About The Role

Lead and develop the SCS Resourcing Team, delivering a high-quality, inclusive and customer-focused recruitment service. Oversee SCS recruitment operations, ensuring effective delivery, compliance and continuous improvement. Build trusted relationships with senior leaders, using data, insight and expertise to influence workforce planning and recruitment decisions that support organisational priorities.

Responsibilities

Lead, coach and develop the SCS Resourcing Team ensuring that resource is effectively aligned to priorities and is adapting to changing demands across the SCS landscape.
Lead the end-to-end delivery of a high-quality, flexible SCS resourcing service, working in partnership with the wider Attraction & Resourcing team to meet organisational priorities and to continually improve/evolve our service delivery.
Shape and embed an inclusive, candidate and hiring manager–centred approach, ensuring a consistently positive, accessible and high-quality experience across all recruitment activity.
Build and maintain strong, trusted relationships with senior stakeholders (Directors, DGs and Permanent Secretary) providing expert advice and influencing senior management decisions on workforce planning, via quarterly commissions, and recruitment delivery.
Oversee the effective planning and delivery of SCS recruitment campaigns, ensuring they run smoothly, efficiently and in line with Civil Service Recruitment Principles and governance requirements.
Ensure the accuracy, integrity and effective use of resourcing data, driving high-quality management information and insight to inform decision-making and workforce planning.
Establish, monitor and report on key performance indicators (KPIs), service level agreements (SLAs) and operational metrics to track performance, manage risk and drive continuous improvement.
Identify, prioritise and lead continuous improvement initiatives to optimise processes, reduce time-to-hire and enhance both candidate and hiring manager experience.
Act as a recognised subject matter expert on Civil Service recruitment policy, providing authoritative guidance and ensuring compliance across all activity.

Qualifications

Chartered Member of the CIPD or 80% completion of Chartered or Associate membership.
Proof of qualifications will be checked at the assessment stage.
Success profile

Experience

Experience in managing recruitment operations.
Strong understanding of Civil Service Recruitment Principles and public sector governance.
Ability to manage and motivate teams to deliver at pace in changing circumstances.
Senior stakeholder engagement with good influencing and negotiation skills.
Ownership of data governance and data quality, MI and insights.

Behaviours

Managing a quality service - level 4
Changing and improving - level 4
Communicating and influencing - level 4
Leadership - level 4

Find out more about Success Profiles .

How to apply

Apply online, providing a CV and supporting statement (of no more than 500 words) providing evidence of how you meet the behaviours, experience and technical skills listed in the Success Profile above. Both the CV and the supporting statement provided will be assessed against the criteria for the role.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools can be used to support your application, but all statements and examples provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, and presented as your own) applications will be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.

Please see our candidate guidance for more information on acceptable and unacceptable uses of AI in recruitment.

If invited for further assessment, this will consist of an interview and Presentation. Assessments are scheduled for w/c 21st September however this may be subject to change.

Skilled Worker Sponsorship being offered

This role has been assessed as eligible for Skilled Worker sponsorship and is therefore being advertised with the option of sponsorship where required. Any offer of sponsorship remains subject to the individual meeting all other relevant Home Office eligibility and compliance requirements at the time of appointment.

Recruitment Principles

As a government organisation, we adhere to the Civil Service Commission Recruitment Principles and we investigate any complaints received in relation to recruitment cases.

About us

The Scottish Government is the devolved government for Scotland. We have responsibility for a wide range of key policy areas including: education, health, the economy, justice, housing and transport. We offer rewarding careers and employ people across Scotland in a wide range of professions and roles.

Our staff are part of the UK Civil Service , observing the Civil Service Code and working for Ministers and senior stakeholders to deliver vital public services which improve the lives of the people of Scotland.

We offer a supportive and inclusive working environment along with a wide range of employee benefits. Find out more about what we offer .

As part of the UK Civil Service, we uphold the Civil Service Nationality Rules .

Working pattern

Our standard hours are 35 hours per week and we offer a range of flexible working options depending on the needs of the role, including Flexi-leave. Scottish Government staff in hybrid-compatible roles should aim to work in-person 40% of the time, either in an office or other agreed work location. If you have specific questions about the role you are applying for, please contact us.

Security checks

Successful candidates must complete the Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS), before they can be appointed. BPSS is comprised of four main pre-employment checks – Identity, Right to work, Employment History and a Criminal Record check (unspent convictions).

You can find out more about BPSS on the UK Government website , and read about the Government Vetting Charter , or about all the different levels of security checks in our Candidate Guide .

This vacancy will also require all candidates to obtain National Security Vetting (NSV) at Security Check (SC) clearance level. The successful applicant may need to gain higher security clearance than they currently hold if successful in their application.

Further information about NSV checks can be found on the UK Government website - National security vetting: clearance levels - GOV.UK .

Equality statement

We are committed to equality and inclusion and we aim to recruit a diverse workforce that reflects the population of our nation.

Find out more about our commitment to diversity and how we offer and support recruitment adjustments for anyone who needs them.

Further information

Find out more about our organisation, what we offer staff members and how to apply on our Careers Website .

Read our Candidate Guide for further information on our recruitment and application processes.

Apply before: 9th September (23:59)