Director of Marketing, Communications and Information Services

Are you a strategic marketing leader ready to shape how a generation of young people access trusted information, opportunities and services?

Young Scot is looking for an ambitious and experienced Director of Marketing and Information to lead our national information, content, digital marketing, communications and platform strategy at a pivotal moment of transformation.

This is a unique opportunity to shape how Scotland’s national youth information and citizenship charity reaches, informs and engages young people aged 11–26 in an increasingly fast-moving digital world.

Central to the role will be our charitable mission, and the values that underpin everything Young Scot does. Working alongside the CEO and Senior Leadership Team, you’ll lead the strategic development of Young Scot’s information services, marketing activity, communications and branding, digital platforms and audience engagement approach, ensuring we remain relevant, trusted and innovative in how we serve young people across Scotland.

You’ll oversee the evolution of Young Scot’s digital ecosystem, including our website, app, membership and media communications and wider content infrastructure, ensuring these platforms are modern, scalable and future-ready.

This role requires a leader who is comfortable shaping strategy and delivering execution. You’ll bring experience leading teams, driving audience growth, overseeing digital products and translating emerging opportunities appropriately - including AI and new media behaviours - into practical organisational and societal advantage.

You’ll also play a central role in ensuring Young Scot continues to deliver high-quality commissioned campaigns, trusted information services and impactful engagement activity in partnership with the Scottish Government, public sector partners, commercial organisations and the wider youth sector.

If you’re a confident strategic leader, an innovative thinker, and someone excited by the opportunity to shape the future of youth information and engagement in Scotland, we’d love to hear from you!

About Young Scot

Young Scot is the national youth information and citizenship charity for young people aged 11–26 in Scotland.

We empower young people by providing trusted information, opportunities, rewards and a platform for their voices to be heard, helping them navigate life and shape their futures.

We work in partnership with central and local government, the private sector, the third sector and young people themselves to deliver meaningful impact across Scotland.

The Role

We are seeking a strategic, commercially aware and digitally confident Director of Marketing and Information to lead Young Scot’s content, digital marketing, communications, information and audience engagement functions.

This is a pivotal senior leadership role, responsible for ensuring Young Scot remains Scotland’s leading trusted youth information provider while continuing to evolve in response to changing technologies, digital behaviours and audience expectations.

The successful candidate will oversee:

• Communications and public messaging
• Brand strategy and stewardship
• Marketing and campaign delivery
• Content and social media (consumer and stakeholder-facing)
• Youth information services
• Digital platforms, websites and web portals
• Audience engagement and digital growth
• Internal and external relationship development relevant to the function

You will lead a broad portfolio spanning youth information, content strategy, digital campaigns, marketing performance, communications and brand, platform development, product innovation and audience growth.

Working closely with the CEO and Senior Leadership Team, you will ensure Young Scot’s information and engagement activity supports wider organisational objectives, strengthens relationships with stakeholders and maximises our impact with young people.

You will also identify opportunities to enhance the reach, effectiveness and sustainability of Young Scot’s digital and marketing activity through innovation, partnerships and new approaches

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

• Develop and deliver a comprehensive information, marketing and digital engagement strategy aligned with organisational priorities
• Lead Young Scot’s evolution as a trusted, future-focused national youth provider
• Advise senior leadership on digital transformation, audience engagement, emerging technologies and youth communication trends
• Contribute as a member of the Senior Leadership Team to wider organisational strategy, governance and performance
• Represent Young Scot externally with stakeholders, partners and sector leaders where appropriate

Youth Information and Content Leadership

• Oversee Young Scot’s national youth information strategy, ensuring information remains trusted, accessible, relevant and responsive
• Ensure compliance with recognised quality standards and best practice
• Lead the development and delivery of multi-channel information campaigns and content programmes
• Ensure content reflects changing youth behaviours, digital consumption patterns and platform trends
• Explore how AI, automation and emerging technologies can strengthen Young Scot’s information delivery responsibly

Marketing, Campaigns and Audience Growth

• Lead the strategic direction of Young Scot’s marketing and engagement activity across digital and offline channels
• Ensure campaigns maximise reach, relevance, participation and measurable impact
• Oversee delivery of commissioned campaigns and funded partnership activity to agreed objectives, budgets and reporting standards
• Identify opportunities to grow audience engagement, strengthen campaign effectiveness and expand impact
• Develop innovative audience growth strategies across owned, earned and partner channels, directly contributing to diversifying income generation

Communications and Brand

• Lead Young Scot’s communications strategy, public messaging and organisational reputation
• Oversee external communications, campaigns and key organisational messaging
• Provide stewardship of the Young Scot brand across all channels and touchpoints
• Ensure consistency, quality and strategic alignment in communications output
• Support senior leadership with reputation management and stakeholder communications where required

Digital Platforms and Product Development

• Provide strategic leadership across Young Scot’s digital ecosystem, including:
• young.scot
• youngscot.net
• Young Scot mobile app alongside other key teams internally
• Young Scot digital communications infrastructure
• Membership and engagement tools alongside other key teams internally

Responsibilities include:

• Ensuring platforms remain modern, scalable, secure and accessible
• Overseeing digital product strategy and ongoing development
• Improving user experience, audience journeys and engagement performance
• Identifying opportunities for stronger integration across platforms and services
• Ensuring digital infrastructure supports trusted information delivery and youth participation  

Innovation and Organisational Development

• Lead innovation across information delivery, audience engagement and digital
• Identify new technologies, tools and strategic opportunities that improve organisational effectiveness
• Support the development of future-facing products and services for young people
• Help embed a culture of innovation, experimentation and continuous improvement across the organisation

Management and Team Development

• Provide strong leadership across marketing, digital, communications and information teams
• Build a collaborative, ambitious and mission-focused culture
• Ensure teams are supported, well-managed and delivering to a high standard
• Drive clear planning, prioritisation, accountability and performance across the function

Person Specification

Essential Experience

• Significant senior leadership experience across digital, marketing, communications, content and social media.
• Experience leading complex digital platforms, audience ecosystems or large-scale engagement programmes
• Proven experience developing and delivering organisational strategy
• Track record of leading high-performing teams and delivering measurable impact
• Experience working with senior stakeholders across public, private or third sector environments
• Experience overseeing campaigns, communications, partnerships or programmes with multiple stakeholders and delivery requirements

Essential Knowledge & Skills

• Significant senior leadership experience across marketing, communications, digital, information or audience engagement functions
• Strong understanding of digital platforms, audience engagement and modern marketing strategy
• Knowledge of changing youth media consumption behaviours and communication trends
• Understanding of digital product development, user-centred design and platform ecosystems
• Strong grasp of emerging technologies including AI and digital transformation opportunities
• Excellent leadership, communication and stakeholder management skills
• Strategic thinking combined with strong operational delivery capability
• Ability to balance innovation with governance, quality and organisational accountability

Personal Attributes       

• Strategic, innovative and future-focused
• Collaborative and emotionally intelligent leader
• Highly motivated, resilient and delivery-focused
• Strong commercial awareness and problem-solving mindset
• Passionate about improving outcomes for young people
• Committed to Young Scot’s mission and a belief in our core values

Desirable

• Experience within the youth, public sector, education, charity or non-profit sectors
• Understanding of youth information standards and trusted content delivery
• Experience of digital transformation programmes
• Experience of membership, app-based or rewards-based digital products
• Knowledge of Scottish public sector communications or policy environments

Find out more: https://youngscot.net/careers/director-of-marketing-communications-and-information-services