TRACS (Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland)
Chair of the Board
How your CV stacks up
Upload your CV to see how well it fits this job role
?%
TRACS Chair Opportunity
TRACS (Traditional Arts & Culture Scotland) is looking for a committed, dynamic, and experienced Chair to lead its Board of Trustees from Autumn 2026.
TRACS is a co-operative network which champions our shared traditions of music, song, storytelling, dance, crafts, customs, and indigenous languages. In 2025, TRACS was awarded Multi-Year Funding from Creative Scotland to deliver a 3-year programme celebrating and advocating for Scotland’s traditional arts in communities across the country. During this period, we seek to advance our role as a recently appointed expert NGO advisor to UNESCO on Intangible Cultural Heritage. Find out more from our website https://tracscotland.org/
Role Overview
The Chair has a leadership role and is responsible for:
- Convening and chairing board meetings
- Focusing the board on strategic matters
- Setting high standards of governance
- Ensuring TRACS is meeting its charitable objectives
- Line-managing TRACS’ CEO
The role of Chair is an unpaid position but is a crucial part of governance and leadership within TRACS.
In Brief
- Role Title: Board Chair
- Member of/elected by: Board of Trustees
- Reports to: Board of Trustees
- Main staff contacts: TRACS’ Chief Executive Officer
- Term of Office: Three years; with up to 2 re-elections (max. 9 years)
- Position: Voluntary (unpaid); reasonable expenses
Reasons to use Rodeo
Start with a chat, not a search bar
Grad scheme, placement, apprenticeship? Not sure what you want yet — that's fine. Your agent talks it through with you and turns "I have no idea" into a shortlist.
It searches the market for you
Every day your agent scans the market matching roles against what actually matters to you, not just keywords on a CV.
Only hits
No noise. No "maybe this fits." Just roles with a clear explanation of why they're right — and where to focus when applying.
Could this be me?
The TRACS Board is looking for an enthusiastic, energetic, and effective advocate for the traditional arts and the part they play within the life of Scotland and of all its people.
Among other attributes they will have:
- A personal understanding of and involvement in the range of traditional arts communities in Scotland
- Experience of performance, promotion, administration, or governance within the arts sector
- Direct experience of working across sectors in forming and nurturing partnerships and the ability to facilitate or lead multi-stakeholder development processes
- Engagement with the funding and policy environment for the arts in Scotland, the UK, and internationally
- Demonstrable experience of networking and communications at a strategic level
- Knowledge of fundraising and advocacy work
Time Commitment
- Board Meetings: The Chair convenes and chairs up to 6 full TRACS board meetings per year. These are held in person or online and generally last around 2 hours.
- Other meetings: The Chair also plays a crucial role on 2 of the 3 Board Committees – Finance & Risk, Governance & Constitution – which meet additionally throughout the year, as well as convening meetings of the Board Chairs of TRACS’ partner organisations (Scottish Storytelling Forum, Traditional Music Forum of Scotland, and other artform networks for dance and crafts).
- Line Management: Regular check-ins with the TRACS CEO
- Other commitments: Additional time is required for preparing agendas, in consultation with staff and other trustees, and reviewing papers in advance of board meetings; liaising with fellow office bearers and other board members/staff; and attending occasional board training sessions.
Get help with your application
Your very own career expert that helps elevate your application to the next level.
How to Apply
If you’re interested in leading the board of TRACS through a crucial and exciting time in the charity’s development, please:
- Download the TRACS Board Chair application pack https://tracscotland.org/news-post/newsid/27060-new-opportunity-tracs-board-chair/.
- Send an email to recruitment@tracscotland.org outlining your interest and providing details of the relevant skills, experience, and/or qualifications you would bring to the role.
TRACS has a strong commitment to Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion and to Fair Work. We welcome applications from individuals of all ages, genders, ethnicities, disabilities, sexual orientations, gender identities, socio-economic backgrounds, religions, and/or beliefs.
If you would like any further information or to have an informal conversation with current Board Chair Andrew Bachell before applying, please email him to arrange a suitable time at andrew@tracscotland.org.
Deadline for expressions of interest: Monday 31st August 2026
“It took my CV and asked me questions relevant to understanding what kind of jobs to suggest for me. Suggestions were almost perfect. Jobs were exactly what I’ve been looking for.”
Jessica, London
Skills