ADS Scotland Programme Adviser

Job Description

The Role

ADS is the UK trade association advancing leadership in aerospace, security, defence and space, to enable prosperity and clean, secure growth for our nation. Whether representing industry, connecting our members with business opportunities or driving forward innovation and growth, ADS is at the forefront of an array of activities, events and programmes that benefit our 1800 members. An exciting opportunity has arisen to work as a key part of our Scotland office reporting into the management team.

Reporting to the ADS Scotland Director and with a dotted line to the Director of External Affairs, ADS Regions, the Programme Advisor is responsible for supporting strategic, operational and coordination capacity across ADS Scotland and alignment with teams working in ADS Regions to ensure the effective identification of new opportunities that benefit ADS members.

The role holder will thrive in a very busy and dynamic environment that requires the ability to multi-task effectively, work independently and be focused on operational delivery. They will be comfortable working to tight deadlines on a regular basis, whilst maintaining a high level of accuracy. The role holder will also play an important role supporting and developing the ADS Scotland service offer to our members, co-ordinating this within ADS Regions.

This role is based in Edinburgh. It will require some occasional travel.

The role directly reports to the ADS Scotland Director and has dotted lines to the Director of External Affairs and Director of Partnerships and Events in ADS Regions. ​

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The Candidate

We are looking for a highly motivated, proactive and resilient individual who thrives in a fast‑paced, high‑pressure environment and takes real pride in delivering work to a high standard. You will be someone who can work confidently on your own initiative, remains persistent when managing competing priorities, and is committed to seeing tasks through to completion. This role suits a practical, hands‑on individual who enjoys “getting the job done” and maintaining momentum, even when deadlines are tight.

You will be a confident and professional communicator, comfortable engaging with colleagues, members and stakeholders at all levels of the organisation. A strong team player with a positive, can‑do attitude, you will work collaboratively across teams to support the delivery of high‑profile stakeholder engagement and activity. You will also be proactive in identifying opportunities for improvement and new ways of working, helping to coordinate delivery in a complex organisational environment.

Strong organisational and administrative skills are essential. You will be highly organised, able to manage and prioritise a varied workload, multitask effectively, and maintain excellent diary and time‑management practices without compromising accuracy or attention to detail. You will take ownership of your responsibilities, remain flexible in your approach to workload and working hours, and adapt confidently to changing priorities.

We are seeking someone who consistently presents a professional image of ADS and is motivated by delivering an efficient, proactive and high‑quality service to our members. An open and flexible mindset, with a willingness to learn, develop new skills and embrace change, is key.

You will be confident using Microsoft Office applications including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, with the enthusiasm to learn new systems and tools as required to support continuous improvement and effective delivery.

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The Contract & Benefits

Contract; Permanent, full time, 37.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday

Location; Hybrid working; Based in the Edinburgh Office with two days from home (depending on business requirements) ​

​Job Description; ADS Scotland Programme Adviser - Job Description.docx

Benefits; bonus, pension, private health insurance, life insurance, season ticket loan, cycle to work scheme, 9-day fortnight, hybrid working, extended remote working, enhanced parental leave, 28 days annual leave, buy additional annual leave, long service additional annual leave