Description Job description Are you ready to make a real impact in how the Scottish Government delivers services across the public sector? This is a unique opportunity to join the Directorate Business Management Unit (DBMU) within the Scottish Procurement and Property Directorate (SPPD)—at a time of exciting change and innovation. In this role, you’ll: • Lead the development of a new Project & Programme Management Office (PMO), setting the standard for how projects are delivered across the Directorate. • Oversee and enhance reporting to Ministers, the Permanent Secretary, and other key stakeholders—ensuring our work is visible, impactful, and aligned with national priorities. • Champion continuous improvement, embedding robust processes and fostering a culture of collaboration across SPPD.” As part of a team that manages a complex £80 million annual budget, you’ll play a pivotal role in shaping how the Directorate operates. Supporting senior leadership, including the Director and Deputy Directors, you’ll help drive excellence in governance, systems, and strategic reporting. This is more than a management role—it’s your opportunity to lead change, shape strategy, and help deliver smarter public services for Scotland. Responsibilities Land enhance project oversight and reporting across the Directorate, ensuring timely, accurate updates for senior stakeholders. Collaborate across teams to deliver high-quality insights that reflect strategic progress and drive continuous improvement in programme management. Establish and manage a Programme Management Office (PMO) to support effective project oversight and reporting across SPPD. Ensure consistent analysis and coordination of programme data, contributing to strong governance, financial control, and delivery monitoring. Support change implementation across the Directorate, coordinating activities, tracking progress, and communicating updates. Help embed new ways of working, promote continuous improvement, and ensure alignment with strategic priorities. Coordinate and prepare management reporting for SPPD, ensuring timely, accurate updates for senior audiences. Contribute to developing tools and processes that highlight Directorate progress and impact. Support briefing preparation by gathering accurate information, drafting tailored content, and coordinating directorate input to ensure timely, high-quality outputs. Coordinate SPPD’s input to Public Service Reform and efficiency initiatives, ensuring accurate, timely reporting. Work with colleagues to track progress, maintain clear records, and improve reporting to support decision-making and demonstrate impact. Maintain a central information repository to support quick, consistent responses to Directorate queries. Ensure data is accurate and up to date, and help colleagues access and use the repository effectively. Responsibilities Qualifications You should have, be closely working, or be willing to work towards a professional level qualification, such as APM’s PMQ or Axelos’ P3O qualifications. Success profile Success profiles are specific to each job and they include the mix of skills, experience and behaviours candidates will be assessed on. Experience Demonstrable experience of managing a range of projects and/ or programmes. Ability to collate and distil complex data and present this information in succinct performance reports. Experience of delivering continuous improvement activity and/ or reporting and governance functions. Behaviour Seeing the Big Picture - Level 3 Changing and Improving - Level 3 Managing a Quality Service - Level 3 You can find out more about Success Profiles Behaviours, here: Success profiles: candidate guide - gov.sco t How to apply Apply online, providing a CV and Supporting Statement (of no more than 1500 words) which provides evidence of how you meet the skills, experience and behaviours listed in the Success Profile above. 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 Analysis Exercise. Assessments are scheduled for w/c 6th October however this may be subject to change. Qualifications 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, 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. From October 2025, the Scottish Government will require staff in hybrid-compatible roles 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, or read about the different levels of security checks in our Candidate Guide. 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.