Senior Technical Delivery Manager (Fixed Term Appointment)

Social Security Scotland; Glasgow; Hybrid; GBP 75,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Social Security Scotland in the United Kingdom is seeking a Senior Delivery Manager to provide leadership across major technology initiatives, ensuring safe, effective delivery aligned with priorities. You will oversee delivery across platforms, architecture, cyber security, engineering and testing, coordinating with supplier partners.

The role requires expert delivery momentum, risk management and stakeholder engagement in a large-scale, multi-disciplinary environment.

Qualifications

• Experience delivering complex digital and technical change in large-scale environments.
• Strong leadership and coaching skills across multi-disciplinary teams.
• Proven ability to manage risks, dependencies and stakeholder expectations.

Responsibilities

• Coach and lead teams in Agile and Lean practices, advocating for continuous improvement.
• Tailor new ways of working to suit project needs and challenge existing approaches effectively.
• Take responsibility for complex relationships with contracted suppliers, negotiating contracts to ensure value.
• Mediate between stakeholders at all levels, managing expectations on risk and complexity.
• Represent the community to large audiences both internally and externally.
• Apply experience across multiple stages of the product lifecycle, coordinating with Agile delivery operations.
• Engage stakeholders throughout the project, ensuring deliverables are met by the right people.
• Optimise team delivery flow, addressing risks, issues, dependencies even with unclear ownership.
• Innovatively unblock issues to maintain delivery momentum.
• Challenge organisational processes to improve efficiency, guiding teams through implementations.
• Lead continual planning in complex environments, coordinating dependencies across services.
• Coach other teams as a key planning expert.
• Identify and rectify team dynamics issues, conduct Agile health checks and provide feedback.

Skills

Delivery management

Agile & Lean practices

Stakeholder engagement

Leadership

Risk management

Job description

Expected Timeline (subject to change)
Sift – week commencing 28th September 2026.

Please note that this is a 47 month fixed term appointment opportunity with the possibility of permanency depending on the needs of the business. Join Social Security Scotland's Digital, Delivery & Change Division and play a key role in delivering complex digital and technical change. As a Senior Delivery Manager, you will provide leadership across high-profile technology initiatives, ensuring they are delivered safely, effectively and in line with organisational priorities.

The Digital, Delivery & Change Division delivers the infrastructure, digital capabilities and technology solutions that support Social Security Scotland's services and strategic objectives.

Within the Digital Services Branch, the Senior Delivery Manager provides leadership and coordination across a complex digital landscape, working with teams across platforms, architecture, cyber security, engineering and testing, as well as operational and supplier partners.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced delivery professional with a strong track record of managing complex technical change in large-scale, multi-disciplinary environments. You will lead delivery activities, manage risks and dependencies, engage stakeholders at all levels and drive continuous improvement to ensure successful outcomes for both services and users.

A Senior Delivery Manager is accountable for the effective delivery of complex, high risk products and services. The role is similar to that of a Delivery Manager role, however Senior Delivery Managers are more experienced across a range of products and services, throughout the entire product life cycle, and have greater responsibility and accountability as the main point of escalation.

At This Role Level, You Will

• have strong communication skills and engage senior stakeholders
• coach and mentor Delivery Managers

Responsibilities

• Coach and lead teams in Agile and Lean practices, advocating for continuous improvement.
• Tailor new ways of working to suit project needs and challenge existing approaches effectively.
• Take responsibility for complex relationships with contracted suppliers, finding and negotiating contractual frameworks to ensure fair value.
• Mediate between stakeholders at all levels, managing expectations and helping discussions on elevated risk and complexity.
• Represent the community to large audiences both internally and externally.
• Apply experience across multiple stages of the product life cycle, discerning progress points and collaborating with Agile delivery operations.
• Engage stakeholders throughout the project, recognising proper deliverables and coordinating with the right people to meet them.
• Optimise team delivery flow, actively addressing complex risks, issues, and dependencies, even in situations with unclear ownership.
• Innovatively unblock issues to ensure delivery momentum is kept.
• Challenge organisational processes to optimise efficiency, adding value through coaching and guiding teams through process implementations.
• Lead continual planning processes in complex environments, extending planning beyond product delivery and coordinating dependencies across services.
• Coach other teams as a crucial point of expertise in planning methodologies.
• Find and rectify problems in team dynamics, conducting Agile 'health checks' and providing the right type of feedback to accelerate team development cycles.

Success Profiles
We use an assessment framework called ‘Success Profiles’ which lists the elements we test and provides detailed descriptions of each. Find out more about the framework here.

For this post, the following Success Profile elements will be assessed:

Experience

• Expert-level ability in supporting delivery momentum, perfecting team delivery flow, actively addressing complex risks, issues, and dependencies, and innovatively unblocking issues even when ownership is unclear or external.
• Expert-level ability in planning, leading continual processes in complex environments, extending planning beyond product delivery, naming, and coordinating dependencies across services, and coaching other teams as a central expertise point

Behaviours

• Leadership (Level 4)
• Delivering at Pace (Level 4)

You can find out more about Success Profiles Behaviours here.

Technical / Professional Skills
This role is aligned to Senior Delivery Manager within the Government Digital and Data Profession.

These skills will be tested during the Technical Assessment if you are successful at sift stage. They will be not be assessed at application stage. Please review the following to understand the skill expectations: Delivery manager - Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework

Expected Timeline (subject to change)
Sift – week commencing 28th September 2026.
Interview – week commencing 19th October 2026.
Location – In Person in either Dundee or Glasgow

Reserve List
In the event that there are more successful candidates than posts available, a reserve list will be kept for up to 12 months.

About Us
Social Security Scotland is an Executive Agency of the Scottish Government. Our benefits help people from all walks of life in Scotland. We offer rewarding careers and employ people across Scotland in a wide range of professions and roles. We are committed to recruiting a diverse workforce that is representative of the clients we serve. Find more about us here.

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.

Working Pattern
Our standard hours are 35 hours per week and we offer a range of flexible working options, depending on the needs of the role. We embrace a hybrid working style where all colleagues will spend time in either our Glasgow or Dundee offices. There is an expectation of a minimum 2 days per week in your assigned location, which will be either Glasgow or Dundee. If you have specific questions about the role you are applying for, please contact us.

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

Social Security Scotland are a Disability Confident Employer. We will consider and implement any reasonable adjustments you may require throughout the recruitment process and during the course of your employment, should you be successful in securing a post. If you feel you may require assistance with any part of our recruitment process, please contact us at [e-mail].

Find out more about our commitment to diversity and how we offer and support recruitment adjustments for anyone who needs them.

Right to Work in the UK
Social Security Scotland is an approved sponsor under the UK Visa and Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker route. Please note that UK immigration guidance, including skill and salary thresholds and eligible occupations, is reviewed regularly and subject to change. If you require visa sponsorship, you should check the latest criteria to confirm whether this role meets current requirements before applying. You can find further advice at Skilled Worker visa: Overview - GOV.UK

Further Information
Social Security Scotland’s recruitment processes are underpinned by the recruitment principles of the Civil Service Commissioner, which outline that selection for appointment be made on merit on the basis of fair and open competition - Recruitment - Civil Service Commission

If you feel at any time your application has not been treated in accordance with the values in the Civil Service Code and/or if you feel the recruitment has been conducted in such a way that conflicts with the Civil Service Commissioner’s Recruitment Principles, you can make a complaint, by contacting Social Security Scotland at [e-mail] in the first instance. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive you can contact the Civil Service Commissioner.

The successful candidate will be expected to remain in post for a minimum of 3 years unless successful in gaining promotion to a higher Band or Grade.

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.