Head of Community Empowerment and Governance Reform - C2

Location: United Kingdom; Hybrid

This opportunity is only open to internal Scottish Government applicants who are currently Priority Movers. Applications from individuals not currently on the Priority Mover list will be rejected and not considered.  

The Community Empowerment and Governance Reform Unit brings together two critical areas of policy and programme delivery within the Public Service Reform Directorate. Its purpose is to lead the development and implementation of local governance and community empowerment policy, and associated delivery programmes. It leads effective collaboration and cross-government delivery of two significant Public Service Reform commitments: to empower communities and strengthen local democracy and to agree and implement bespoke governance arrangements for island communities.

The postholder will manage a diverse team and ambitious portfolio of work led by four C1 Leads, three B3 Policy Managers with B1 policy and administrative support; working across government, including in partnership with colleagues in Local Government and Health and Social Care Directorates and in close collaboration with wider directorates. 

The role requires regular ministerial and senior official and external/public facing engagement, including building effective relationships with local authority, public sector and third sector partners. Over the next twelve months the focus will be on establishing and leading high profile implementation programmes, providing effective programme management and oversight; support to a matrix teams working across multiple DGs and portfolio areas and leading the development and delivery of effective policy design.  

The postholder will 

• lead the development of the Democracy Matters/community empowerment policy workstream as part the cross-government programme of work to reform local governance arrangements. 
• lead the development and implementation of Single Authority Models, working closely with Local Governance and Health and Social Care reform programmes.
• lead an experienced team responsible for developing and maintaining policy on existing community governance arrangements, including support for community councils, community development, including grant management and support for the community development sector, supporting participatory and deliberative democracy, including the National Participatory Budgeting Support Programme.