Associate Director – hub Programme
The Scottish Futures Trust (SFT) is seeking to appoint two Associate Directors to work as key members of the SFT hub Programme’s management team, providing leadership and support at programme, regional and project levels. The focus is on enabling improvement and change, and helping the public sector achieve the most effective and efficient delivery of projects and advisory services through the Programme.
Background
The hub Programme is a well-established, long-term strategic delivery approach for community infrastructure. It has a national reach, and its public/private operational structure is built across five geographical areas called ‘territories’. Public bodies (participants) involved in the programme include health boards, councils and the emergency services.
The hub delivery model provides a platform for enabling change in the delivery of public sector services, for achieving key infrastructure investment outcomes, and for improving programme and project delivery.
The hub Programme is managed by the Scottish Futures Trust, Scottish Government’s centre of infrastructure expertise.
Principal Associate Director Responsibilities
· Oversee the operation of the programme at a territory level
· Provide support to participants and the five hub companies (hubCos) for the efficient and effective delivery of projects and advisory services
· Work with participants and hubCos to improve the early development of projects and setting up projects for success
· Support programme development by facilitating connections with changing policy and developments in market practice
· Apply a commercial approach to the consideration of opportunities that deliver value for money whilst operating within the parameters of the hub structure
· Deliver the functions of performance management, managing continuous improvement, project monitoring, knowledge management, data collation and analysis, and assurance
· Undertake analysis of projects and preparation of case studies to aid the sharing of best practice
· Harness experience and participation from multiple stakeholders towards achievement of common objectives and plans
· Develop blueprints, templates, standard documents and guidance when required
· Support the development of future new delivery approaches
· Contribute as a senior member of staff to the planning and running of the workstream, the development of the Programme and SFT’s overall business
· Contribute to strategic initiatives across the Programme and more widely at SFT
· Work across the business to maintain knowledge of wider activity, as well as building supportive connections
· Maintain a high profile in the market
Knowledge, Skills and Experience
· Senior professional with a minimum of seven years post qualification experience in the construction arena
· Relevant knowledge and experience of project delivery and commercial management in construction
· Experience across a range of social infrastructure types, e.g. education, health, housing, etc.
· Experience in infrastructure procurement
· Experience of implementing programme management
· Experience and skills to support change and transformation initiatives and programmes
· Experience and skills to support place planning, focused around transformation, change, and challenge in the context of place
· Skills and experience to support solution-based outcomes, harnessing best practice from other areas
· Demonstrable specialisms or areas of expertise which can complement or enhance the skills base of the existing team and are of wider relevance to community infrastructure (e.g. collaborative and place-based approaches, asset strategy, strategic partnership arrangements, net zero)
· Experience of working with a range of relevant senior stakeholders in the public and private sectors
· Evidenced capability of good relationship management
· Experienced understanding of the dynamics of the public/private interface
· Highly effective written and oral communication skills
Location
You will be based at SFT’s office in Edinburgh. Our teams work flexibly, with an expectation that you need to be in the office one day per week minimum. Additional travel will be required to attend external meetings.
Contact
Eden Scott is retained by SFT. Please submit your CV and covering letter online or for a confidential discussion and to hear more about the opportunity, then please contact Iain Atkinson on .
The closing date for applications is Wednesday 21 May 2025 .
Please note first stage interviews will take place w/c 26 May 2025.
Equality, diversity and inclusion
As an equal opportunity’s employer, SFT is committed to the equal treatment of all current and prospective employees and does not condone discrimination on the basis of age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, gender identity, or marriage and civil partnership.
We aspire to have a diverse and inclusive workplace and strongly encourage suitably qualified applicants from a wide range of backgrounds to apply and join SFT.