1004-374 Accessibility Project Manager - D Grade - March 2024

By the end of year one, you will have built a strong foundation for maintaining and improving accessibility across NatureScot, enabled by high levels of awareness, skills and commitment. As part of the continued commitments to NatureScot's values, we work to exceed the legal minimum Accessibility Requirements where practicable.

You will work closely with various teams including the Communications Team, People and Organisational Development Equalities Team, Information and Cyber Security Team, and staff involved in the Information Management programme, and Scottish Government to integrate accessibility into every stage of the development process. Your responsibilities will include conducting accessibility audits, providing guidance on accessibility standards, and facilitating training sessions to enhance accessibility awareness across NatureScot.

Responsibilities

• Advocating for accessibility best practices throughout the organisation.


• Management of a full-time accessibility officer


• Staying up-to-date with accessibility guidelines, standards and best practices.


• Establishing relationships and work effectively within an agile delivery model with colleagues and external providers.


• Collaborating with designers, developers, and content creators to implement accessible design principles and practices.


• Supporting teams to ensure systems and components have been built with accessibility in mind.


• Undertaking accessibility and usability audits including extensive use of assistive technology to ensure services are meeting appropriate standards.


• Utilising strong project management skills to coordinate accessibility projects, including communicating effectively with senior colleagues about areas of non-compliance and facilitating solutions development.


• Contributing to the development of accessibility policies and procedures.


• Conducting user testing sessions with individuals with disabilities to gather feedback on the accessibility of our products and services.


• Serving as a subject matter expert on accessibility-related matter and providing regular progress updates to NatureScot's accessibility project board.


• Developing and delivering on key performance indicators (KPIs).


• Delivering training to build capability., Whether working at home or in an office, or travelling to meetings and site visits, as a NatureScot you will contribute to our Net Zero plan, for example through positive carbon travel choices. You will aim to minimise travel in accordance with NatureScot's low carbon operating procedures. However, you will, in some circumstances, be expected to work with colleagues and stakeholders from across Scotland, which will involve some travel and may involve overnight stays.
  
  Our Opportunity Are you an experienced accessibility project lead, with the legal, technical and project management skills to help ensure NatureScot's internal and external digital platforms and apps are accessible to all, including people with disabilities? Do you have proven abilities to persuade and enthuse colleagues of all grades and backgrounds to back your plans? Are you up for managing a small team and working with colleagues who love nature and are committed to a nature positive future for Scotland?, You're outcome focused. You're proactive. You will get out there to understand and audit the accessibility of systems most used by NatureScot's people, with a view to then making all documents and systems accessible. You're clear about the goals of your role and how they fit with NatureScot's commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and legal obligations on accessibility as well as our business priorities.


To be successful in this role, it's essential you have a strong knowledge of current accessibility regulations and what must be done across the organisation to meet and where possible, exceed them. You'll have experience of, and understand, the world of public service.,
• Strong understanding of accessibility guidelines, standards, and best practices, with prior experience in a similar role preferred.


• Familiarity with assistive technologies and their application in testing and auditing.


• Proven project management capabilities, including the ability to prioritise tasks and manage multiple projects simultaneously.


• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with diverse teams.


• A commitment to promoting inclusivity and accessibility in digital spaces.


• Relevant certifications or qualifications in accessibility, usability, or related fields would be advantageous.


• Experience of Microsoft Teams, M365 and Power Bi (data analytics, representation) will also be advantageous.


Prerequisites Required

• Proof of right to work in UK.


• To undertake a Disclosure Scotland application.


• Although Gaelic language is not a prerequisite it is a desirable skill in support of our commitment to our Gaelic Language Plan
  
  Then the exciting role of Accessibility Project Lead within the Communications Team at NatureScot could be the perfect fit for you.


What you'll contribute Yours will be a critical area of work, which we as a Public Sector organisation must fulfil under the Accessibility Regulations 2018. It's a great opportunity to be at the forefront of all platforms that inform, engage and inspire our employees, stakeholders and the public.

Driving high quality accessible content is government legislation. The implementation of that legislation is evolving, but at its core is ensuring digital services are designed and developed with accessibility front and centre. Your role will be pivotal in fostering a culture of accessibility and ensuring that accessibility is fundamental to everything we do.

NatureScot offers some great benefits to reward and support you whilst you are working for us. Our benefits package includes the civil service pension scheme, a generous holiday leave allowance plus flexi time, and employee discount scheme. Visit the NatureScot website for further details.