EoI - Level Transfer - Board Secretary and Deputy Director, Executive Team Strategic Governance Office

Location: United Kingdom; Hybrid

Applications are invited from substantive Deputy Directors on level transfer for this fantastic opportunity to work at the heart of Scottish Government, providing strategic leadership for the organisations corporate governance and assurance system and leading reform to ensure it supports a more accountable, agile and delivery-focused organisation in line with ministerial priorities and our ‘Serving Scotland’ Corporate Plan.

Applications are open to Core Scottish Government employees and those under Common Citizenship only.

As custodian of the Scottish Governments governance framework, the Board Secretary leads the Executive Team Strategic Governance Office (ETSGO) and works closely with the Executive Team, Non-Executive Directors, Directors General, and stakeholders across the organisation to maintain and develop effective governance and assurance processes and related obligations. The post holder will provide authoritative advice, influence and constructive challenge at the most senior levels of the organisation, ensuring governance and assurance arrangements enable effective strategic leadership, decision-making, accountability and delivery.

As Board Secretary you will be responsible for setting the strategic direction of the Scottish Governments corporate governance framework, ensuring these support effective decision-making, accountability and strategic delivery across the wider organisation. This includes: 

• Corporate Board, which sets the strategic direction for SG, and sub-boards;
• the Executive Team in all modes; 
• the SG Audit & Assurance Committee and quarterly DG Assurance meetings; and 
• working with our Non-Executive Directors to ensure their challenge and support is deployed effectively. 
   

ETSGO is a small and busy function and you will provide visible, supportive and confident leadership, using sound judgement and political and organisational awareness to navigate complexity, competing priorities and uncertainty. You will also be able to use your strategic insights and leadership skills to ensure that Scottish Government governance is resilient, transparent and proportionate, and creates the conditions for effective and accountable delivery across the organisation, including a positive and empowering experience for those who engage with it. 

In return, you will have the opportunity to build unrivalled networks across the organisation, enable strategic leadership and decision making, and help support national outcomes and a high performing and trusted government to improve the lives of the people of Scotland.

You’ll be joining the team at an exciting time as we continue to optimise and streamline the governance landscape in support of the Scottish Governments ambitious reform agenda. As Board Secretary you will lead a programme of governance reform, translating organisational ambitions into practical changes to structures, behaviours and ways of working. You will build senior ownership for change, overcome barriers to implementation and ensure improvements are embedded and deliver measurable benefits.

Would you like to work at the heart of the Scottish Government, playing a key role in strategic governance and decision-making to support the delivery of ministerial priorities and our Serving Scotland corporate plan?