collaboration.
Growth Targets
In 2025, The Ventures Lab aims to recruit 20 new businesses into the pooled services model. From there, we plan to grow by a minimum of 50% year on year, steadily increasing our reach and impact. The Director of Venture Support Services will play a crucial role in achieving these targets by ensuring the model is scalable, effective, and financially sustainable.
Key Responsibilities:
* Conduct in-depth market research to assess industry trends, customer needs, and competitive landscapes for ventures in the Builder Programme.
* Support ventures in market segmentation, including defining each target market, its wants and needs, and how the venture will address them.
* Analyse market size and challenges, assessing potential demand and barriers to entry.
* Provide insights on market outlook, identifying emerging trends and long-term growth potential.
* Assist ventures in defining their target market.
* Guide ventures through competitive analysis, identifying key competitors and highlighting key differences between their businesses and the venture’s offering.
* Assess competitive advantages and positioning within the market.
* Conduct customer validation through surveys, focus groups, and interviews.
* Provide data-driven recommendations to refine business models, value propositions, and go-to-market strategies.
* Work collaboratively with entrepreneurs, mentors, and advisors within The Ventures Lab to integrate research findings into business planning.
This is more than just a role; it’s an opportunity to be at the heart of Scotland’s social enterprise movement, helping ventures reach £1m+ in revenue within 3-5 years and driving real, measurable change.
Working Conditions:
* Hybrid: Glasgow, with travel within Scotland.
* Closing: 23rd April 2025.
Qualifications:
* Education: A qualification (or evidence of experience) in community development, environmental science, horticulture, or a related field is desirable.
* Experience: Previous experience in community development, volunteer management, or gardening is highly desirable. Experience in carrying out risk assessments and implementing controls is essential.
* Skills: Excellent organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills. Ability to work independently and as part of a team. Knowledge of sustainable gardening practices and principles.
* Personal Attributes: Passion for community engagement and sustainable development. Creative, proactive, and adaptable with a strong commitment to making a positive impact.
Additional Requirements:
* There is no public transport, so the successful candidate will need to be able to get to the garden site and other local venues.
* The successful candidate will need to obtain a PVG (protection of vulnerable groups) certificate from Disclosure Scotland.
* £18 per hour.
* The post will be for one day per week for one year.
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