Description Are you looking for the opportunity to work in a high priority area involving collaboration across Government, with external stakeholders, and supporting Ministers? The Access to Justice Unit is looking for a Legal Aid Policy Manager to join the Legal Aid Policy Team. The Unit sits within the wider Civil Law and Legal System Division of the Justice Directorate, however legal aid policy cuts across many areas of Justice and other portfolios and requires significant cross Government collaboration. Our Programme for Government commits us to taking forward actions in the recently published Legal Aid Reform Discussion Paper. A new team has been established to take forward that work but there will need to be close working with the Legal Aid Team during the development of any reforms. Responsibilities Support the Legal Aid Policy Team Leader to develop policy and instruct lawyers, working closely with other justice colleagues. Draft submissions and Ministerial papers for key clearances. Lead on the coordination and preparation of timely and effective briefings for Ministerial visits, meetings, committee, and parliamentary appearances. Prepare speeches and briefing. Develop impact assessments. Develop excellent internal and external relationships; internal with Private Office, Comms Team, other policy branches, SGLD/PCO; externally with key stakeholders. Contribute as necessary to the wider work of the Unit and Division including relevant Ministerial correspondence, Parliamentary Questions, Freedom of Information requests and other corporate business, and with awareness of wider Directorate priorities to ensure that policy interdependencies are understood and reflected in implementation activities. Line management responsibilities of the Policy Officer. 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: Working across different Ministerial portfolios on complex policy issues Working with legal issues and an understanding of legislation Line Management Behaviours: Delivering at Pace – level 3 Communicating and Influencing – level 3 Working Together – level 3 Making Effective Decisions – level 3 You can find out more about Success Profiles Behaviours, here: Behaviour levels - Success profiles: candidate guide - gov.scot How to apply Apply online, providing a CV and Supporting Statement (of no more than 1000 words) which provides evidence of how you meet the skills, experience and behaviours listed in the Success Profile above. If invited for further assessment, this will consist of an interview and written assessment. Assessments are scheduled for w/c (insert date) however this may be subject to change. 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. We offer a range of flexible and hybrid working options depending on the needs of the role. If you have specific questions about the role you are applying for, please contact us. 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.