Job description
Job title: Chief People Officer
Location: Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee and Aberdeen, with home working options
Status: Permanent
Closing date: 6 April 2023
Job ref no: R00405
The organisation
Scottish Enterprise is Scotland’s national economic development agency and a non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government.
Our purpose is to help businesses innovate and scale to transform the economy. We're a key delivery partner for the Scottish Government’s National Strategy for Economic Transformation.
Scottish Enterprise focuses on activities that help Scottish businesses to better adapt and respond to economic opportunities and challenges. The goal is to create a more productive, resilient and competitive economy for Scotland.
To achieve this, the organisation works to drive business innovation, build international competitiveness and encourage greater investment in companies and infrastructure. These are the areas in which we can deliver the most value and help unlock Scotland’s vast economic potential.
The role
The Chief People Officer (CPO) leads the CPO Division, which is responsible for a range of corporate services in three main directorates:
- People Directorate — This includes all aspects of HR such as front-line People Operations, Reward, People Development, Change as well as the HR transactional team and payroll function.; Legal; Procurement and Facilities Management; Health Safety and Environment including business continuity and Office Services including the office estate.
- Corporate Affairs and Marketing Directorate — This includes Employee Communications, Marketing and Corporate Affairs.
- Audit Directorate — This is an internal audit shared services partnership service to five employers including Scottish Enterprise.
Your role will be to lead the CPO Division to ensure Scottish Enterprise services:
- Offer added value and contribute to our corporate plan
- Target business needs and business improvement
- Are affordable and comply with Best Value and ensure organisational compliance and best practice
The role also has corporate responsibility for working collectively as a member of the Executive Leadership Team (ELT) to ensure their people are well led, their organisation is well run, and our culture reflects our values.
As part of ELT, reporting directly to the CEO, the CPO contributes to high quality leadership of Scottish Enterprise across all corporate priorities, working closely with senior leaders, the CEO, the Scottish Enterprise Board and sister agencies.
Who we're looking for
For this role, we're looking for someone with:
- Successful, relevant and recent HR experience, and preferably experience of leading other corporate services functions at an executive team level in large, geographically disparate, and complex organisation
- Significant experience and a deep understanding of HR strategies and policies, organisational development, industrial and employee relations and defined benefit pension schemes — a health and safety leadership qualification is advantageous
- Previous experience of dealing with the Scottish Government and NDPB leaders is advantageous but not essential
- Strong and credible personal as well as functional leadership capability
- Experience of successfully leading large, multi-functional, complex corporate services teams, including a corporate HR function
- A demonstrable ability to influence internal customers, stakeholders and peers at a senior level to secure change and positive outcomes
- An ability to pitch successfully at Board level
- Strong political acumen and policy antenna that maximises short and long-term approach to corporate services opportunities
- Excellent interpersonal, communication (written and oral) and influencing skills, with proven ability to develop strong networks with senior decision makers and key stakeholders within a complex and challenging environment
How to apply
For more information on how to apply, check the Chief People Officer (CPO) vacancy listing on the FWB Park Brown website.
Our values
Being part of Scottish Enterprise means being open to new ideas and trying different ways of working. We support each other to reach our full potential. We celebrate shared success and learn together when things don’t go so well. And we always treat each other fairly, with respect and understanding. Together, we are the difference.
Apply now to keep building your future with us
At Scottish Enterprise, we’re proud to celebrate difference. Diversity of experience and thought is vital to the success of our vision for the future of every community across Scotland. As an equal opportunity employer, we actively encourage applicants from a wide range of individuals, irrespective of age, disability, gender reassignment, gender identity and expression, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.
We commit to providing any reasonable adjustments required, not only during the application and assessment process but throughout employment with us.
We have the following networks which are open to all colleagues to help drive inclusion, Disability Positive, Gender Balanced, Multi-cultural, Multi-Generational and Pride (LGBTQ+).