Director General Education and Justice Edinburgh, Scotland
Scottish Government
Full Time
Edinburgh, Scotland
125057 GBP ANNUAL Today
Job description
Overview:
LOCATION: Edinburgh with regular travel across Scotland and to London. The Scottish Government operates a flexible hybrid approach, attendance at the office will be required to meet the needs of the business and to build team and stakeholder relationships. The exact pattern would be agreed but the expectation would likely be 2-3 days per week in the office.
WORKING PATTERN: Applicants on any working pattern are welcome to apply for this post. If you are interested in applying on a job-share basis, please make clear in your application if you wish to be considered as a pre-existing job-share partnership or if you are interested in moving into a job-share arrangement. We will assess proposed working patterns against the business requirements for the post and discuss all options with candidates.
Responsibilities:
As a key adviser to Ministers, your primary responsibility will be to provide assurance around the delivery of education and justice system services. The Scottish Government’s focus on reducing re-offending and embedding a victim-centred agenda is key to the role. The key national performance outcomes you will lead towards are:
As Director General you will connect with a wide range of stakeholders across organisations and boundaries, building coalitions to translate strategic vision into action.
Delivering results – You are self-aware and self-motivated, using your own initiative to take forward actions and achieve goals. Strong evidence of leading and delivering against challenging commitments, responding quickly to changing situations and approaching challenges with flexibility, responsiveness and creativity. You can bring a fresh perspective to a situation while recognising other people’s views are just as important.
Leading others - Proven experience in the development of organisations and people. You will be highly driven and motivate others to deliver at pace. You will be an advocate for change. You are someone who remains positive and inspiring, leading others through change. You communicate confidently, create and share a clear vision for the future through challenge and influence. You can build wider organisational capacity and capability within a positive, values-based culture.
Relationship Management and Influence – You have a track record of securing the confidence of senior colleagues andstakeholders across an organisation and wider stakeholder landscape. You quickly build credibility and are confident you can do so with Scottish Ministers, operating with sensitivity and authenticity within a political environment. You work in collaboration, building and maintaining positive, trusted and effective partnerships through persuasion, advocacy and challenge. You will also have the ability to develop meaningful coalitions with business and industry stakeholders.
Strategy – Strong track record of setting vision and direction and translating broad strategic goals into clear and measurable performance targets. You will have a highly developed strategic thinking ability to gain an in-depth insight surrounding the issues of the Scottish economy. You will have the ability to translate strategic objectives and analytical evidence into practical interventions that improve performance. You will consider the bigger picture and consider the wider factors and long term implications of decisions and recommendations.
Governance – You will be both personally accountable and collectively responsible for managing the level of pressure in your portfolio and across the Scottish Government. You will challenge your teams to identify options to manage pressures and find savings which will be tested in challenge meetings with the Permanent Secretary. You will effectively balance the needs of many stakeholders while achieving your business objectives. You will also act as Senior Responsible Officer on a wide range of major projects.
For further details on this role and how to apply please read the Candidate Pack. Alternatively, please contact Carolyn Murdoch in the Senior Resourcing & Staffing Team ([email protected]).
GRADE: Senior Civil Service (SCS) Pay Band 3.
SALARY: Circa £125,057
CONTRACT TYPE: Permanent
LOCATION: Edinburgh with regular travel across Scotland and to London. The Scottish Government operates a flexible hybrid approach, attendance at the office will be required to meet the needs of the business and to build team and stakeholder relationships. The exact pattern would be agreed but the expectation would likely be 2-3 days per week in the office.
WORKING PATTERN: Applicants on any working pattern are welcome to apply for this post. If you are interested in applying on a job-share basis, please make clear in your application if you wish to be considered as a pre-existing job-share partnership or if you are interested in moving into a job-share arrangement. We will assess proposed working patterns against the business requirements for the post and discuss all options with candidates.
The role of Director General Education and Justice is an outstanding opportunity, the chance to join the top leadership team of the Scottish Government and lead core public policy and services at a time of unprecedented challenge. You will report directly to the Permanent Secretary and be a member of the Executive Team. You will provide direct support to the Cabinet Secretaries for Justice and for Education and Skills and you will also have a responsibility to the First Minister and Cabinet. The role will occasionally involve appearances at Parliamentary Committee.
As a key adviser to Ministers, your primary responsibility will be to provide assurance around the delivery of education and justice system services. The Scottish Government’s focus on reducing re-offending and embedding a victim-centred agenda is key to the role. The key national performance outcomes you will lead towards are:
- Education: We are well educated, skilled and able to contribute to society
- Children: We grow up loved, safe and respected so that we realise our full potential
- Communities: We live in communities that are inclusive, empowered, resilient and safe
As Director General you will connect with a wide range of stakeholders across organisations and boundaries, building coalitions to translate strategic vision into action.
We are looking for someone who is willing to shape and influence the agenda; play a key role in supporting the Permanent Secretary as part of his leadership team; provide policy advice to Ministers and grasp the opportunities offered in leading the delivery of key public services in partnership with key stakeholders across the public, private and third sectors in Scotland.
The ideal candidate will be a self-aware and motivated leader, using their own initiative to take forward actions and achieve goals through challenge and influence. They will possess strong evidence of leading and delivering against challenging commitments, responding quickly to changing situations and approaching challenges with flexibility, responsiveness and creativity. They will have proven experience in the development of organisations and people, building wider organisational capacity and capability within a positive, values-based culture. The new Director General will be highly driven, motivating others to deliver at pace. An advocate for change, positive and inspiring in leading others, communicating confidently, creating and sharing a clear vision for the future. They will have the ability to represent Scottish Government interests externally with credibility and authority, commanding the respect of peers. The Director General will act as a role model, ensuring that their leadership is consistent with the values of the Scottish Government and the Civil Service values of integrity, kindness and collaboration.
Qualifications:
Leadership at Executive Team and Board level - Successfully leading the development of organisational strategy, achieving tangible and measurable outcomes in a large and complex organisation in a government, public or private sector setting through effective partnerships and working across boundaries with a variety of stakeholders. Deliver strategy at pace and resilience to sustain the strategy often through high levels of ambiguity and organisational change.
Delivering results – You are self-aware and self-motivated, using your own initiative to take forward actions and achieve goals. Strong evidence of leading and delivering against challenging commitments, responding quickly to changing situations and approaching challenges with flexibility, responsiveness and creativity. You can bring a fresh perspective to a situation while recognising other people’s views are just as important.
Leading others - Proven experience in the development of organisations and people. You will be highly driven and motivate others to deliver at pace. You will be an advocate for change. You are someone who remains positive and inspiring, leading others through change. You communicate confidently, create and share a clear vision for the future through challenge and influence. You can build wider organisational capacity and capability within a positive, values-based culture.
Relationship Management and Influence – You have a track record of securing the confidence of senior colleagues andstakeholders across an organisation and wider stakeholder landscape. You quickly build credibility and are confident you can do so with Scottish Ministers, operating with sensitivity and authenticity within a political environment. You work in collaboration, building and maintaining positive, trusted and effective partnerships through persuasion, advocacy and challenge. You will also have the ability to develop meaningful coalitions with business and industry stakeholders.
Strategy – Strong track record of setting vision and direction and translating broad strategic goals into clear and measurable performance targets. You will have a highly developed strategic thinking ability to gain an in-depth insight surrounding the issues of the Scottish economy. You will have the ability to translate strategic objectives and analytical evidence into practical interventions that improve performance. You will consider the bigger picture and consider the wider factors and long term implications of decisions and recommendations.
Governance – You will be both personally accountable and collectively responsible for managing the level of pressure in your portfolio and across the Scottish Government. You will challenge your teams to identify options to manage pressures and find savings which will be tested in challenge meetings with the Permanent Secretary. You will effectively balance the needs of many stakeholders while achieving your business objectives. You will also act as Senior Responsible Officer on a wide range of major projects.
This is a permanent, pensionable Senior Civil Service Director General (SCS3) role. If applicable, secondment from your existing employer would also be considered. Relocation expenses may be available.
For further details on this role and how to apply please read the Candidate Pack. Alternatively, please contact Carolyn Murdoch in the Senior Resourcing & Staffing Team ([email protected]).
HOW TO APPLY
Applications should be submitted by no later than Sunday 21 May at 23:55.
If this is the first time you have applied for a Senior Civil Service appointment you will need to register an account. To register click “apply for this role” you will be asked to enter your email address as well as being asked to complete:
- Online registration. There are a number of questions, covering information required for the recruitment process and to enable us to monitor our performance as an inclusive employer. These include:
- Diversity Monitoring. See the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy for more information.
- Disability Confident Scheme (previously known as Guaranteed Interview Scheme) for disabled persons. For further information, see here. If you require reasonable adjustments to support you to apply for this role, please email Carolyn Murdoch ([email protected]) in confidence. For example, a reasonable adjustment at application stage could be providing information in an accessible format.
- Nationality section. Please see the Civil Service Nationality Rules for further information.
The online registration form is solely for HR use and will not be given to the selection panel. The system will acknowledge your application, you should now submit the following to complete your application:
- Emailed Supporting Statement and CV please use this Supporting Statement template and send both to [email protected]
The selection panel will use these two documents to assess your suitability for the role against the essential criteria during sifting.
- Supporting statement (maximum 1,500 words) explaining how your skills, qualities and experience make you suitable for the role. You should make particular reference to, and structure your supporting statement around, the essential criteria.
- CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. This should provide details of your qualifications and career history with dates and reasons for leaving.
Scottish Government
www.gov.scot
Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Nicola Sturgeon
$25 to $50 million (USD)
1001 to 5000 Employees
Government
National Services & Agencies
1885
