Director of Corporate Services and Transformation

Forestry and Land Scotland

Hybrid

Expires: Expiring in less than 4 weeks

Full time

£93,667 per year

Job summary

We are seeking an exceptional, strategic leader to shape and lead a bold Transformation Agenda across Forestry and Land Scotland. This role sits at the heart of the organisation, driving excellence and innovation across Finance, People, Communications and Corporate Governance and Relations.

Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) is a Scottish Government Agency managing Scotland’s national forests and land. We care for 640,000 hectares - around 9% of Scotland’s land area to deliver commercially sustainable forestry, conserve and enhance the environment and deliver benefits for people and nature. Our mission is ‘to look after Scotland’s forests and land, for the benefit of all, now and for the future’ with a vision of ‘forests and land that Scotland can be proud of’.

FLS plays a vital role: producing approximately 40% of Scotland’s timber, partnering in producing 1200Mw of renewable energy, welcoming 10 million visitors per annum and safeguarding habitats for more than 1,000 species. Our commercial income of circa £140 million per annum is supplemented by grants from the Scottish Government for peatland restoration, woodland creation and other recreational services.

This is an exciting time for FLS. We are 80% self-funded from our own operational and commercial activities and are currently on a transformation journey to ensure our long-term sustainability.

This is a rare opportunity to influence national outcomes, lead at scale and leave a legacy for Scotland’s people, its land and future generations.

Job description

You will be an outstanding, passionate leader, who can deliver at strategic, tactical and operational levels with the ability to catalyse collaborative change.

Reporting directly to the Chief Executive, your twin objectives will be leading/ delivering our transformation agenda across our business and delivering operational excellence across our corporate services platform. You will provide strategic leadership to the corporate services team (c.125 staff) and Heads of Profession in Finance, People, Communications and Corporate functions.

Key objectives will include:

Leadership of the Corporate Services Directorate: Articulating a clear vision for the Directorate in alignment with customer and stakeholder needs.

Delivery: Delivering business excellence in Finance, People, Communications and Governance services to FLS.

Performance oversight: Driving a step-change in FLS’s performance management and accountability to ensure the agency delivers its objectives and Scottish Ministers’ ambitions and priorities.

Governance/Assurance: Overseeing and streamlining governance across FLS enable agile decision making. Management of risk, resilience and assurance as well as compliance with all statutory responsibilities and financial regulations. Promote diversity and inclusion at board level and across the organisation.

Transformation: Co-ordinating the agency-wide transformation agenda towards a financially sustainable model, with a focus on commercial return on investment, data-driven decision making and continuous improvement for innovation and productivity.

Strategy: Developing and executing a robust Corporate Services and Transformational (CST) strategy aligned with FLS's aspirations enhancing operational effectiveness, meeting legal obligations, and delivering relevant services which are fit for purpose.

Sharing Corporate Leadership: Supporting the Chief Executive as a member of the Strategic Board (SAB) and Executive Leadership Team (ELT) to deliver FLS’s business strategy and Corporate Plan.

Person specification

It is essential that you can provide evidence in your application of the professional experience and skills required for this role.

In addition, candidates applying for roles with the government agencies and public bodies in Scotland are assessed in line with the Success Profiles framework that is used across the Civil Service. This means that as well as evidencing the professional experience and skills you will also be expected to evidence behaviours at the level required for this Senior Civil Service role.

Experience:

You will demonstrate:

Exceptional leadership skills
An outstanding track record in delivering operational excellence in corporate services in large, complex organisations
A strong track record of leading high-performing teams through significant change, and of demonstrating forward-thinking and innovative delivery.
A strong commercial mindset
A professional background in a corporate services discipline and ideally experience across both the public and private sectors.

Behaviours: Level 5

Leadership
Developing Self and Others
Changing and Improving
Managing a Quality Service

You can find out more about Success Profiles Behaviours, here: Success Profiles - Civil Service Behaviours (publishing.service.gov.uk)

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £93,667, Forestry and Land Scotland contributes £27,135 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Learning and development tailored to your role
An environment with flexible working options
A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

How to apply

Candidates must apply online, providing a CV and supporting statement (of no more than 500 words) that directly addresses the Experience criteria listed in the Success Profile above. General or unrelated statements will not be accepted and may result in your application being sifted out. Please ensure your statement clearly demonstrates how you meet the specified experience requirements.

During the interview and assessment process we will test your skills and experience as well as behaviours aligned to this role.

If you are shortlisted, you will be provided with full details of the next stages of the selection and assessment process. This may include an individual psychological assessment and a stakeholder or staff engagement exercise.

Assessments are scheduled for the weeks commencing 2, 9 and 13 March, however this may be subject to change. Some of the assessments may take place in person, further details will be provided for shortlisted candidates.

The Final Interview Panel will take place in person in Edinburgh. Interviews will be chaired by Kevin Quinlan, Chief Executive, Forestry and Land Scotland.

Indicative Timeline *

Final interviews: 27 March 2026

*Timings are subject to change. You will be informed appropriately.

Interview Expenses

Any travel and subsistence expenses incurred during the selection process are the responsibility of the applicant.

About us

Forestry & Land Scotland (FLS) is an agency of the Scottish Government (SG) responsible for managing Scotland’s national forests and land. On 1 April 2019 new Scottish Government agencies were formed to take forward the work previously undertaken by Forestry Commission Scotland and Forest Enterprise Scotland along with the new responsibilities gained following the full devolution of forestry to Scotland.

We’re proud to contribute to the success of forestry in Scotland. Work on our national forests and land contributes £1 million to the Scottish economy each day, supports 11,000 jobs, soaks up over 3 million tonnes of CO2 each year and hosts over 80 community projects with a focus on inclusive activities. We intend to build on this success.

Find can find out more here about Forestry and Land Scotland and you can find out more about our transformation journey to be fit for the future here.

Our staff are part of the UK Civil Service, working for Ministers and senior stakeholders to deliver vital public services which improve the lives of the people of Scotland.

We offer a supportive and inclusive working environment along with a wide range of employee benefits. Find out more about what we offer.

As part of the UK Civil Service, we uphold the Civil Service Nationality Rules.

Working pattern

Our standard hours are 37 hours per week; we offer a range of flexible and hybrid working options depending on the needs of the role. If you have specific questions about the role you are applying for, please contact us.

Equality Statement

We are committed to equality and inclusion, and we aim to recruit a diverse workforce that reflects the population of our nation. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and are committed to creating an inclusive workplace. We are very keen to encourage applications from suitably qualified candidates from diverse backgrounds who are under-represented in senior leadership roles within our organisation.

Find out more about our commitment to diversity and how we offer and support recruitment adjustments for anyone who needs them.

Further information

Find out more about our organisation, what we offer staff members and how to apply on our Careers Website.

Read our Candidate Guide for further information on our recruitment and application processes.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.This role has a minimum assignment duration of 3 years. An assignment duration is the period of time a Senior Civil Servant is expected to remain in the same post to enable them to deliver on the agreed key business outcomes. The assignment duration also supports your career through building your depth of expertise.

As part of accepting this role you will be agreeing to the expected assignment duration set out above. This will not result in a contractual change to your terms and conditions. Please note this is an expectation only, it is not something which is written into your terms and conditions or indeed which the employing organisation or you are bound by. It will depend on your personal circumstances at a particular time and business needs, for example, would not preclude any absence like family friendly leave. It is nonetheless an important expectation, which is why we ask you to confirm you agree to the assignment duration set out above.

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.

Medical

Successful candidates will be expected to have a medical.

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.

Diversity and Inclusion

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

Apply and further information

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 : Kevin Quinlan, Chief Executive, Forestry and Land Scotland
Email : ceo@forestryandland.gov.scot

Salary range

£93,667 per year