About the job

Job summary

The digital strategy for Scotland sets out the Scottish Government’s (SG) plans for ensuring that we put digital at the heart of everything we do. The Digital Directorate within SG aims to help government organisations adopt digital business models that will deliver well-designed, accessible and inclusive public services. Applications are invited for the role of Deputy Director, Digital Ethics, Inclusion & Assurance – a significant strategic position at the centre of Digital Directorate. This post is pensionable, with a starting salary of £86,398 (SCS 1).

The Digital Citizen Division forms part of the Digital Directorate, and has been established to take forward key commitments in the Digital Strategy in respect of digital inclusion; the Third Sector; and Digital Ethics. This role will also have responsibility for the internal SG library function, as well as Information Assurance services across Digital Directorate. A key deliverable will be to design and implement a new records management system for the Scottish Government.

You will have direct engagement with a wide range of external stakeholders - including Ministers - in the public, private, professional and third sectors to understand and advise on emerging pressures and concerns. You will ensure that solutions are ambitious, fit for purpose and aligned to government policy.

Job description

• [30%] As Senior Responsible Owner (SRO), be accountable for the successful implementation and delivery of the Connecting Scotland Programme, having recently received Full Business Case approval. Establish robust programme management capability, process and procedures to support the successful delivery of programme outcomes, aligning to wider Digital Directorate and SG methodologies to ensure a consistent and efficient process across the board.
• [10%] Direct the unlocking of public data in a safe, secure and ethical manner in order that such data can be used across all public and private sectors for the benefit of the public and the public sector. Lead the establishment of an evidenced and balanced policy position and a workable framework of principles to enable data sharing to proceed.
• [10%] Establish and lead the delivery of Scotland’s digital ethics strategy, to include - but not be limited to - ethical procurement; the impact of digital processes in relation to sustainability; and an approach to misinformation. Secure resources and support necessary across internal and external stakeholders to enable delivery and ensure alignment with other strategic initiatives.
• [10%] Direct and enable data protection and information assurance policies, principles and standards. Be accountable for leading, managing and developing SG’s Data Protection function, and building public trust in government’s ability to gather, store, and use data safely and securely. Lead and direct functions responsible for proactive and reactive media and public engagement on data confidence on behalf of SG.
• [10%] Have a strong focus on providing a robust, secure and scalable information management function to meet organisational needs and manage exposure to operational risks. Be accountable for ensuring that strategic and operational risks and issues are identified in relation to information management issues.
• 20%] As Senior Responsible Owner (SRO), be accountable for the successful implementation and delivery of the replacement Electronic Document Records Management (eRDM) platform. Establish robust programme management capability, process and procedures to support the successful delivery of programme outcomes, aligning to wider Digital Directorate and SG methodologies to ensure a consistent and efficient process across the board.
• [10%] Lead and direct the development of a modern library and information service for SG. This will include undertaking discovery, stakeholder engagement and developing problem statements. It will also involve undertaking user-centred design to deliver a future-proofed and impactful service, which is underpinned by measurements and outcomes.

Other duties include:

• Being a member of Digital Senior Management Team, demonstrating collective leadership in delivering the Digital Strategy for Scotland.
• Managing a budget of circa. £5.17 million, and a division of 74 staff.

Person specification

It is essential that you evidence a strong and successful track record of the following:

Specialist Expertise

• Knowledge and understanding of the digital ethics and inclusion landscape
• Knowledge and understanding og Information Management principles and regulation.
• Significant senior leadership experience
• Significant understanding of the public and third sector in Scotland.

Leadership Criteria 

Understanding and developing self

• A strong understanding of yourself as a leader, as well as a passion for your work and your own continuous personal development. This includes acting as a role model for inclusive leadership by clearly articulating, with courage and humility, how your personal life experiences and background impact on your thinking and behaviour.

Leading collectively

• Taking an effective whole system approach to complex, dynamic issues; actively developing wide networks internally and externally, breaking down and collaborating across barriers to deliver outcomes.

Developing others

• Embedding an inclusive, learning culture in your teams, trusting and empowering others and enabling high performance and innovation.

Leading others

• Setting clear strategic direction and making high quality decisions which balance risk and stakeholder interests to deliver outcomes.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £86,398, Scottish Government contributes £23,327 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

To apply for this post, you will need to provide the information requested via the online application system. We require both a CV and a written Supporting Statement to be submitted on the system for your application to be considered. 

Further details on the application process and the documents that we require are available in the attached Candidate Pack, or by clicking www.work-for-scotland.org and searching for the vacancy ref no. 2023-7719. If there are any technical issues please contact SCSHR@gov.scot.

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.

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.