Enable job alerts via email!

Deputy Director, Strategic Change (Grade M2)

Scottish Funding Council

City of Edinburgh

Hybrid

GBP 74,000 - 88,000

Full time

Yesterday

Be an early applicant

Boost your interview chances

Create a job specific, tailored resume for higher success rate.

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a Deputy Director to lead strategic change initiatives within the education sector. This newly created role involves overseeing a transformation program aimed at enhancing skills and education reform. The successful candidate will drive governance, stakeholder collaboration, and agile project delivery, ensuring alignment with government objectives. This position offers a unique opportunity to influence the future of education in Scotland, making a significant impact on public sector transformation. Join a dynamic team dedicated to fostering an inclusive culture and promoting continuous improvement.

Benefits

Civil Service Pension

Flexible Working Hours

Annual Leave of 26.5 days

Continuous Professional Development

Health and Wellbeing Support

Volunteering Days

Salary Sacrifice Cycle Loan Scheme

Interest-free Loan for Season Tickets

Qualifications

Proven experience in leading transformation programmes in public sector.
Exceptional change management expertise and leadership capabilities.

Responsibilities

Oversee transformation roadmap and governance structures.
Coordinate change workstreams and stakeholder engagement.

Skills

Change Management

Stakeholder Engagement

Financial Acumen

Leadership

Programme Governance

Agile Delivery

Education

Degree in relevant field

Deputy Director, Strategic Change (Grade M2)

3 weeks ago Be among the first 25 applicants

Get AI-powered advice on this job and more exclusive features.

Application Deadline: 11 May 2025

Department: Corporate Services

Location: Edinburgh - Hybrid

Application Deadline: 11 May 2025

Department: Corporate Services

Location: Edinburgh - Hybrid

Compensation: M2 Grade £74,712 - £87,267 Salary. Civil Service Pension. Flexible Working Hours. Hybrid Working.

Description

This is a newly created role to oversee long-term change and transformation within Scottish Funding Council (SFC). This will include playing a strategic leadership role in implementing the Scottish Government’s recently initiated Post-School and Skills Education Reform programme within SFC.

Please note that virtual panel interviews will take place on Friday 30th May and Monday 2nd June 2025.

Key Responsibilities

Transformation Programme Governance

Design and direct the overall transformation roadmap, providing unified oversight of all change initiatives related to Scottish Government’s Post School and Skills Education Reform programme.
Establish robust governance structures for consistent tracking, clear decision-making, and timely escalation of risks. Collaborate with Deputy Director for External Affairs and Policy, ensuring that the transformation roadmap remains aligned with legislative requirements, funding frameworks, and ministerial priorities.
Coordinate and work closely with other senior leaders and their teams to integrate lean governance, workflows, systems, and processes without duplicating effort or resources.

SFC Change Management

Co-ordinate SFC change workstreams as we evolve into a new, larger organisation.
Champion inclusive change management, creating a supportive environment for all staff in how we implement reform. Embed continuous improvement methodologies (e.g., Lean) for ongoing optimisation of our future-state target operating model.
Work with Deputy Director of People and Transformation to influence and support onboarding, training, and cultural integration of new staff into SFC as part of reform programme, ensuring minimal disruption to apprenticeship delivery and SFC core services.

Stakeholder Collaboration & Engagement

Work closely with the Deputy Director- External Affairs, for sector-wide coordination with SDS, Scottish Government, colleges, universities, employers, and other public bodies directly impacted by the change.
Facilitate consultation with employer groups, training providers, and learner representatives, contract novation, and funding processes. Coordinate proactive communications across diverse stakeholder groups, ensuring clarity on timelines, milestones, and the benefits of a unified tertiary system.

Agile Delivery & Risk Management

Implement an agile approach for this project delivery.
Own the transformation risk register - Conduct scenario planning (e.g., best/worst-case budget scenarios, legislative delays), assign risk owners, and regularly review mitigation actions.
Coordinate with policy and finance leads to ensure budget requests, cost–benefit analyses, and compliance efforts are fully integrated into the transformation roadmap.
Maintain focus on outcomes of the transformation programme and reporting progress to the Board and the Executive Team.

Operational Excellence

Ensure continuity of key services (apprenticeship payments, provider support, quality assurance) during and after the transfer of functions. Initiate governance improvements, in partnership with the Deputy Director Governance and Planning, to transition from “programme delivery” to “business-as-usual” once reforms mature, leaving behind clear outcomes of fit-for-purpose operations and aligned culture.
Oversee post-implementation reviews to capture lessons learned, measure long-term value, and reinforce continuous improvement within the new integrated structure.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

It is important through your Cover Letter that you give evidence of proven experience of each of the following essential criteria:

ESSENTIAL SKILLS, QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

Demonstrated success in leading significant transformation programmes in the public sector preferably education, skills, or workforce development.
Exceptional change management expertise, including experience integrating large teams, managing cultural shifts, and harmonising processes. Strong leadership and partnership-building capabilities, with proven ability to coordinate across people, policy, governance and digital/technology, To fulfil an ambassadorial and influencing role for SFC, representing SFC in various forums
Experience in robust programme governance ensuring effective risk management and iterative delivery.
Excellent stakeholder engagement track record, adept at resolving complex multi-agency concerns and communicating with diverse audiences (such as SFC colleagues, ministers, civil servants, employers, boards, staff etc).
Financial and analytical acumen - comfortable developing cost–benefit analyses, scenario plans, performance metrics and benefits realisation.
The ability to lead through influence and persuasion at all levels of the organisation including senior leadership
Demonstrable commitment to promoting an inclusive culture that provides opportunities for all.
Securing Results – the ability to translate broad strategic ambitions into clear objectives and outcomes, work with others to create the right culture for improving operational effectiveness, systems and processes.
Relationship Management – effective in building relationships that generate confidence, respect and collaborative working at all levels, but in particular at senior levels within SFC. This requires a significant level of political acumen, alongside excellent communication and engagement skills.

DESIRABLE SKILLS

Familiarity with Scotland’s tertiary education landscape, including funding, skills policy, and the roles of SFC, SDS, SAAS, and other relevant bodies.
Expertise in Lean or continuous improvement frameworks, driving cultural shifts and efficiency improvements in large organisations.

Terms and Benefits

· Normal full-time hours of work are 35 per week. We will consider flexible working arrangements. A flexi-time system is in operation.

· Annual leave entitlement of 26.5 days pro-rata, rising to 30 days pro-rata after 2 years’ continuous service. Public and privilege holiday entitlement of 13 days pro-rata.

· A flexible approach to hybrid working, giving you flexibility to work from home anywhere in the UK for some of the time while also maintaining regular in-person contact with colleagues.

· Annual pay review: approved within the framework of the Scottish Government’s Public Sector Pay Policy and negotiated with our recognised trade union, Unite. Salaries are reviewed annually in April for employees who commence employment prior to 1 October in the preceding year.

· Eligibility to join the Civil Service Pension Scheme. With its low member contribution rates and generous employer contributions, this gives you a secure, inflation-proof pension for life with no investment uncertainty. Details of contribution rates together with further details of the pension benefits are available on the Civil Service Pensions website. There is also the option of a Partnership pension account.

· Support for continuous professional development: as a part of SFC, we are dedicated to providing comprehensive support for continuous learning and professional development. Civil Service-Learning curriculum has thoughtfully designed to cater to various learning preferences, allowing employees to engage in a manner that best suits their needs. All our educational resources are conveniently accessible through the CSL website.

· Support for health and wellbeing, including generous occupational sick pay, free access to confidential advice and support through our 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme, Special Leave (paid and unpaid), a contribution to learning outside work through our Lifelong Learning Fund, free winter flu vaccination, and access to occupational health support.

· We provide support to SFC employees with Volunteering Days.

· Support for travel to and from work, including a salary sacrifice cycle loan scheme, cycle storage and shower facilities, an interest-free loan for bus or rail season tickets and free office car parking for employees on a first-come basis.

Although most salaried roles are advertised as full time positions (35 hours a week), we are happy to discuss part-time or compressed hours to suit a candidates circumstances. We also operate a flexible working scheme to work around a candidate's other commitments such as caring responsibilities.We will consider secondment applications for most salaried fixed-term or temporary positions and in many cases also for salaried permanent positions. If you are interested in applying on a secondment basis and this option is not explicitly mentioned in the job advert, please contact recruitment@sfc.ac.uk for further information.

Seniority level

Seniority level
Mid-Senior level

Employment type

Employment type
Full-time

Job function

Job function
Other
Industries
Education Administration Programs

Referrals increase your chances of interviewing at Scottish Funding Council by 2x

Get notified about new Deputy Director jobs in Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom.

Directorate Business Manager (Grade E2) 6 Month Temporary Contract

Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom 3 days ago

Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom 2 days ago

Associate Director Ecology and Biodiversity OR Principal Consultant

Grangemouth, Scotland, United Kingdom 1 week ago

CIB Risk & Compliance Assessment Lead - Executive Director