Overview
The Minister for Public Finance is seeking to appoint 2 x Members to the Board of Consumer Scotland. The Minister values diverse perspectives on the Board and welcomes applications from under-reflected groups including women, LGBTQ+ people, young people, disabled people and those from minority ethnic communities.
The appointments process for this Board follows the Code of Practice for Public Appointments and is regulated by the Ethical Standards Commissioner.
Consumer Scotland is the statutory body for consumers in Scotland. Established by the Consumer Scotland Act 2020, it is accountable to the Scottish Parliament. Its purpose is to improve outcomes for current and future consumers, with strategic objectives to:
* enhance understanding and awareness of consumer issues by strengthening the evidence base
* serve the needs and aspirations of current and future consumers by inspiring and influencing the public, private and third sectors
* enable the active participation of consumers in a fairer economy by improving access to information and support
Consumer Scotland provides consumer advocacy and advice with a view to reducing harm to consumers in Scotland, increasing confidence among consumers in dealing with businesses, and ensuring consumer matters are considered by public authorities. It promotes sustainable consumption and other environmentally sustainable practices, and advances inclusion, fairness, prosperity and wellbeing in Scotland.
Consumer Scotland formally came into existence on 1 April 2022 and was launched publicly on 22 June 2022. It now has approximately 40-45 staff working in three directorates: operations; policy and advocacy; and research, analysis and investigations. It is funded through grant funding from the Scottish Government and levy funding from the regulated markets of energy, water and post. From this year, Consumer Scotland has taken on the role of statutory consumer advocate for consumers of Heat Networks. It collaborates with a wide range of consumer advice, regulatory and enforcement bodies across the UK. An important part of its role is to understand the experiences and aspirations of Scottish consumers across both public and private sectors. It has a statutory remit to establish and operate, or secure the establishment and operation of, a publicly available database of recalls of goods in Scotland. The Consumer Scotland Act 2020 also introduced the Consumer Duty, which requires relevant public authorities to consider the impact of strategic decisions on consumers and the desirability of reducing harm to them.
For more information about Consumer Scotland, please visit its website. The Strategic Plan and Workplan for 2025/26 can be found here.
The Role of a Board Member
The Board is responsible for ensuring that Consumer Scotland fulfils the aims and objectives set for it by the Act. Board Members are expected to:
* Work as part of the Board to develop and ensure that Consumer Scotland's strategic objectives are met
* Attend scheduled and ad hoc meetings, contribute by reading papers, participating in group discussion, and helping to reach a consensus view
* Work with the rest of the Board to ensure that the functions of Consumer Scotland are delivered in an effective, transparent and accountable manner, including being a member of sub-committees of the board
* Work with the rest of the Board to develop framework documentation, operating procedures and an indicative work plan for Consumer Scotland and monitor progress against these
* Adhere to the Code of Conduct for Members of Consumer Scotland
Remuneration and Time Commitment
£237.00 per day (non-pensionable) and reasonable expenses. Time commitment is up to 2 days per month, involving a mix of board and sub-committee meetings, engagement events, and preparation and reading time.
Criteria / Skills
We are seeking candidates who meet at least one priority criterion and who also meet all of the essential criteria. Applicants can provide evidence to both priority criteria if relevant. The chosen priority criterion will be explored further at interview.
Priority Criteria
* Awareness and experience of financial management and control, and the ability to chair the Audit and Risk Committee on behalf of the Board
* Experience of working in a consumer facing business context in any sector
Essential Criteria
* Analysis and decision-making, including seeing the bigger picture
* Working collaboratively and advocating change
CV-Career History
Once you have answered the Priority/Essential Criteria questions in the Application Form, you will be asked to include a tailored CV. Your CV will be assessed against the Priority Criterion/Criteria chosen and the Essential Criteria.
How To Apply
To apply please download the Application Form and the Applicant Pack. Please save the Pack for future reference.
Closing date: 22 September 2025 at 23:59
Find the role you wish to apply for on this website, open the advert, click “apply now” and follow the instructions.
* Open the advert and download the Applicant Pack and Application Form.
* Fill out the Application Form while referencing the Applicant Pack, noting the word counts for each section.
* Navigate back to the advert and click “apply now” and follow the instructions.
* Complete the personal information and conflict of interest questions.
* When prompted to add an attachment, upload your completed Application Form and click submit.
Please note you do not have the option to edit your application once you click “submit”. You must have all your information and attachments to hand before submitting. Late applications will not be accepted by the selection panel. If you use assistive technology, please contact the Public Appointments Team for an accessible application form by email at public.appointments@gov.scot
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