Description Are you looking for a rewarding role where you can help shape the future of one of government’s most critical processes? The Scottish Budget is at the very heart of government. It sets out which policies are funded, how much money is allocated to them, how revenue is raised and how policies support the First Minister’s priorities, and ultimately, the citizens we serve. An exciting opportunity has opened up in the Exchequer Strategy Directorate to support the delivery of this year’s fiscal events. Working closely with the SCS group on Impact Assessments, you will help us develop a novel, and strategic, approach to impact assessment to ensure that the impact of budget decisions on vulnerable people are appropriately considered in the policy development process. You will also help shape relationships with key internal and external stakeholders and lead the transition of the Equality and Human Rights Budget Advisory Group (EHRBAG) from DG Communities to the Exchequer and a refresh of its current remit. You will have plenty of visibility across government, including liaising with colleagues from virtually every portfolio in the preparation for the budget, and DG Communities for support with embedding equalities considerations. You’ll work with fellow policymakers, lawyers, expert advisory teams, strategy and briefing teams, and senior officials, as well as support briefing directly for the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government and other ministers. Responsibilities Responsibilities Projects are closely linked to major fiscal events, making this a fast-paced and varied role. Responsibilities might therefore change in line with quickly evolving policy demands and across linked priorities, such as engagement with equalities stakeholders. However, priorities for this role are likely to be: Lead on commissioning and coordinating a novel strategic impact assessment process, including ensuring statutory duties are complied with, evidence is produced in a timely fashion, and analysis is provided to support ministerial decision-making. Lead on internal and external engagement, including lawyers and policy teams and the SCS group on impact assessments. Support effective programme management to deliver these novel impact assessments and ensure integration with the budget process through close collaboration with the PPM team on fiscal events. Work in collaboration with the analytical unit in the Exchequer, and external stakeholders, to draft and prepare the final IA publication for the Budget & Spending Review (currently known as Equality and Fairer Scotland Budget Statement). Coordinate and lead on providing briefing and advice for Ministers on Impact Assessments for fiscal events, including briefing packs for Committee sessions. Lead a lessons learned exercise in early 2026 to allow the process to be refined for next year’s PfG and Budget Support the development of the Equalities and Human Rights Budget Advisory Group (EHRBAG) to transition to a new phase of working to inform improvements to budget processes, including on equality budgeting; Provide line management support for 1 x Senior Impact and Policy Officer Working closely with Head of Business Management and the DG Chief of Staff, support the corporate response to the UK and Scottish COVID-19 inquiries, including preparing SCS for appearances, drafting and clearing corporate and personal statements, engaging with the Scottish Government Inquiry Liaison teams, and reviewing and providing advice and commentary on evidence as appropriate. 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: Proven experience of working across boundaries and commissioning complex and challenging work, ideally across more than one Scottish Government portfolio; Experience leading multi-disciplinary teams, including lawyers, policy experts and others. Behaviours: Seeing the Big Picture - Level 4. Communicating and Influencing - Level 4. Delivering at Pace - Level 4. Making Effective Decisions - Level 4. 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 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. Assessments are scheduled for w/c 20 October 2025, 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 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. Apply before: 28 September 2025 (23:59) This role is open to internal candidates and Common Citizenship organisations only.