Head of Operations (3604)

Job summary

Are you ready to lead with purpose and drive a high‑performing operations team in a fast‑moving environment?

An opportunity has arisen to join us as Head of Operations, a role that will see you providing strategic and operational leadership for SAAS’s core service delivery functions, including our contact centre, processing centre and wider operational teams. This leadership role is central to ensuring the efficient delivery of high‑volume, time critical services that support students across Scotland, ensuring they are delivered efficiently, accurately and in line with statutory and regulatory requirements.

The Head of Operations sits within the Operations Directorate and leads the areas responsible for delivering SAAS’s day‑to‑day services, including the contact centre, application processing centre and supporting operational functions. These teams manage significant annual volumes, with seasonal peaks and a high level of scrutiny from students, Ministers and stakeholders.

You will set the direction for operational performance, customer experience and continuous improvement, leading multidisciplinary teams to deliver a resilient, digitally enabled and customer‑centred service. You will translate organisational strategy into clear operational plans, working closely with colleagues across Digital, Policy, Finance, Risk and Communications to ensure delivery aligns with corporate priorities and wider Scottish Government expectations. The role carries significant responsibility for people leadership and operational risk, requiring a balance of strategic oversight and confident, hands‑on decision‑making during periods of increased demand.

Job description

• Provide visible, strategic leadership across SAAS operational services, setting a clear future‑focused vision that embeds automation, resilience and scalable operational technology.
• Translate organisational strategy into robust delivery plans, standards and performance frameworks that enable consistent, high‑quality service at scale.
• Lead high‑volume, multi‑channel service delivery, ensuring students receive timely, accurate support while leveraging digital tools to reduce failure demand.
• Use data, forecasting and customer insight to drive real‑time operational decision‑making, optimise resources and maintain service stability through peak demand.
• Drive continuous improvement through process redesign, automation and the adoption of emerging operational technologies to enhance efficiency and customer experience.
• Develop and empower operational leaders, building capability, confidence and modern management systems to support high‑performing, future‑ready teams.
• Provide senior oversight of complex or escalated operational issues, ensuring customer‑centred resolution and systemic learning.
• Lead and influence executive‑level stakeholders across Digital, Policy, Finance, Risk, Communications and government partners, ensuring integrated planning, compliance and strategic alignment.

Person specification

Success profileSuccess profiles are specific to each job and they include the mix of skills, experience and behaviours candidates will be assessed on. Technical / Professional Skills:

• Operational leadership and Management - Practitioner
• Adaptability to Change – Working
• Delivery and decision making as speed – Working

You can find out more about the skills required here: ODP Competency framework

Experience:

• Experience of improving operational service levels whilst maintaining customer centricity ideally through applying technology or process improvement.

Behaviours:

• Seeing the bigger picture – Level 4
• Managing a quality service – Level 4

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Managing a Quality Service

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Operational leadership and Management - Practitioner
• Adaptability to Change – Working
• Delivery and decision making as speed – Working

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £62,111, Scottish Government contributes £17,993 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

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.If invited for further assessment, this will consist of an interview and presentation. Assessments are scheduled for w/c 1 June 2026 however this may be subject to change.
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.

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 : Andrew Black
• Email : andrew.black@gov.scot

Recruitment team

• Email : scottishgovernmentrecruitment@gov.scot