Description
We are looking for an experienced and enthusiastic professional to join our Research and Innovation directorate for up to 12 months from September 2025 to cover the post of Assistant Director, Research and Innovation while the postholder is on maternity leave. For this fixed term post, we also welcome applications for secondment.
This is an exciting opportunity to lead and shape the Scottish Funding Council’s research strategy over the next 12 months at a time of significant development and change in the Scottish and UK R&D landscape.
The role provides a unique national vantage point and includes leading engagement with key stakeholders within the Scottish Government, UK Government and UK Research & Innovation as well as across Scottish institutions. You will work flexibly across a broad range of areas from supporting positive research cultures, to developing cases for investment in research, exploring issues of research financial sustainability, and influencing UK R&D policy. You will work as part of a small, knowledgeable and supportive team that delivers high quality work across a range of research & innovation areas.
We will consider applications for this role on a full-time, part-time (0.8 FTE or above preferred), or job share basis.
Interviews will face to face and will be held on 27 August 2025.
Key Responsibilities
Reporting to the Director of Research and Innovation, you will:
* Lead and be responsible for key areas of SFC research strategy, including but not limited to people & culture, financial sustainability, evidence development and contributions to UK R&D policy.
* Support the Director of Research & Innovation on specific areas of work related to research strategy, research landscape and financial sustainability, as required.
* Work closely with colleagues across SFC to develop and monitor SFC’s evidence and narrative to develop how SFC articulates the value of research and feed into internal and Scottish Government budgetary processes.
* Cultivate and maintain positive working links with institutions, the Scottish Government, UK Government and UK Research & Innovation (UKRI) including relationship building with relevant stakeholders.
* Horizon-scan and provide advice, support and guidance to internal and external Scottish stakeholders, producing briefings, reports and papers as required for SFC senior management and key stakeholders.
* Represent SFC as required, deputising for the Director where appropriate in external and internal engagements. This may require travel both around Scotland to meet with partners and stakeholders, and in the UK particularly for work with the other funding bodies for research.
* Support and promote effective working and collaboration across SFC, breaking down organisational silos and facilitating greater project and collaborative work across teams, contributing research & innovation perspectives and input as appropriate. You will manage a team of two people.
Skills, Knowledge and Expertise
It is important through your CV / Cover Letter that you give evidence of proven experience of each of the following essential criteria:
Essential
* Experience of policy development, stakeholder engagement and influencing at a senior level within a complex political environment, for example within institutions, national and local governments, agencies or influencing bodies/groups.
* Knowledge and experience of current research policy issues in Scottish and UK contexts, ideally with experience of working in a research or research policy environment.
* A demonstrable understanding of the current Scottish political and Government operating environment.
* Good awareness of higher education issues in Scotland.
* Ability to think strategically and creatively and demonstrate good judgement when analysing and responding to complex issues.
* High-level oral and written communication skills, including experience of representation and negotiation at a senior level.
* Excellent interpersonal skills, experience of management and the ability to work well as part of a team.
* Qualified to SCQF Level 9 (Degree) or equivalent experience.
Terms and Benefits
· Normal full-time hours of work are 35 per week. We will consider flexible working arrangements. A flexi-time system is in operation.
· Annual leave entitlement of 26.5 days pro-rata, rising to 30 days pro-rata after 2 years’ continuous service. Public and privilege holiday entitlement of 13 days pro-rata.
· A flexible approach to hybrid working, giving you flexibility to work from home anywhere in the UK for some of the time while also maintaining regular in-person contact with colleagues.
· Annual pay review: approved within the framework of the Scottish Government’s Public Sector Pay Policy and negotiated with our recognised trade union, Unite. Salaries are reviewed annually in April for employees who commence employment prior to 1 October in the preceding year.
· Eligibility to join the Civil Service Pension Scheme. With its low member contribution rates and generous employer contributions, this gives you a secure, inflation-proof pension for life with no investment uncertainty. Details of contribution rates together with further details of the pension benefits are available on the Civil Service Pensions website. There is also the option of a Partnership pension account.
· Support for continuous professional development: as a part of SFC, we are dedicated to providing comprehensive support for continuous learning and professional development. Civil Service-Learning curriculum has thoughtfully designed to cater to various learning preferences, allowing employees to engage in a manner that best suits their needs. All our educational resources are conveniently accessible through the CSL website.
· Support for health and wellbeing, including generous occupational sick pay, free access to confidential advice and support through our 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme, Special Leave (paid and unpaid), a contribution to learning outside work through our Lifelong Learning Fund, free winter flu vaccination, and access to occupational health support.
· We provide support to SFC employees with Volunteering Days.
· Support for travel to and from work, including a salary sacrifice cycle loan scheme, cycle storage and shower facilities, an interest-free loan for bus or rail season tickets and free office car parking for employees on a first-come basis.
Although most salaried roles are advertised as full time positions (35 hours a week), we are happy to discuss part-time or compressed hours to suit a candidates circumstances. We also operate a flexible working scheme to work around a candidate's other commitments such as caring responsibilities.
We will consider secondment applications for most salaried fixed-term or temporary positions and in many cases also for salaried permanent positions. If you are interested in applying on a secondment basis and this option is not explicitly mentioned in the job advert, please contact recruitment@sfc.ac.uk for further information.
We are the Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Council, more commonly known as the Scottish Funding Council (SFC).
We are Scotland’s tertiary education and research authority and our purpose is to sustain a world-leading system of tertiary education, research and innovation that enables students to flourish, changes lives for the better, and supports social, economic and environmental wellbeing and prosperity.
We do this by investing around £2 billion of public money to deliver:
* Tertiary learning and teaching.
* Skills and apprenticeships.
* Student support and participation.
* Research, innovation and knowledge exchange.
* Data collection and dissemination.
* National quality assurance and enhancement processes.
* Capital and digital infrastructure for the sector.
* Strategic change, responsive provision and research priorities.
As a non-departmental public body established by the Further and Higher Education (Scotland) Act 2005, we are directly accountable to Scottish Government Ministers and the Scottish Parliament. We work across many government portfolios and are sponsored by the Lifelong Learning Directorate.
We hold colleges, universities and other funded bodies to account for their delivery of required outcomes. We are also the statistical authority for colleges, and work closely with the UK-wide Higher Education Statistical Authority (HESA), to provide data and statistics for government, decision-makers, and the wider public.
We work in partnership with a wide range of partners and bodies, including those we fund, across all aspects of our remit.
General information for applicants for SFC roles
You must already be eligible to work in the UK to apply for these roles. SFC do not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skills Worker License and are unable to sponsor any individuals for Skilled Worker Sponsorship.
We are pleased to support applications from everyone regardless of age, disability, race and ethnicity, socio-economic background, gender, sexual orientation, sex, gender reassignment, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, religion or belief, as well as those who have skills in Scottish Gaelic or British Sign Language, who have the right skills for the job.
We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer and actively encourage interviews through the scheme.
Further information about SFC is available on our website Scottish Funding Council home page (sfc.ac.uk). Additional information about our recruitment process can be found at Recruitment FAQs | Scottish Funding Council Careers (sfc.ac.uk) .