Director General Exchequer, Strategy and Performance

Job summary

Are you a strategic, values-driven leader with the skills to deliver transformation across government? Do you bring depth of experience in fiscal institutions, budgetary, tax and financial structures along with an acute understanding of strategy development, outcome measurement and delivery in a complex, political, central government environment.

Job Description

The Scottish Government (SG) is seeking a dynamic Director General Exchequer, Strategy and Performance (DG ESP) to develop and embed the role of the strategic centre of the Scottish Government.

This is a new DG post, created following the merger of the former roles of DG Strategy and External Affairs and DG Scottish Exchequer. Organisational design work remains ongoing, and as a result some current responsibilities may be subject to change. The appointed post holder will contribute to shaping the final role design. This is a role for a leader who can inspire and enable change, build high-performing teams, and foster collaboration across boundaries. You will work closely with Ministers, the Executive Team, Non-Executive Directors, and senior leaders within and beyond Scotland.

You will lead a diverse team of Directors and oversee a workforce of approximately 600 staff and a budget of around £500 million. You will provide leadership on Strategy, Performance, Operational Delivery and Public Service Reform and Transformation, as well as providing advice to the First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Finance on a range of key fiscal events including; the Scottish Government’s Medium Term Financial Strategy; Tax Strategy; annual Budget setting; infrastructure planning; public sector pay policy; and, longer-term fiscal risk strategy and management. These areas underpin the Scottish Government’s ability to deliver its priorities in a fiscally sustainable way and to ensure strategic and fiscal credibility on the international stage.

You will play a pivotal role in shaping the future Scottish Government’s strategic priorities, providing evidence-based advice to Ministers on fiscal, budgetary and policy matters within your portfolio. You will have leadership accountability for the future development and oversight of the National Performance Framework

As part of the Executive Team, you will have specific corporate roles, including acting as a Champion of our diversity and inclusion agenda. You will be a member of the Corporate Board, which brings together the Executive Team with our Non-Executive Directors, and you will play a key leadership role in our wider Corporate Governance System working closely with Director General Corporate/Chief Operating Officer at the heart of government.

Job description

Responsibilities

The key purpose of this role is to support Ministers and the Permanent Secretary in setting the strategic direction for the medium to long term while managing the short term, supporting delivery and maintaining oversight and accountability. As the DG responsible for the Exchequer functions of the Scottish Government, the aim is to achieve a fiscally sustainable Scotland through the key financial levers of government around public finances, fiscal policy, taxation and public spending. You will lead strategic and operational transformation through a time of significant complexity and ambiguity, including Scottish Parliament elections, a rapidly moving constitutional and international context and an ambitious programme of delivery and organisational change.

The DG ESP currently leads directorates responsible for:

• Advising on fiscal policy to support strategic, fiscally sustainable decision making and how best to grow and protect Scotland’s tax revenues.
• Driving long-term public value to achieve the priority outcomes for Scotland from public spending and investment.
• Support for the First Minister and Deputy First Minister in relation to cross-government strategy and their programme for government.
• Support for Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture to deliver for the portfolio: a particularly high priority at present, given the volatility of international events. Provide policy and delivery support for Ministers in relation to culture.
• Performance, delivery and resilience across government, including the operation of the Scottish Government Resilience Room (SGoRR) supporting Ministers during civil contingencies and related incidents.
• The constitution including the Scotland Act 1998, and relationships between the Scottish Government and other UK administrations.
• The Scottish Government’s relationships with governments and institutions in Europe and the rest of the world, including through an international network of representative offices and the Scottish Government’s international development programme.
• Public service reform focused on ensuring the cross-Government endeavour to accelerate our progress towards the creation of person-centred, outcome focused public services.
• The drafting of primary legislation by the Office of Parliamentary Counsel.

Key Priority Areas

Reporting directly to the Permanent Secretary, you will:

• Provide strategic leadership to 600 staff across the current portfolio, ensuring that strategy, delivery and the Scottish Government’s approach to fiscal and budgetary matters are fully aligned with the National Performance Framework and Government priorities including Public Service Reform. Lead and develop a high-performing, inclusive team, fostering a culture of kindness, resilience, accessibility and adaptability.
• Build and maintain strong and trusted relationships with the Chairs and Chief Executives of: Scotland’s tax authority (Revenue Scotland), the Scottish Futures Trust, Scotland’s independent fiscal institution (the Scottish Fiscal Commission), Audit Scotland and the National Records of Scotland.
• Lead key interactions with HM Treasury, HMRC, other UK Government Departments and other Devolved Administrations.
• Be responsible for the Corporate Governance System drawing on the support and challenge of Non-Executive Directors.
• Work with staff networks, trade unions and wider organisation to promote and champion diversity, inclusion, equity and belonging. Supporting senior colleagues in their roles as Allies and Champions supporting and advocating for meaningful diversity staff network activity.
• Act as Senior Responsible Officer for the Public Service Reform agenda, championing leadership of the programme across the wider public sector landscape in Scotland.

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:

Leadership at Executive Team and Board level:

• Demonstrable experience of governmental fiscal and budgetary functions either in government or the wider public sector.
• Demonstrable experience of financial management of significant resource and capital budgets, together with overarching corporate governance experience.
• Experience of working in an international diplomatic or policy environment, with regular engagement across international partners.
• Significant experience of leading the development and delivery of organisational strategies in a large and complex organisation, within government, the public sector or private sector.
• Proven ability to deliver strategic objectives at pace and sustain them through periods of ambiguity and organisational change.
• Achievement of measurable improvements through effective cross-boundary working and partnership with a wide range of stakeholders across specialist subject areas.

Behaviours:

You can find out more about Success Profiles Behaviours, including descriptors for each level here: Behaviour levels - Success profiles: candidate guide - gov.scot

You are required to demonstrate the following behaviours at level 6 for this role:

• Seeing the big picture (Level 6)
• Delivering at pace (Level 6)
• Leadership (Level 6)
• Managing a quality service (Level 6)
• Changing and improving (Level 6)

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £143,036, Scottish Government contributes £41,437 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 address 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.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools can be used to support your application, but all statements and examples 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, and presented as your own) applications will be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.

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

Assessments are scheduled for the weeks commencing 9 March; however, this may be subject to change. Some of the assessments are likely to 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 Liz Walmsley, Civil Service Commission. The other panel Members will include:

• Joe Griffin – Permanent Secretary, Scottish Government
• Nicola Richards – Director People, Scottish Government
• Sarah Davidson – Chief Executive, Carnegie UK

Indicative Timeline *

• Informal meeting with Cabinet Secretary for Finance & Local Government: 9 March via Teams
• Staff and Stakeholder Engagement Panels: 11 March in person (Edinburgh)
• Final interviews: 16 March in person (Edinburgh)

*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.

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 developed vetting (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.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 : Joe Griffin, Permanent Secretary - Scottish Government
• Email : Permanent.Secretary@gov.scot

Recruitment team

• Email : SCSResourcing@gov.scot

Further information

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