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The successful candidate will be based at the UK Government hub at Queen Elizabeth House, Sibbald Walk, Edinburgh, with regular travel across Scotland and to London.Â
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SUMMARY
Would you like an opportunity to play a leading role in supporting Ministers and the Scotland Office to deliver a £3bn delivery programme on City and Growth Deals and how best to support the levelling up agenda regionally in Scotland? We are looking for a dynamic self-starter and expert collaborator to join our policy and delivery division to lead this work on behalf of the Secretary of State and wider Ministerial team.
JOB DESCRIPTION
The Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland supports the Secretary of State in promoting the best interests of Scotland within a stronger United Kingdom. It ensures Scottish interests are fully and effectively represented at the heart of the UK Government, and the UK Government’s responsibilities are fully and effectively represented in Scotland.
As Head of City Deals and Levelling Up your role will be to ensure the continued successful delivery of our flagship joint £3bn programme with Scottish Government on regional economic development, the City and Growth Deals, alongside developing a new approach to how UK Government can work together with OGDs, Scottish Government and local partners across Scotland to deliver the UK Government’s Levelling up ambitions and tackle local issues that hold people and places back.
You will be the local face of City Deals activity in Scotland and will be encouraged to develop deep relationships with senior partners across Scotland, including with Scottish Government, local authorities and wider local partners and networks to drive the agenda forward. To achieve this the candidate will be strategic, organised, have strong and concise communication skills, and be adept and building and maintaining a broad network at Senior levels across Scotland
You will lead a small team of policy and delivery professionals and matrix manage activity of a wider team of policy experts to implement the existing 12 deals and develop the next phase of activity to support levelling up in Scotland and build on a hugely successful programme. This work covers a very broad policy canvas and will require an ability to think creatively to overcome policy and delivery challenges at a local level and across fields as diverse as net zero and climate change, innovation and R&D, infrastructure development and poverty/social mobility. Â
The Role
To support the Secretary of State, Ministerial team and Scotland Office on City and Growth Deals and implementing the Levelling Up White Paper in Scotland, including but not limited to:
- Successful management of a maturing £3bn Joint City and Growth Deal programme in Scotland, including leading on 1.5bn of UK Government investment in Scotland as part of the wider delivery programme across 12 Deals working closely and in partnership with Scottish Government, deal partners and Whitehall departments.
- Manage and Secretariat to the Joint City and Growth Deal Delivery Board in Scotland, including developing a forward-looking agenda and supporting documentation to enable the Joint Delivery Board to execute robust management of the wider Programme of activity and to deliver Value For Money across the Programme.
- Providing advice, analysis and support to the Secretary of State, Ministers and Special Advisors on Levelling Up and maximising its impacts across all of Scotland
- Working across Whitehall and with OGDs to influence, develop and implement plans to deliver on the Government’s flagship Levelling Up Programme in Scotland
- Supporting Ministers and Senior Officials in terms of local and regional engagement on deal and levelling up delivery and acting as an ambassador for the Scotland Office in support of this agenda.
- Working collaboratively with Ministers, the wider the policy division and external partners to develop a pipeline of new proposals and activity to support Levelling Up, including preparing new funding and policy proposals ahead of funding rounds and fiscal events
- Leadership and management of the City and Growth Deal and Levelling Up Team. Developing a forward looking vision and team business plan that supports staff to deliver a high level of service to Ministers and the Department while maintaining a positive culture and personal development across the team;
- Exemplify the culture and values of the department, acting as a role model for others and operating as part of a collective, collaborative and divisional leadership team.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate exceptional leadership skills and capability in implementing a high profile programme of existing work and developing a framework for policy development to creatively overcome policy challenges that holds places and people back. This includes the following:
Essential criteria
- A proven track record of working closely with senior Government Ministers and Special Advisers, and the ability to get under the skin of political/policy priorities and translate that into concrete actions;
- Highly developed communication, networking and negotiation skills with the personal presence and credibility to secure confidence at the most senior levels across Scotland and Whitehall.
- Outstanding management and leadership skills with the proven ability to maintain a high-performing motivated team to deliver at pace on a challenging agenda;
- Experience of working collaboratively with, and delivering through, a large and diverse group of internal and external stakeholders.Â
Desirable
- Experience of programme or project management, including tools and techniques
- Experience of working in a pressurised environment, involving high levels of personal autonomy and evidence-based decision making;
- Demonstrable experience of working across more than one policy area and an ability to innovate and create new solutions and sell them in a compelling, inclusive manner
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