Head of Delivery (5338)

Job summary

Join Social Security Scotland at a pivotal point in its transformation journey. As Head of Delivery, you will lead the development of a modern, collaborative and outcome-focused delivery function, ensuring change initiatives are delivered effectively and aligned to strategic and ministerial priorities.

With responsibility for overseeing delivery performance, governance, risks and dependencies across a complex change portfolio, you will be instrumental in enabling successful transformation. This is an exciting opportunity to influence organisational direction, build delivery capability and drive a culture of continuous improvement that supports better outcomes for colleagues and citizens alike.

The Head of Delivery is accountable for the delivery of complex products and services that are delivered by multiple teams or have high technical or political risk.

At this role level, you will:

• Manage dependencies of varying complexity, potentially planning and feeding into larger programmes and portfolios.
• Remove blockers and manage risks, commercials, budgets and people.
• Balance objectives and redeploy people and resources as priorities change.
• Have an in-depth knowledge of Agile and other methodologies.
• Be responsible for understanding, managing and communicating to complex stakeholder groups, balancing priorities.
• Have an awareness of the bigger picture.
• Support the Executive Team by overseeing the delivery of their vision for the programme.
• Support and coach delivery managers.

Job description

• Coach and lead teams in Agile and Lean practices, ensuring alignment with Agency goals.
• Continuously innovate and tailor methodologies to optimise delivery effectiveness.
• Mediate between stakeholders at all levels, managing expectations and moderating discussions on high-risk and complex topics.
• Represent the Delivery and Change division effectively to diverse audiences, both internally and externally, ensuring clear communication of goals and priorities.
• Resolve high-level issues between teams or departments, using strong mediation skills and coaching abilities.
• Coach the organisation on team dynamics and conflict resolution, fostering collaboration and supportive relationships.
• Ensure financial accountability and transparency, aligning expenditure with priorities.
• Lead teams through the full product life cycle, finding and managing risks across all stages and providing guidance and support as needed.
• Develop sustainable support models and coach others in life cycle management practices.
• Optimise team delivery flow and address complex risks, issues, and dependencies to keep momentum and meet delivery targets.
• Find innovative solutions to unblock issues and overcome obstacles, ensuring continuous progress towards programme goals.
• Find and streamline organisational processes to improve efficiency and effectiveness, ensuring alignment with programme objectives.
• Guide teams through the implementation of new processes, providing coaching and support to maximise effectiveness.
• Lead strategic planning processes, finding dependencies and coordinating delivery across services to ensure alignment with programme goals.
• Coach other teams in planning methodologies, providing expertise and support to optimise planning processes.

Person specification

Success Profiles
We use an assessment framework called ‘Success Profiles’ which lists the elements we test and provides detailed descriptions of each. Find out more about the framework here.

For this post, the following Success Profile elements will be assessed:

Experience

1. You have expert proficiency in Agile and Lean practices, actively leading teams through coaching and advocacy. Continuously challenging and innovating, you tailor methodologies to optimise delivery and resolving high-level issues between teams and departments and communicating outcomes clearly.
   
2. Expert proficiency in planning and delivery management, with a proven ability to maintain momentum in complex environments by coordinating dependencies, optimising team workflows, proactively managing risks and issues, and driving successful outcomes even where ownership or priorities are unclear.

Behaviours

• Changing and Improving - Level 4
• Leadership - Level 4
  

You can find out more about Success Profiles Behaviours here.

Technical / Professional Skills

This role is aligned to Programme Delivery Manager within the Government Digital and Data Profession.

Please review the following to understand the skill expectations: Programme delivery manager - Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework

These skills will be tested during the Technical Assessment if you are successful at sift stage. They will not be assessed at application stage.

Benefits

Annual Leave - You will receive 25 days annual leave on joining us. This will increase to 30 days after two full years of service. You will also have 11.5 public and privilege days of leave every year. We also offer Flexi-time. Any extra hours you've worked can be taken as leave when suitable.

A Civil Service Pension - This job comes with a Civil Service pension. New joiners to the Civil Service will join a career average pension scheme as standard. Read more here - www.civilservicepensionscheme.org.uk.

Healthy work life balance - We can offer the possibility of full-time, part-time, term-time, and job shares. We also encourage flexible working.

Discounts - You can enjoy a vast range of retail, travel and lifestyle discounts through our benefit scheme.

Personal support for you - Our Employee Assistance Programme gives you confidential, independent information and guidance 24/7.

Volunteering special leave - Up to six days paid special leave a year for volunteering. We support our staff to help causes important to them.

Great locations - Our bright and modern offices in the heart of Dundee and Glasgow have been designed with staff in mind. Both locations are ideal for public transport.

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

Expected Timeline (subject to change)
Sift - week commencing 23rd November
Interview - week commencing 14th December
Location - In Person in either Dundee or Glasgow

To apply please submit an application form by clicking on the ‘Apply at Advertisers Site’ button.

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) 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.

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 : Resourcing Team
• Email : DDC_DigitalWorkforce@socialsecurity.gov.scot
• Telephone : 08001577194

Recruitment team

• Email : Recruitment@socialsecurity.gov.scot

Further information

https://www.socialsecurity.gov.scot/help-with-your-application