Last updated: 09/07/2025

Key info

Post: Volunteer Trustee/Director (Multiple roles available)

Location: Remote – Occasional Meetings In-Person

Salary: Unremunerated, Reasonable Travel Costs will be Reimbursed

We are looking for dynamic and committed candidates to join our Trustee board – in this role you will be a steward of the organisation, act as a critical and challenging friend to the senior leadership team, and be our ambassadors in the community. Our vision is of a Scotland where single parent families are celebrated in all their diversity, are treated fairly and live free from discrimination and poverty. Our mission is to amplify the voices of single parent families in their unique role as sole carers and providers and together challenge stigma, poverty and inequality to achieve change. Our core values of Justice, Equity, Trust, Collaboration and Compassion are at the heart of everything we do and underpin all aspects of our work.

OPFS is at an exciting time in its growth, with the recent completion of our bold new strategy and the upcoming appointment of a number of senior roles within the organisation. With a long and rich 80-year history of supporting lone-parent families in Scotland, and we hope that you may wish to be a part of that story going forward.

What your responsibilities would be

Trustees are ultimately responsible for the organisation legally, and oversee operations and strategy by scrutinising reports from the Senior Leadership Team. We have four board meetings a year, you may also be asked to join one of our committees which meet four times a year, and we have an annual staff conference which we ask Trustees to attend. You may also be asked to contribute your skills and experience on an ad-hoc basis, flexibly around your schedule.

As a Trustee and Director of the organisation you will be required to comply with Charity and Company law, including confirming that you haven’t been disqualified from acting in this role. Successful candidates will receive a comprehensive induction pack and support to grow into the role, previous governance experience is welcome but not necessary.

Roles and responsibilities

• To attend Directors’ meetings and AGMs or, if unable to do so, to submit apologies. Meetings are currently held four times a year on Thursday afternoons (usually in Edinburgh). Travel expenses are paid and childcare costs or a crèche arranged. An annual schedule of meetings is available.
• To decide the policy of OPFS on major social policy issues.
• To decide the strategic direction of the organisation and to assist the Chief Executive in securing the necessary resources. To ensure that clear forward business plans and budgets are established for all OPFS work and to monitor performance in relation to the annual plan of work and in relation to annual budgets for income and expenditure. Local and national services report annually to the Board and the Chief Executive provides an overview for each meeting and briefing on relevant strategic developments.
• Possibly to be involved in relevant sub-groups. Currently OPFS has a Finance and a Personnel sub-group. These meet quarterly at times convenient to the members. The Finance sub-group normally meets on a weekday afternoon a week before Board meetings. The Personnel sub-group immediately before Board meetings.
• To keep OPFS informed of relevant developments, either by other related organisations or of issues relevant to lone parents, or in funding bodies or potential funders.
• To represent OPFS to other agencies and to the public as appropriate.

Who we’re looking for

We are recruiting multiple trustees, looking for a wide range of skills, knowledge and backgrounds, but we would particularly welcome candidates with experience of:

• Marketing & Trading Income
• Local & National Government
• Poverty & Inequality/Financial Inclusion
• Digital

If you would like to have an informal chat about becoming one of our Trustees please contact our Chief Executive Satwat Rehman at satwat.rehman@opfs.org.uk .

How to apply

If you wish to be considered for this role please send an email to jobs@opfs.org.uk entitled ‘Trustee Application’ with a CV and cover letter explaining your interest in the role and your relevant experience. The closing date for this role is midnight on 17/08/2025.