Deputy Director, Strategic Change
| Posting date: | 22 April 2025 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £74,712 to £87,267 per year |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 11 May 2025 |
| Location: | Edinburgh, Scotland |
| Remote working: | Hybrid - work remotely up to 5 days per week |
| Company: | Scottish Funding Council |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: |
Summary
This is a newly created role to oversee long-term change and transformation within Scottish Funding Council (SFC). This will include playing a strategic leadership role in implementing the Scottish Government’s recently initiated Post-School and Skills Education Reform programme within SFC.
Key responsibilities
Transformation Programme Governance
1. Design and direct the overall transformation roadmap, providing unified oversight of all change initiatives related to Scottish Government’s Post-School and Skills Education Reform programme.
2. Establish robust governance structures for consistent tracking, clear decision-making, and timely escalation of risks. Collaborate with Deputy Director for External Affairs and Policy, ensuring that the transformation roadmap remains aligned with legislative
requirements, funding frameworks, and ministerial priorities.
3. Coordinate and work closely with other senior leaders and their teams to integrate lean governance, workflows, systems, and processes without duplicating effort or resources.
SFC Change Management
4. Co-ordinate SFC change workstreams as we evolve into a new, larger organisation.
5. Champion inclusive change management, creating a supportive environment for all staff in how we implement reform. Embed continuous improvement methodologies (e.g.,
Lean) for ongoing optimisation of our future-state target operating model.
6. Work with Deputy Director of People and Transformation to influence and support onboarding, training, and cultural integration of new staff into SFC as part of reform
programme, ensuring minimal disruption to apprenticeship delivery and SFC core
services.
Stakeholder Collaboration & Engagement
7. Work closely with the Deputy Director- External Affairs, for sector-wide coordination with SDS, Scottish Government, colleges, universities, employers, and other public
bodies directly impacted by the change.
8. Facilitate consultation with employer groups, training providers, and learner
representatives, contract novation, and funding processes. Coordinate proactive
communications across diverse stakeholder groups, ensuring clarity on timelines,
milestones, and the benefits of a unified tertiary system.
Agile Delivery & Risk Management
9. Implement an agile approach for this project delivery.
10. Own the transformation risk register - Conduct scenario planning (e.g., best/worst-case budget scenarios, legislative delays), assign risk owners, and regularly review mitigation actions.
11. Coordinate with policy and finance leads to ensure budget requests, cost–benefit analyses, and compliance efforts are fully integrated into the transformation roadmap.
12. Maintain focus on outcomes of the transformation programme and reporting progress to the Board and the Executive Team.
Operational Excellence
13. Ensure continuity of key services (apprenticeship payments, provider support, quality assurance) during and after the transfer of functions. Initiate governance
improvements, in partnership with the Deputy Director Governance and Planning, to
transition from “programme delivery” to “business-as-usual” once reforms mature,
leaving behind clear outcomes of fit-for-purpose operations and aligned culture.
14. Oversee post-implementation reviews to capture lessons learned, measure long-term value, and reinforce continuous improvement within the new integrated structure.
Skills, qualifications and experience
Essential
• Demonstrated success in leading significant transformation programmes in the
public sector preferably education, skills, or workforce development.
• Exceptional change management expertise, including experience integrating large
teams, managing cultural shifts, and harmonising processes. Strong leadership and
partnership-building capabilities, with proven ability to coordinate across people, policy, governance and digital/technology, To fulfil an ambassadorial and
influencing role for SFC, representing SFC in various forums
• Experience in robust programme governance ensuring effective risk management
and iterative delivery.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement track record, adept at resolving complex multi agency concerns and communicating with diverse audiences (such as SFC
colleagues, ministers, civil servants, employers, boards, staff etc).
• Financial and analytical acumen - comfortable developing cost–benefit analyses,
scenario plans, performance metrics and benefits realisation.
• The ability to lead through influence and persuasion at all levels of the organisation
including senior leadership
• Demonstrable commitment to promoting an inclusive culture that provides
opportunities for all.
• Securing Results – the ability to translate broad strategic ambitions into clear
objectives and outcomes, work with others to create the right culture for improving
operational effectiveness, systems and processes.
• Relationship Management – effective in building relationships that generate
confidence, respect and collaborative working at all levels, but in particular at
senior levels within SFC. This requires a significant level of political acumen,
alongside excellent communication and engagement skills.
Desirable
• Familiarity with Scotland’s tertiary education landscape, including funding, skills
policy, and the roles of SFC, SDS, SAAS, and other relevant bodies.
• Expertise in Lean or continuous improvement frameworks, driving cultural shifts
and efficiency improvements in large organisations.
Key responsibilities
Transformation Programme Governance
1. Design and direct the overall transformation roadmap, providing unified oversight of all change initiatives related to Scottish Government’s Post-School and Skills Education Reform programme.
2. Establish robust governance structures for consistent tracking, clear decision-making, and timely escalation of risks. Collaborate with Deputy Director for External Affairs and Policy, ensuring that the transformation roadmap remains aligned with legislative
requirements, funding frameworks, and ministerial priorities.
3. Coordinate and work closely with other senior leaders and their teams to integrate lean governance, workflows, systems, and processes without duplicating effort or resources.
SFC Change Management
4. Co-ordinate SFC change workstreams as we evolve into a new, larger organisation.
5. Champion inclusive change management, creating a supportive environment for all staff in how we implement reform. Embed continuous improvement methodologies (e.g.,
Lean) for ongoing optimisation of our future-state target operating model.
6. Work with Deputy Director of People and Transformation to influence and support onboarding, training, and cultural integration of new staff into SFC as part of reform
programme, ensuring minimal disruption to apprenticeship delivery and SFC core
services.
Stakeholder Collaboration & Engagement
7. Work closely with the Deputy Director- External Affairs, for sector-wide coordination with SDS, Scottish Government, colleges, universities, employers, and other public
bodies directly impacted by the change.
8. Facilitate consultation with employer groups, training providers, and learner
representatives, contract novation, and funding processes. Coordinate proactive
communications across diverse stakeholder groups, ensuring clarity on timelines,
milestones, and the benefits of a unified tertiary system.
Agile Delivery & Risk Management
9. Implement an agile approach for this project delivery.
10. Own the transformation risk register - Conduct scenario planning (e.g., best/worst-case budget scenarios, legislative delays), assign risk owners, and regularly review mitigation actions.
11. Coordinate with policy and finance leads to ensure budget requests, cost–benefit analyses, and compliance efforts are fully integrated into the transformation roadmap.
12. Maintain focus on outcomes of the transformation programme and reporting progress to the Board and the Executive Team.
Operational Excellence
13. Ensure continuity of key services (apprenticeship payments, provider support, quality assurance) during and after the transfer of functions. Initiate governance
improvements, in partnership with the Deputy Director Governance and Planning, to
transition from “programme delivery” to “business-as-usual” once reforms mature,
leaving behind clear outcomes of fit-for-purpose operations and aligned culture.
14. Oversee post-implementation reviews to capture lessons learned, measure long-term value, and reinforce continuous improvement within the new integrated structure.
Skills, qualifications and experience
Essential
• Demonstrated success in leading significant transformation programmes in the
public sector preferably education, skills, or workforce development.
• Exceptional change management expertise, including experience integrating large
teams, managing cultural shifts, and harmonising processes. Strong leadership and
partnership-building capabilities, with proven ability to coordinate across people, policy, governance and digital/technology, To fulfil an ambassadorial and
influencing role for SFC, representing SFC in various forums
• Experience in robust programme governance ensuring effective risk management
and iterative delivery.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement track record, adept at resolving complex multi agency concerns and communicating with diverse audiences (such as SFC
colleagues, ministers, civil servants, employers, boards, staff etc).
• Financial and analytical acumen - comfortable developing cost–benefit analyses,
scenario plans, performance metrics and benefits realisation.
• The ability to lead through influence and persuasion at all levels of the organisation
including senior leadership
• Demonstrable commitment to promoting an inclusive culture that provides
opportunities for all.
• Securing Results – the ability to translate broad strategic ambitions into clear
objectives and outcomes, work with others to create the right culture for improving
operational effectiveness, systems and processes.
• Relationship Management – effective in building relationships that generate
confidence, respect and collaborative working at all levels, but in particular at
senior levels within SFC. This requires a significant level of political acumen,
alongside excellent communication and engagement skills.
Desirable
• Familiarity with Scotland’s tertiary education landscape, including funding, skills
policy, and the roles of SFC, SDS, SAAS, and other relevant bodies.
• Expertise in Lean or continuous improvement frameworks, driving cultural shifts
and efficiency improvements in large organisations.
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