Head of Business Strategy and Partnerships

Dundee, Glasgow

Job Summary
Social Security Scotland is seeking a strategic and influential leader to join the senior leadership team as Head of Business Strategy and Partnerships. This role will be instrumental in enhancing organisational maturity, driving strategic partnership development, and ensuring operational efficiency aligned with the organisation's vision. The successful candidate will operate at a level that combines strategic oversight with operational management, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and collaboration across internal and external stakeholders.

The initial appointment is for 23 months, with the possibility of extension for a further 12 to 23 months, subject to performance and business need.

Job Description
Strategic Leadership & Organisational Improvement

• Lead the development and delivery of the organisational business strategy, ensuring alignment with Social Security Scotland's long-term goals and values.
• Translate strategic objectives into clear, measurable plans and oversee their implementation across the organisation.
• Support the design and continuous improvement of the operating model, working collaboratively with senior leaders to embed change.
• Act as a trusted advisor and coach to senior managers and the Executive Team, promoting leadership development and organisational capability.

Organisational Effectiveness & Reform

• Oversee and coordinate the organisation's Public Sector Reform portfolio, ensuring measurable progress and shared benefits.
• Champion a culture of innovation, continuous improvement, and organisational maturity, embedding best practices and change management principles.
• Lead assessments of organisational maturity, identifying areas for development and implementing improvement plans.
• Liaise with Scottish Government and other partners to identify opportunities for shared services, collaboration, and efficiency.

Strategic Partnerships & Engagement

• Develop and deliver a strategic partnership plan to enhance collaboration with external agencies, government bodies, and community organisations.
• Act as the escalation point for significant partnership issues, fostering positive and proactive relationships.
• Continuously review and improve how the organisation works with partners, streamlining processes and enhancing joint outcomes.

Strategic Leadership & Organisational Improvement

• Lead the development and delivery of the organisational business strategy, ensuring alignment with Social Security Scotland's long-term goals and values.
• Translate strategic objectives into clear, measurable plans and oversee their implementation across the organisation.
• Support the design and continuous improvement of the operating model, working collaboratively with senior leaders to embed change.
• Act as a trusted advisor and coach to senior managers and the Executive Team, promoting leadership development and organisational capability.

Organisational Effectiveness & Reform

• Oversee and coordinate the organisation's Public Sector Reform portfolio, ensuring measurable progress and shared benefits.
• Champion a culture of innovation, continuous improvement, and organisational maturity, embedding best practices and change management principles.
• Lead assessments of organisational maturity, identifying areas for development and implementing improvement plans.
• Liaise with Scottish Government and other partners to identify opportunities for shared services, collaboration, and efficiency.

Strategic Partnerships & Engagement

• Develop and deliver a strategic partnership plan to enhance collaboration with external agencies, government bodies, and community organisations.
• Act as the escalation point for significant partnership issues, fostering positive and proactive relationships.
• Continuously review and improve how the organisation works with partners, streamlining processes and enhancing joint outcomes.

Person specification

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

• Extensive leadership experience owning complex organisational change initiatives that require strategic planning, data-driven decision-making, and the management of diverse stakeholder interests.
• Proven ability to develop and sustain high-level strategic partnerships, negotiate effectively, and influence across organisational and sector boundaries to achieve shared goals.

Technical Skills

• Operational Leadership and Management - Level: Expert
• Data and Insight – Level: Expert
• Deliver and Decision Making at Pace– Level: Expert

You can find out more about the skills required, here: Core ODP Skills - Operational Delivery Profession

Annual Leave - You will receive 25 days annual leave on joining us. This will increase to 30 days after four full years of service. You will also have 11.5 public and privilege days of leave every year. We also offer Flexi-time. Any extra hours you've worked can be taken as leave when suitable.

A Civil Service Pension - This job comes with a Civil Service pension. New joiners to the Civil Service will join a career average pension scheme as standard. Read more here -

Healthy work life balance - We can offer the possibility of full-time, part-time, term-time, and job shares. We also encourage flexible working.

Discounts - You can enjoy a vast range of retail, travel and lifestyle discounts through our benefit scheme.

Personal support for you - Our Employee Assistance Programme gives you confidential, independent information and guidance 24/7.

Volunteering special leave - Up to six days paid special leave a year for volunteering. We support our staff to help causes important to them.

Great locations - Our bright and modern offices in the heart of Dundee and Glasgow have been designed with staff in mind. Both locations are ideal for public transport.

Selection process details

Expected Timeline (subject to change)
Sift - w/c 8th December

Interview – w/c 5th January (TBC)

To apply please submit an application form by clicking on the 'Apply at Advertisers Site' button.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This Job Is Broadly Open To The Following Groups

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.

The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job Contact

• Name : Deputy Director
• Email :
• Telephone :

Recruitment team

• Email :

Further information