We are currently recruiting for Knowledge and Learning (K&L) Officers to join our team, and we thought this would be a great opportunity to introduce you to the work of our Knowledge and Learning team.

About the team

Our Knowledge and Learning team are responsible for understanding the impact of our grant making via internal and external engagement, making funding teams aware of political and legislative changes that impact our funding, facilitating learning events and producing research reports and briefings about our different programmes.

K&L aim to amplify the voice of grant holders and organisations across the third sector through their reporting and engagement. The team use their role to break down the barriers that communities face when applying for funding, whether that be an issue of equity and inclusion, or an outcome of our internal processes. We then use the knowledge and learning that the team have gathered to inform our funding decisions across the Scotland Directorate, whether that be through policy/legislative updates or feedback on our previous programmes.

The work of Knowledge and Learning

You’ll often find them carrying out desk-based research in the Glasgow office, attending third sector meetings and events, and interviewing/surveying third sector organisations about their experience of the funding process. The team also get involved with the planning, hosting and facilitating of our own events, for both internal and external audiences. A large part of K&L’s work is to provide support, this includes feeding into various external funder networks, supporting internal Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) and Environment working groups and working closely with colleagues in funding and support teams.

The team have recently produced a report on Participatory Grant Making (PGM), and in response to the marked rise in food insecurity recently, they compiled a briefing on the ‘Pantry Model’ in Glasgow. These pieces of work have then been disseminated internally to our Scotland Committee and our colleagues, and externally to stakeholders including grant holders and Scottish Government.

K&L have also recently launched our monthly learning event, Spotlight. They invite two organisations to come and speak on a thematic area related to developments in policy. The topics of the last two events were Destitution in Scotland and The Asylum Experience in Scotland, respectively. Over the past year, the team have also supported the Knowledge and Learning network at CEMVO to understand the barriers faced by Ethnic Minority communities in the funding landscape.

We’re recruiting!

We’re currently recruiting for Knowledge and Learning officers to join the team. The type of person we’d be looking for would be dynamic and enjoy working on a range of projects. Each week as a K&L Officer looks quite different, but that’s part of the enjoyment of the role. You would regard research (and/or learning) as integral to inducing change. You would be experimental and open-minded in your approach to presenting your findings, and up for taking on collaborative projects with other members of the team. You would be comfortable engaging with stakeholders of all kinds, from community to organisations to officers in Scottish Government.  

The job is perfect for someone who would like to gain insight into the third sector as a whole; as the biggest third sector funder, the role gives a great overview of the types of projects happening all across Scotland. It is a great fit for someone who enjoys a blend of desk-based work and engaging with communities both online and in-person.

To find out more about the role and apply, visit our website.