About the job

Job summary

Disclosure Scotland is an Executive Agency of the Scottish Government, operating on behalf of Scottish Ministers, to perform an important safeguarding role for the people of Scotland. The work of Disclosure Scotland directly supports the Scottish Government’s National Outcomes for Children and Young People, Economy, Fair Work and Business, Communities and Human Rights.

Disclosure Scotland is going through significant change and this role sits within the Change Management Team, a critical function enabling the delivery of Disclosure Scotland’s strategic objectives. The team consists of a Project Management Office, Change Management Office (CMO), Assurance and Risk and Strategic Finance and Analysis.

The Project Management Office set standards across the organisation and support programmes and projects through the life cycle, providing advice and challenge.

You will be responsible for establishing and improving current structures, processes, and reporting, supporting Disclosure Scotland Change Management’s full portfolio of projects and change. You will utilise your agile project management and/or digital PMO experience to ensure the successful delivery of required outcomes; establish robust governance and assurance processes; produce efficient progress reporting and monitoring systems to ensure overall readiness. The role will require engagement across the organisation and with external stakeholders to ensure change remains aligned to the organisational strategic priorities set out in DS25.

The role will have a specific focus towards Disclosure Scotland’s Digital Programme. This is a key focus for the organisation in 2024/25, and therefore while this post will sit within the Change Management Team, it will have a close relationship with the Digital Programme Team structures.

As the Project Management Office Lead you will work alongside the Head of Change Management, to evolve the organisations Project Management Office in line with our future Target Operating Model which aims for the PMO to provide a valuable service to help our projects deliver faster and more efficiently, moving from support to a service based team.

The role requires subject-matter expertise in agile project management/digital PMO experience. The post holder reports directly to the Head of Change Management and acts as a competent resource to support the work of the Project Management Office, Programme Managers, agile delivery teams and Programme groups. They will provide direct line management support and leadership to the Project Management Office team, and work in conjunction with Programme and Project and delivery Managers across Disclosure Scotland.

Job description

• Lead on the development of the PMO’s programme and project delivery approaches, providing expertise on best practice project management methodologies. This includes working closely with delivery teams on all aspects of the project lifecycle development. This will include helping define scope; business case development; planning; understanding benefit realisation etc.

• Work alongside the Head of Change Management, to develop the organisations Project Management Office in line with our future Target Operating Model which aims for the PMO to provide a valuable service to help our projects deliver faster and more efficiently, moving from support to a service-based team. Including the development of a service catalogue.

• Work alongside the Digital Programme Manager, providing direct support to embed improved governance, reporting and delivery approaches within the Digital Programme which align to Agile project management delivery methodologies. Working closely with programme managers and their teams to embed high standards of programme and project management, providing constructive challenge to ensure delivery of milestones and achievement of outcomes.

• Ensure that the programme boards have visibility and oversight of the status of projects, including progress of risks, issues or escalations, and has assurance these are being delivered in a controlled manner in line with Disclosure Scotland strategic objectives.

• Embed robust governance and decision-making processes through the establishment of robust project reporting and accurate and timely recordings of programme and project meetings. Review status reports and risk logs for projects, advising individual Project/Delivery Leads on the escalation process. Providing support and input to progress to key project documentation.

• Forge close working relationships with stakeholders across all organisations to facilitate an effective matrix style approach to delivery of projects and programmes of work.

• Provide strong leadership and build cohesion and resilience within the Project Management Office, supporting the development and capability of team members and motivating them to produce quality work.

Person specification

This role requires a project management certification or equivalent subject-matter expertise in agile project management/digital PMO experience.

Essential Criteria

1. Experience of an agile project management/digital PMO environment, including working across project lifecycle.
2. Excellent verbal and written communication skills used to build good professional relationships with a range of internal and external stakeholders.
3. Experience of setting priorities, roles and responsibilities for yourself and others, in a project or change setting.
4. Ability to gather, analyse, assess and interpret information from a range of sources to evaluate actions, provide recommendations or inform decision making.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £45,449, Scottish Government contributes £12,271 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

Interviews are anticipated to take place in early July but may be subject to change

Please apply using the link provided.

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. 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.