About the job

Job summary

Head of (Estate) Projects is a high profile specialist role overseeing the planning and delivery of inclusive, innovative, secure, flexible and compliant buildings and workplaces across the core Scottish Government (SG) estate.

The post sits within Workplace Division, part of Corporate Transformation & Workplace Directorate working collaboratively alongside Estate Strategy & Planning, Facilities Services and Security & Business Continuity Units.

The post holder will be a member of Workplace Division's senior management team overseeing project governance, strategy, delivery and development. The post holder will play an important role in designing and implementing workplace change as part of Corporate Transformation and providing an estate that is fit for purpose and aligns with the principles of our Estate Strategy.

The role holder will be responsible for a team of project managers and various other role holders who support delivery of programmes as established by the estate asset plan.

Job description

• Lead on the delivery of a wide range of programmes of planned and reactive construction, refurbishment, maintenance including specialist fit-out projects.

• Develop detailed business case and oversee very large scale significant strategic projects involving SG and others and close work with external experts.  
• Provide leadership across workplace change programmes, including moves management and estate optimisation.
• Work with Facility Services colleagues, prioritise and deliver environmental projects in line with the Scottish Governments Environmental Policy to contribute towards reaching Net Zero by 2030.

• Oversee assessment and development of a delivery programme for inclusive workspaces projects across our estate.

• Develop robust and resilient future capital and resource investment programmes to ensure all SG’s buildings and plant are resilient and compliant.

• Ensure and maintain excellent strategic relationships with our stakeholders including our networks and unions and work closely with WD and DG Corporate leads for strategic planning.

• Take lead on annual budget planning process and ensure budget management (approx. £15-25 million p.a.) with rigour and accountability.

Person specification

Qualifications

This is a specialist role. The successful candidate should be working towards or have a relevant professional qualification e.g. ChPP, CIOB, RICS, RIBA etc

 

Essential Criteria
1. Experience in leading on the end-to-end delivery of construction, refurbishment, maintenance and fit-out projects (specification, procurement, construction delivery/oversight, planning for occupation, client CDM responsibility, health and safety, relocation of staff – small scale through to multi-million pound value) and planning future investment programmes for a similar portfolio with a range of users and competing priorities.
2. Significant experience in managing large budgets, demonstrating best value, record keeping and robust financial oversight and governance.

3. Established leadership, developing and managing teams and demonstrating robust contractor/consultant management capability to the highest health and safety standards.
4. Proven evidence of project/ programme management capability, highly effective planning and organising skills with well-developed communication skills with internal and external stakeholders.

 

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £83,328, Scottish Government contributes £22,498 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

Sift and Interview dates TBC. 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.