Performance and Strategic Planning Officer

Client Services Delivery is the operational business area within Social Security Scotland that ensures clients receive the financial support they need. Our teams deliver a wide range of benefits and services to those most in need across Scotland. This includes people on low incomes, disabled people, carers, young people entering the workplace and to help people heat their homes. 

Working in Client Services Delivery requires flexibility and is demand driven, therefore this role will require you to consistently work alongside different benefit areas, to support their performance, quality, feedback, or strategic planning. 

As a Performance and Strategic Planning Officer you will be assigned to one of the following roles: 

• Performance Officer 
• Strategic Planning Officer 

 
Reporting to the Performance Senior Officer or Strategic Planning Senior Officer, you will play a key role in shaping and supporting this evolving role. Your work will support and improve the standard of the end-to-end client journey within all our benefits areas by ensuring we have a better understanding of our current resourcing needs and capabilities across Client Services Delivery. 

As part of the Operational Performance, Quality, and Strategic Planning team, you will contribute to delivering a high-quality service to the people of Scotland whilst maintaining the ethos that staff and clients must be treated with dignity, fairness, and respect. These roles are part of the Operational Delivery Profession, which is a recognised Civil Service profession and the largest profession within Social Security Scotland. As a client-facing organisation delivering benefits to the people of Scotland, being part of the profession recognises the key role you will undertake. 

Strong Microsoft Excel skills, along with proficiency in other Microsoft Office applications, are required for this role.

The successful candidates will demonstrate flexibility, be comfortable in a changing environment, and enjoy working collaboratively to identify opportunities for improvements, exploring new ideas and solutions. 

Responsibilities

• You will work closely with teams across Client Services Delivery and the wider agency to support delivery of a consistent and excellent client journey. You will be driving continuous improvement in reporting and analysis of Management Information, to support the agency's Approach to Performance. 
   
• Collaborative working between the Operational Performance team and the Strategic Planning team will involve getting into the detail of management information and understand elements such as current FTE, leavers and resource deployed to different work streams. This will enable you to forecast resourcing requirements to achieve delivery outcomes across the various benefit areas and services. Planning how to deploy available resource or additional resource effectively is a key part of this role. 
   
• In addition, you will build, maintain, and review performance dashboards and strategic planning spreadsheets or databases to provide accurate, up-to-date information that enables efficient, data-driven decision-making. Strong Microsoft Excel skills will be essential for these tasks. 
   
• You will also work alongside your Performance Senior Officer, Strategic Planning Senior Officer, and other colleagues to deliver targeted improvement projects aimed at streamlining processes and improving outcomes for clients and stakeholders.

Culture and People Engagement

• As part of your role, you will act as an advocate for the agency's Approach to Performance and champion the continuous improvement of our performance strategy. 
   
• You will be an excellent communicator and will engage with senior colleagues across Client Services Delivery and the wider agency to maintain accurate and timely performance dashboards, Management Information, and strategic planning data. 
   
• Support a culture of engagement and inclusivity within your team, upholding our Charter and values.
   

Governance and Data Security

• Ensure you manage data securely and in compliance with legal and organisational standards. Promote a culture of data accountability, ensuring insights are used ethically and effectively to support service delivery improvements. 
   

Success Profiles
We use an assessment framework called 'Success Profiles' which lists the elements we test and provides detailed descriptions of each. Find out more about how we assess the Success Profile elements.

Experience 

• Experience supporting or contributing to service delivery in an operational environment, with a focus on quality, decision-making, and performance improvement.
   
• Knowledge and skill of using Microsoft Excel to collate and display data.
   

Behaviours 

• Making Effective Decisions (Level 2) 
• Communicating and Influencing (Level 2)
• Managing a Quality Service (Level 2)

You can find out more about Success Profiles Behaviours here.    

How to Apply 
Apply online, you must provide a CV and a Supporting Statement (of no more than 1000 words) which provides evidence of how you meet the Success Profiles 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. 

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the CV and personal statement on the first Behaviour which is Making Effective Decisions (Level 2). 

If invited for further assessment, this will consist of an interview and a job-related simulation.  

We aim to provide feedback on request. However, if we receive a large number of applications it may not be possible for us to provide specific feedback on your application. We will provide feedback on request to candidates who attend an interview/assessment. 

Expected Timeline (subject to change) 
Sift – w/c 22nd December 2025
Interview – w/c 12th January 2025

Reserve List 
In the event that there are more successful candidates than posts available, a reserve list will be kept for up to 12 months. 

About Us
Social Security Scotland is an Executive Agency of the Scottish Government. Our benefits help people from all walks of life in Scotland. We offer rewarding careers and employ people across Scotland in a wide range of professions and roles. We are committed to recruiting a diverse workforce that is representative of the clients we serve.  Find more about us here.    

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. We embrace a hybrid working style where all colleagues will spend time in either our Glasgow or Dundee offices. There is an expectation of a minimum 2 days per week in your assigned location, which will be either Glasgow or Dundee.  If you have specific questions about the role you are applying for, please contact us.

Equality Statement 
Social Security Scotland are committed to equality and inclusion, and we aim to recruit a diverse workforce that reflects the population of our nation.     

Social Security Scotland are a Disability Confident Employer. We will consider and implement any reasonable adjustments you may require throughout the recruitment process and during the course of your employment, should you be successful in securing a post. If you feel you may require assistance with any part of our recruitment process, please contact us at 

Find out more about our commitment to diversity and how we offer support and recruitment adjustments for anyone who needs them.

Further Information 
This role is only available to existing permanent civil servants who have successfully completed their probation period within Social Security Scotland, or the broader Scottish Government.  

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.   

The successful candidate will be expected to remain in post for a minimum of 3 years unless successful in gaining promotion to a higher Band or Grade.    

If you experience any difficulties accessing our website or completing the online application form, please contact the Resourcing Team via 

If you have any questions about the role, please contact Resourcing Team at   

Apply before 23:55 on 18th December 2025

Contact Name  - Resourcing Team
Contact e-Mail -