Marine Environment Policy Officer

Scottish Government; City of Edinburgh; On-site; GBP 100,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

A government agency in Edinburgh is seeking an enthusiastic Policy Official to join the Marine Environment Portfolio. The successful candidate will collaborate with various stakeholders, support the Marine Litter Strategy, and contribute to important environmental initiatives. Ideal for individuals passionate about policy development and environmental issues, this role offers diverse responsibilities in a dynamic setting.

Qualifications

• Experience or working knowledge of ministerial and parliamentary correspondence systems.
• A mix of skills related to policy development and external communication.

Responsibilities

• Assist with briefing and advice for senior officials and/or Ministers.
• Contribute to the Secretariat of the Scottish Marine Environment Programme Board.
• Support delivery of the Marine Litter Strategy through stakeholder engagement.

Skills

Policy Context and Purpose (Developing Level)

Participation and Engagement (Developing Level)

Working Together

Communicating and Influencing

Seeing the Big Picture

Job description

Overview

Are you passionate about the environment and ready to take the next step in your career in a role which will afford you a unique opportunity to contribute to a high‑profile, cross‑cutting policy area that attracts significant ministerial and public interest?

We are currently seeking an enthusiastic and dedicated Policy Official to join the Marine Environment Portfolio, working across two dynamic teams: the Marine Climate and Biodiversity Twin Crisis Hub and the Clean Seas team.

In this role, you’ll collaborate across the Marine Directorate and wider SG, as well as a broad range of external stakeholders from NatureScot to NGOs and community groups. Collaboratively, you’ll help shape the development of a new Scottish Marine Environment Programme Board and support the delivery of the Marine Litter Strategy.

Your work will span a variety of tasks from administrative to creative, offering the chance to develop new skills and grow your career in a supportive environment that values coaching and learning. With responsibilities shared between two very friendly and supportive teams, you can expect a varied and rewarding workload.

Responsibilities

• Assist with briefing and advice (for senior officials and/or Ministers).
• Assist with and contribute to correspondence (e.g. Ministerial, official, PQs, FoI).
• Assist with the Secretariat of the newly established Scottish Marine Environment Programme Board and the Secretariat of the Marine Litter Group, including contributing to the drafting and preparation of official documents, supporting organisation of meetings, coordination and engagement with external board members and MD policy teams and using Project and/or Programme Management to support delivery.
• Contribute to communications activity (including media, speeches, visits).
• Support the delivery of the Marine Litter Strategy, including stakeholder engagement work on end‑of‑life fishing and aquaculture gear.
• Support colleagues to deliver the wider work of the Marine Climate and Biodiversity Twin Crisis Hub and the Clean Seas team as identified in the Marine Directorate Annual Delivery Plan.

Qualifications

Success profiles are specific to each job and they include the mix of skills, experience and behaviours candidates will be assessed on.

Technical / Professional Skills:

• Policy Context and Purpose (Developing Level) – Embed cross‑cutting policy objectives and responsibilities
• Participation and Engagement (Developing Level) – Deliver effective external communication

You can find out more about the skills required here.

Experience

• Experience, or a working knowledge of ministerial and parliamentary correspondence systems, including Ministerial, official, PQs, FoI.

Behaviours

• Working Together – Level 2
• Communicating and Influencing – Level 2
• Seeing the Big Picture – Level 2

You can find out more about Success Profiles here.

How to apply

Apply online, providing a CV and Supporting Statement (of no more than 1000 words) which provides evidence of how you meet the skills, experience and behaviours listed in the Success Profile above.

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.

Further information about assessments and interview dates will be provided to shortlisted candidates.

Equality statement

We are committed to equality and inclusion and we aim to recruit a diverse workforce that reflects the population of our nation. 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.

Apply before 23:59 on 20 October 2025. This post is open to internal candidates and Common Citizenship Organisations only.