Summary
Work history
Overview
Education
Skills
VOLUNTEER ROLES
Timeline
Louise McQuaid

Louise McQuaid

Orkney

Summary

Dynamic and innovative leader with a proven track record of overcoming challenges through creative problem-solving and a commitment to continuous improvement. Known for a tenacious drive to achieve results and an openness to new ideas, I excel at building capacity and fostering collaboration. With a focus on project management, business development, and inclusive leadership, I am dedicated to driving impactful change. Passionate about children's advocacy, equitable education and lifelong learning, rural community development, and rural resilience and sustainability, I bring a solutions-oriented approach and a 'can-do' attitude to every endeavour, ensuring success through organisation, coaching, and democratic leadership.

Work history

Programme Executive

Young Enterprise Scotland
12.2022 - Current
  • Embedding enterprise education in 32 Local Authorities across Scotland as part of Scotland Can Do and contributing to the Young Persons Guarantee.
  • Delivery of a suite of 8 digital CLPL workshops and 2 x 40 hour courses
  • Bespoke regional local authority probationer teacher professional learning design and delivery
  • Workshop delivery to all Scottish University providers of initial teacher education
  • Multi disciplinary stakeholder engagement to work collaboratively across education platforms with educators, Local Authorities, third sector, Scottish Government, and cross border partnerships
  • Level 9 SCQF Tutor
  • Manage an online membership database of over 5000 members
  • Digital content and resource creation
  • Designed and partnered for regional enterprise education workshops in schools and professional learning
  • Hybrid working - digital delivery, meeting planning and administrative skills using CRM database
  • Monitoring and reporting to Scottish Government on ongoing projects to achieve KPIs
  • Identifying factors in social, political and economic trends and policy with impacts on funding and thematic trends.
  • Developed stakeholder engagement strategy increasing engagement as the operational team reduced from 3 to 1.
  • Preparing agendas for internal staff, external stakeholders and CPD meetings and subsequently implemented agreed action points.
  • Led policy research and analysis projects to drive evidence-based policy making into enterprise education and national economic growth to guide policies and programmes.
  • Internal staff mentoring, organisational learning and development workshop delivery and training design and delivery

Director (Policy Lead and HR)

Stronsay Development Trust
Stronsay, Orkney
04.2024 - Current
  • Volunteer role on operational Board of Directors based on community wealth building and capacity building
  • Strategy, development planning and place planning.
  • Capital Project, operational and fixed term project oversight and management
  • Management of interim daily operations by overseeing financials, key performance indicators and employee performance.
  • Lead on Carbon Neutral Islands Project and Community Carbon Action Plan
  • Line management responsibility of employees.
  • Mentorship and trainee programme development and implementation
  • Implemented company policies and legal guidelines.
  • Lead internal audit and investigation
  • Designed business strategies to obtain short and long-term goals for company through quality assurance processes.
  • Developed key operational initiatives with bid and tender writing to drive and maintain operation and growth

Company Director and Founder

Bayview Transport Limited
07.2023 - Current
  • Lead on strategic planning initiatives to drive family run transport SME growth and profitability.
  • Management of administrative, HR and governance facilities of the business, including policy writing, contract writing
  • Facilitating multilateral business approaches to develop island transportation solutions and tourist demand.
  • Development of professional relationships with business partners, shareholders and authorities to establish trust, rapport and reliability.
  • Leverage of industry expertise to navigate regulatory compliance and legal considerations.
  • Financial management, achieving optimal resource allocation and maximum ROI.
  • Launched new, innovative projects based on customer demand including business expansion and community transport solutions
  • Tender writing
  • Establishing processes to ensure relevancy and governance.
  • Designed business strategies to acquire short and long-term goals for company.
  • Oversight of daily company operations to reach financial targets.

Independent Researcher

Self Employed
02.2024 - Current
  • Key areas: rural communities mental health and wellbeing, social justice in education
  • Co-designed research and ethics processes to submit towards an international proposition paper with the Community Knowledge Matters network
  • Analysis of data from the Scotland wide research
  • Co-author of book chapter 'Co-Designing Ethical and Accessible Rural Mental Health Research' in Ethics of Place: Navigating Critical Issues in Rural Research .
  • community engagement with grassroots communities to experience based research
  • Evaluation and analysis of qualitative research findings to provide key development insight that advocates change impacting policy makers
  • Review of research proposals and evaluated feasibility to determine action.
  • Public speaker at conventions, seminars and conferences.

Project Officer

Stronsay Development Trust
03.2022 - 02.2024
  • Developed equitable community research to improve mental wellbeing in rural communities
  • Developed and implemented community initiatives across 6 Orkney outer islands
  • Co-authored research report with recommendations
  • Defined the project scope, delivering on community engagement and stakeholder engagement
  • Led event management and activity planning for a wide range of community participants including youth projects
  • Lead on preparation of presentations and publications of research findings.
  • Delivered on projects' key objectives with agreed budgets, timelines and ToR from funders.
  • Identified and managed budget, timescale and scope changes, recommending and implementing actions and improvements to meet project goals.
  • Implemented and maintained systems and processes for successful planning and project management.
  • Developed and maintained project timescales, providing contingency planning to support timely completion.
  • Implemented new research methods to gather new and emerging data.

Chief Invigilator

Scottish Qualifications Authority
Stronsay, Orkney
10.2023 - Current
  • Developed training session for invigilation team.
  • Co-ordination with school SQA co-ordinator to meet the needs of students.
  • Responsible for receipt and safe storage of exam papers.
  • Responsible for accurate recording of students and exam delivery.
  • Upholding the rules of examination.
  • Identifying, resolving and reporting any problems.

Support for Learning

Stronsay Junior High School
10.2019 - 03.2023

SEN Teaching Assistant

Oakhurst Community First School
05.2018 - 07.2019

Exams Invigilator

Queen Elizabeth's School
04.2019 - 07.2019

Overview

7
7
years of professional experience

Education

Master's degree - Education - Social Justice, Equity, Equality

Open University
2021 -
  • Part time study. PG Diploma achieved
  • In final dissertation year. Due to complete September 2025

Scottish Qualifications Certificate - Supporting the enterprise journey

Young Enterprise Scotland

Ordinary Bachelor's Degree Level 9 NFQ BA - Technical and Production Arts

Royal Scottish Academy of Music And Drama, Glasgow
2005

A-Levels -

Roseberry Sixth Form
2000 - 2002

Theatre Studies A | English Language B | English Literature C | History D

GCSEs -

Roseberry, Durham
1998 - 2000/2000

11 GCSEs A*-C

Skills

  • Education policy and strategy
  • Lifelong training and development, tutor and mentor
  • Project Management
  • Stakeholder engagement strategy and engagement
  • Business development and strategic decision making
  • Processes implementation
  • Financial reporting and analysis
  • Research design, ethics and analysis

VOLUNTEER ROLES

Community Councillor, Stronsay Community Council, Oct 2024-present


Trustee, Stronsay Development Trust, April 2024-present


Stronsay Drama Committee, Jan 2024-present


Trustee, Homestart Orkney Sep 2022-present


RLSS, Community Pool Lifeguard July 2022-July 2024


Trauma Risk Management Practitioner, Royal Marines Association 2015-2019

  • Signposting charity for veterans accessing a range of services, providing intake, assessment and appropriate intervention to clients experiencing crises.
  • Condor Playgroup Committee 2013-2014


Timeline

Director (Policy Lead and HR) - Stronsay Development Trust
04.2024 - Current
Independent Researcher - Self Employed
02.2024 - Current
Chief Invigilator - Scottish Qualifications Authority
10.2023 - Current
Company Director and Founder - Bayview Transport Limited
07.2023 - Current
Programme Executive - Young Enterprise Scotland
12.2022 - Current
Project Officer - Stronsay Development Trust
03.2022 - 02.2024
Support for Learning - Stronsay Junior High School
10.2019 - 03.2023
Exams Invigilator - Queen Elizabeth's School
04.2019 - 07.2019
SEN Teaching Assistant - Oakhurst Community First School
05.2018 - 07.2019
Open University - Master's degree, Education - Social Justice, Equity, Equality
2021 -
Young Enterprise Scotland - Scottish Qualifications Certificate, Supporting the enterprise journey
Royal Scottish Academy of Music And Drama - Ordinary Bachelor's Degree Level 9 NFQ BA, Technical and Production Arts
Roseberry Sixth Form - A-Levels,
2000 - 2002
Roseberry - GCSEs,
1998 - 2000/2000

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Louise McQuaid