Policy Official

Scottish Government; Glasgow; Hybrid; GBP 35,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

The Scottish Government is seeking a Policy Official for a permanent, hybrid role based at Atlantic Quay / St Andrews House. The position will support Ministerial engagement with strategically important business partners and manage a busy caseload within the Strategic Relationships Unit.

You will plan and deliver ministerial engagements, maintain accurate records, and draft briefings. Strong communication, organizational and collaboration skills are essential for success in this fast-paced

Qualifications

• Excellent communication and relationship skills with stakeholders and customers.
• Experience and/or knowledge of records management, data protection guidelines and FOI/EIR legislation.

Responsibilities

• Support planning and delivery of Ministerial engagement with business representatives of strategic importance.
• Act as first point of contact for queries, ensuring timely triage and allocation of work.
• Assist with drafting briefings and speaking notes for engagements, and support events across the unit.

Skills

Stakeholder engagement

Ministerial liaison

Policy analysis

Records management

Job description

This is an Expression of Interest (EOI) opportunity, available on a lateral move basis only. Applications are open to Core Scottish Government employees only.

Job Title - Policy Official

Business Area/Directorate - Directorate for Business and Better Regulation

Location - Atlantic Quay / St Andrews House

Working Arrangement – Staff in roles compatible with hybrid working should aim to spend 40% of their contracted working time working in person at their contractual workplace. More information can be found within Hybrid Working Policy

Grade - B1

Advert type - Level Transfer

Duration - Permanent

Eligibility - Expressions of interest are invited from substantive colleagues on level transfer from core SG only.

Sponsorship: Skilled Worker sponsorship is not available for this role. As a result, we are unable to appoint candidates who require Skilled Worker sponsorship now or in the future. Applicants must have an existing and ongoing right to work in the UK.

Do you have excellent attention to detail and the confidence to advise and engage with colleagues and stakeholders, including Ministers, at all levels?

The Directorate for Business and Better Regulation is a Directorate within DG Economy. We work with colleagues across the Scottish Government and its agencies to improve policy and project delivery and its impact upon the business environment in Scotland.

We recognise that business engagement is key to successful delivery of policy outcomes. And that improved business relationships are essential to the sustainable and purposeful economic growth that is required to deliver all public policy objectives. We support colleagues to deliver enduring culture change, for the benefit of Scotland as a whole.

We are a small directorate with a strong team ethos. We aspire to work as efficiently as possible, with clear purpose and priorities. We are productive, with a focus on outcomes. We are a great place to work, with opportunities to progress and support each other to develop our skills and deliver our objectives. We hold ourselves, and one another, to the highest standards in our work and in our conduct.

The Strategic Relationships Unit is part of the Business Relationships Division. The unit engages with business organisations, industry bodies and business leaders regularly on a cross-sectoral basis on the strategic priorities for Scotland. We work closely with our stakeholders to ensure ministerial or senior official engagement is meaningful and targeted to the right audience at the right time.

The Policy Officer role will specifically support the planning and delivery of Ministerial engagement with strategically important business partners.

Key responsibilities

• Support the team in the planning and delivery of core programme of Ministerial engagement with business representative organisations and businesses of strategic importance to Scotland’s economy, in line with strategic engagement plan agreed with DFM.

  • Completion of routine correspondence and support for routine engagements.

  • Develop strong working relationships with Ministerial Private offices and Business Organisations.

  • Act as first point of contact for MiCase and FOI queries, ensuring timely triage, allocation and monitoring against statutory deadlines.

  • Ensure the effective management of the unit’s caseload and enquiries by maintaining oversight of live cases, proactively identifying and escalating risks, quality assuring responses for accuracy and consistency, and coordinating the timely allocation and prioritisation of work through the shared mailbox.

  • Produce analysis of event and Micase activity to better inform feedback on recurring themes/ overview of ministerial engagement.

  • Assist B3’s and B2’s by requesting contributions and preparing initial drafts of briefings and speaking notes for all business organisation engagements.

  • Support B3’s and B2’s to arrange events across the unit. Lead responsibility in issuing invitations and monitoring responses.

  • Support the secretariat function for meetings between officials and stakeholders, including drafting minutes to ensure an accurate record of the meetings as well as maintaining the meeting tracker and taking forward actions arising from the meeting.

  • Support the wider unit as needed, contributing to media monitoring and ensuring work trackers are accurate and up to date and offering support as an when required to cover other ad hoc duties.

Success Profile

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

Experience

• Excellent communication and relationship skills, demonstrating the building of effective relationships with stakeholders and customers.

• Experience and/or knowledge of records management, data protection guidelines and both EIR and FOI legislation and best practice.

Behaviours

• Communicating & Influencing – Level 2

• Developing Self & Others – Level 2

• Changing & Improving – Level 2

• Making Effective Decisions – Level 2

You can find out more about Success Profiles Behaviours, here: Behaviour levels - Success profiles: candidate guide

Working Pattern

This post is a full-time role, but we welcome applications from staff with different working patterns, proposed working patterns will be assessed against the business requirements for this post.

Our standard hours are 35 hours per week and we offer a range of flexible working options depending on the needs of the role, including Flexi-leave. Scottish Government staff in hybrid-compatible roles should aim to work in-person 40% of the time, either in an office or other agreed work location. If you have specific questions about the role you are applying for, please contact us.

Further Information

Further information about this opportunity is available from [e-mail]

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.

Please see our candidate guidance for more information on acceptable and unacceptable uses of AI in recruitment.

If invited for further assessment, this will consist of an informal interview, scheduled for w/c 26 October, however this may be subject to change.

Recruitment Principles

As a government organisation, we adhere to the Civil Service Commission Recruitment Principles and we investigate any complaints received in relation to recruitment cases.

About us

The Scottish Government is the devolved government for Scotland. We have responsibility for a wide range of key policy areas including: education, health, the economy, justice, housing and transport. We offer rewarding careers and employ people across Scotland in a wide range of professions and roles.

Our staff are part of the UK Civil Service observing the Civil Service Code and working for Ministers and senior stakeholders to deliver vital public services which improve the lives of the people of Scotland.

We offer a supportive and inclusive working environment along with a wide range of employee benefits. Find out more about what we offer.

As part of the UK Civil Service, we uphold the Civil Service Nationality Rules.

Security checks

Successful candidates must complete the Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS), before they can be appointed. BPSS is comprised of four main pre-employment checks – Identity, Right to work, Employment History and a Criminal Record check (unspent convictions).

You can find out more about BPSS on the UK Government website, or read about the different levels of security checks in our Candidate Guide.

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: 12/10/2026 (23:59). This role is open to substantive B1 colleagues from core SG only.

Vacancies close at 23:59pm on Monday 12 October.