C3 Head of People and Place

Social Security Scotland are recruiting for a Head of People and Place based in either Glasgow or Dundee. This role offers a rare opportunity to shape the future of our organisation driving transformation that directly improves the experience of the people we serve across Scotland.

As part of the People and Place Directorate you willprovide strategic leadership of the HR function ensuring the organisation has the capability capacity and workforce culture needed to deliver organisational priorities. The role acts as a trusted adviser strategic partner and professional authority shaping people strategy and driving organisation wide change.

You will lead and influence a wide range of functions including People Support Organisational Development Resourcing and Analytics Strategic Design Place strategy Net Zero activity property projects and protective security. You will drive organisation wide transformation including redesign and cultural change initiatives advancing our Public Sector Reform agenda improving processes strengthening capability and increasing the use of automation and data.

This is a pivotal senior role responsible for driving effectiveness efficiency and value through our people processes and our estates strategy whilst ensuring our organisational design enables long-term success and achievement of our strategic goals. You will bring a visionary yet practical approach translating strategy into delivery aligning our workforce and physical environment to support performance wellbeing and growth. You will be comfortable operating in a complex and evolving landscape to develop high performing teams and drive continuous improvement.

You will demonstrate a values-led people-centred approach whilst maintaining a clear focus on efficiency and you are motivated by meaningful public service committed to inclusive leadership and excited to shape the future of a nationally significant organisation we would welcome your application.

Responsibilities

• Embed a culture of great leadership across the People and Place division role-modelling a commitment to building capability providing a value for money service whilst driving our Approach to Performance and divisional performance management.

• Provide strategic support and guidance to the Senior C Band Leaders in people matters providing insight challenge and thought leadership to drive organisational people priorities.

• Lead on the delivery of the People Plan () and further development of our Place Plan (2023-2026) driving efficiency and value across our people and estates offer to support organisational strategic objectives.

• Play an active role in the divisional Senior Leadership Team and wider senior leadership across the organisation supporting the Deputy Director People and Place and role modelling behaviours in line with our organisational values and commitment to diversity and inclusion.

• Make a demonstrable contribution to the Public Sector Reform agenda through driving innovation in our approach to People and Place including learning use of Artificial Intelligence more efficient service delivery and developing a shared service offering.

• Take aleading role in Trade Union engagement encouraging an open and trusted two-way relationship that supports good industrial relations.

• Provide operational leadership to the People function which provides a high quality flexible and accessible human resources service to Social Security Scotland including focusing on wellbeing and building leadership capability.

• Provide strategic and operational leadership to the Place function ensuring effective management of Social Security Scotlands central estate national office spaces travel management arrangements and the protective security team while delivering a high quality safe and efficient working environment across all locations.

• Responsible for the successful delivery of People and Place services to the organisation employee relations casework wellbeing resourcing talent and development organisation design place strategy and protective security.

• Support the development of the employee experience to ensure that all parts of HR are connecting to deliver a compelling and integrated employee value proposition.

• Active engagement with stakeholders including wider Scottish Government relevant professional networks and Heads of Profession.

• Development of People and Place divisional business plan providing a strategic link to other senior C Band across the organisation and ensuring the service offered to internal customers is future fit.

Qualifications
The successful candidate will hold Chartered Fellow membership of the CIPD or have demonstrable equivalent senior HR leadership experience to enable them to fulfil their role.

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:

• Demonstrable experience leading and inspiring teams including evidence of operating with Executive level where you have played a highly visible role across the organisation. Share examples of how youve created a culture of development empowerment and engagement.

• Experience of providing strategic support and guidance to senior leaders on people matters including how your insight and challenge influenced organisational priorities.

• Experience of illustrating your ability to deliver results under pressure lead high-profile initiatives and manage resources and budgets effectivelywith a record of delivering efficiencies through innovation.

• Extensive experience in enhancing organisational capability championing an inclusive working culture and driving high performance that align directly with strategic organisational priorities.
  

Behaviours:

• Leadership (Level 4)
• Communicating and Influencing (Level 4)
• Seeing the Big Picture (Level 4)
  

You can find out more about Success Profiles Behaviours here:Success Profiles - Civil Service Behaviours ()

How to Apply
Apply online providing a CV and Supporting Statement (of no more than 1500 words) which provides evidence of how you meet the Success Profiles 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.

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 interview and a presentation.

We aim to provide feedback on request. However if we receive a large number of applications it may not be possible for us to provide specific feedback on your application. We will provide feedback on request to candidates who attend an interview/assessment.

Expected Timeline (subject to change)
Sift w/c 23rd February 2026
Interview w/c 9th March 2026
Location In Person at either Agnes Husband House Dundee or 220 High Street Glasgow

Reserve List
In the event that there are more successful candidates than posts available a reserve list will be kept for up to 9 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 aboutwhat we offer.

As part of theUK Civil Service we uphold theCivil 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 you have specific questions about the role you are applying for please contact us.

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.

Find out more about our commitment todiversity and how we offer and supportrecruitment adjustments for anyone who needs them.

Further Information
This role is only available to existing permanent civil servants who have successfully completed their probation period within Social Security Scotland or the broader Scottish Government.

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 ourCareers Website.

Read ourCandidate Guidefor further information on our recruitment and application processes.

If you experience any difficulties accessing our website or completing the online application form please contact the Resourcing Team via

Apply before 23:55 on Tuesday 17th February 2026

Contact Name - Nicola Rudnicki Deputy Director People and Place
Contact email -