Read more

Government Recruitment Service; City of Edinburgh; On-site; GBP 86,000 - 118,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Disability Confident employer scheme

Job summary

Government Recruitment Service in Edinburgh is seeking a Deputy Director, Priority Events to lead a multidisciplinary team of 16, directly managing two Grade 6 leaders, and set strategic direction for BIST and No.10 ministerial events.

You will oversee planning, delivery and evaluation in a fast-paced environment, build trusted relationships with Ministers and officials, and ensure resources deliver organisational objectives.

Qualifications

• Proven ability to lead large, multidisciplinary teams.
• Strong strategic thinking and political awareness.
• Experience delivering high-profile ministerial events.

Responsibilities

• Lead an award-winning, multidisciplinary team of 16 with two Grade 6 leaders.
• Set strategic direction for BIST and No.10 ministerial events.
• Provide visible senior leadership across the Department.
• Oversee planning, delivery and evaluation in a fast-paced environment.
• Build trusted relationships with Ministers and senior officials.
• Oversee event delivery through contracts and governance structures.
• Contribute to the leadership team and shape Events Engagement Strategy.
• Lead financial oversight, value-for-money and sponsorship opportunities.
• Champion professional standards in event delivery.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic direction

Stakeholder engagement

Event delivery

Budget oversight

Team management

Political awareness

Networking

Job description

Business Intelligence and Engagement (BIE) Directorate sits within BIST's Business Group and plays a central role in the government’s efforts to drive business growth and investment. We are a dynamic, multidisciplined team working across the breadth of DBT’s priorities to ensure good business engagement, share intelligence, and co-create policy. This includes:

• Driving a high-quality approach to business engagement across government
• Providing business intelligence and business sentiment data to inform policy-making and make government more responsive, including through our Strategic Companies Insights Tool (SCIT)
• Responding to special situations and economic shocks to support companies in distress
• Delivering high-profile reputationally important events for No.10, Ministers and across government
• LeadingBIST's Emergency Response function to respond to crises
• Ensuring strategic coherence across Business Group, ensuring the DG area operates with clarity and consistency, and through the Sectors Briefing Hub, responding to over 50% of BIST’s correspondence

This role leads delivery of BIST's highest profile reputationallyimportant events. You will work closely with BIST Ministers, No.10, the Office forInvestment and colleagues across the Department, toshowcasethe UK’s world-leading innovators and entrepreneurs and support the PrimeMinister’s growth agenda.Working across government, you will deliver a highly professional event experience for UK and global businesses –from the International Investment Summit to Davos - developing clear themes and narratives for each event, and demonstrating how thegovernment is partnering with business to create jobs, drive investment, and improve living standards across the UK.

The role is expected to commence 31/03/2027.

• Lead an award-winning, multidisciplinary team of 16, directly managing two Grade 6 leaders responsible for distinct workstreams.
• Set strategic direction forBIST and No.10 ministerial events, overseeing their planning, delivery and evaluation in a fast-paced, complex environment, grounded in a strong understanding of audiences.
• Provide visible, senior leadership across the Department - engaging at the highest levels, inspiring teams, and ensuring resources are prioritised to deliver organisational objectives.
• Lead with strong strategic judgement and political awareness, quickly assessing the landscape, maintaining clear long‑term direction, and enabling the team to respond effectively to emerging priorities at pace.
• Build and sustain trusted relationships with Ministers, Special Advisers, senior officials and industry partners, influencing at the highest levels to deliver impact.
• Oversee event delivery through the Department’s events management company, managing contracts, engaging at board level, and acting as Senior Responsible Officer for key events as required.
• Contribute as an active member of the Business Intelligence and Engagement Leadership Team, sharing responsibility for directorate performance, culture and the development of people.
• Shape the Department’s Events Engagement Strategy, ensuring coordination across BIST, including the use of AI and digital technologies.
• Lead financial oversight of the events portfolio, developing robust business cases, ensuring value for money, and identifying opportunities for sponsorship and partnership.
• Champion professional standards in event delivery, invest in capability across the directorate, and represent BIST in cross‑government forums to advance strategic priorities and external relationships.

Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme

Deputy Director, Priority Events?

Company: Government Recruitment Service Salary: £86,000 to £117,800 a year Hours: Full-time Location: Edinburgh Job type: Permanent Posting date: 8 Sept 2026 Closing date: 4 Oct 2026

Summary

Business Intelligence and Engagement (BIE) Directorate sits within BIST's Business Group and plays a central role in the government’s efforts to drive business growth and investment. We are a dynamic, multidisciplined team working across the breadth of DBT’s priorities to ensure good business engagement, share intelligence, and co-create policy. This includes:

• Driving a high-quality approach to business engagement across government
• Providing business intelligence and business sentiment data to inform policy-making and make government more responsive, including through our Strategic Companies Insights Tool (SCIT)
• Responding to special situations and economic shocks to support companies in distress
• Delivering high-profile reputationally important events for No.10, Ministers and across government
• LeadingBIST's Emergency Response function to respond to crises
• Ensuring strategic coherence across Business Group, ensuring the DG area operates with clarity and consistency, and through the Sectors Briefing Hub, responding to over 50% of BIST’s correspondence

This role leads delivery of BIST's highest profile reputationallyimportant events. You will work closely with BIST Ministers, No.10, the Office forInvestment and colleagues across the Department, toshowcasethe UK’s world-leading innovators and entrepreneurs and support the PrimeMinister’s growth agenda.Working across government, you will deliver a highly professional event experience for UK and global businesses –from the International Investment Summit to Davos - developing clear themes and narratives for each event, and demonstrating how thegovernment is partnering with business to create jobs, drive investment, and improve living standards across the UK.

The role is expected to commence 31/03/2027.

• Lead an award-winning, multidisciplinary team of 16, directly managing two Grade 6 leaders responsible for distinct workstreams.
• Set strategic direction forBIST and No.10 ministerial events, overseeing their planning, delivery and evaluation in a fast-paced, complex environment, grounded in a strong understanding of audiences.
• Provide visible, senior leadership across the Department - engaging at the highest levels, inspiring teams, and ensuring resources are prioritised to deliver organisational objectives.
• Lead with strong strategic judgement and political awareness, quickly assessing the landscape, maintaining clear long‑term direction, and enabling the team to respond effectively to emerging priorities at pace.
• Build and sustain trusted relationships with Ministers, Special Advisers, senior officials and industry partners, influencing at the highest levels to deliver impact.
• Oversee event delivery through the Department’s events management company, managing contracts, engaging at board level, and acting as Senior Responsible Officer for key events as required.
• Contribute as an active member of the Business Intelligence and Engagement Leadership Team, sharing responsibility for directorate performance, culture and the development of people.
• Shape the Department’s Events Engagement Strategy, ensuring coordination across BIST, including the use of AI and digital technologies.
• Lead financial oversight of the events portfolio, developing robust business cases, ensuring value for money, and identifying opportunities for sponsorship and partnership.
• Champion professional standards in event delivery, invest in capability across the directorate, and represent BIST in cross‑government forums to advance strategic priorities and external relationships.

Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme

About Disability Confident Disability Confident is a government scheme. It encourages employers to recruit and retain disabled people and those with long term health conditions.

Related jobs

Deputy Director, Creative and Channel Reach (Marketing, Creative and International)

£86,000 to £117,800 per year

Government Recruitment Service

Edinburgh

Permanent Full time

Senior Policy Advisor, BIST Burden Reduction

£44,913 to £53,230 per year

Government Recruitment Service

Edinburgh

Permanent Full time

Strategic Sites Accelerator - Programme Lead, Office for Investment

£69,185 to £80,538 per year

Government Recruitment Service

Edinburgh

Permanent Full time

Browse more jobs