Business Manager

Job description Do you want to play a key role in improving Scotland's prisons by driving the business operations behind independent monitoring and inspection? His Majesty's Inspectorate of Prisons for Scotland (HMIPS) is an independent body responsible for the inspection and monitoring of Scotland's 17 prisons. Its purpose is to assess the treatment of prisoners and the conditions in which they are held, reporting publicly on its findings. HMIPS also inspects the conditions in which prisoners are transported or held under prisoner escort arrangements. HM Chief Inspector of Prisons for Scotland (HMCIPS), Sara Snell, is supported by a Deputy Chief Inspector, a Thematic Lead, a Lead Inspector of Prisons, a Lead Inspector of Court Custody Units, four Prison Monitoring Coordinators, a Head of Business Management/Inspector, two Senior Researchers, a Scottish NPM Coordinator, a Business Manager (this post), a Business Support Officer/Chief's PA, an Independent Prison Monitoring Support Officer and an Inspection/Business Administrative Assistant. There are also around 100 Independent Prison Monitors (IPMs) nationally who volunteer from their local communities. The Business Manager plays a pivotal role in ensuring the effective operation of HMIPS. The post holder leads key business management activities, supports inspection programmes and provides strategic business support to the Chief Inspector and wider organisation. Responsibilities Business Management Respond to Freedom of Information (FOI) and Subject Access Request (SAR) requests in a timely manner. Act as the HMIPS Hiring Manager, leading the recruitment and secondment of staff. As BCLO, manage the HMIPS budget to ensure effective financial control and provide timely responses to all information requests. Produce and present quarterly financial forecast papers for HMIPS. Support and contribute to quarterly Strategic Meetings. Carry out the role of Senior Business Manager for HMIPS. Maintain and update the HMIPS Risk Register and organisational objectives, providing formal quarterly updates to the Chief Inspector and Strategic Meeting. Inspection Support the day-to-day management and coordination of inspection activity, including inspection planning and the production of associated timelines. Work with the Lead Inspector to recruit, induct and train Guest Inspectors, Associate Inspectors and new inspectors, ensuring all recruits receive appropriate onboarding and training within agreed timescales. Maintain accurate records of inspector availability, time commitments and expense claims, ensuring these are monitored and processed promptly. Act as a member of the pre-inspection survey team and participate in inspections to support prisoner focus groups. Manage inspection reports through to publication, including submission to APS and arranging publication on the HMIPS website. Manage SPS responses to inspection reports by maintaining accurate trackers, coordinating the timely publication of responses on the HMIPS website and providing feedback to prisoners on progress against desired outcomes. General Liaise with volunteers, key partners, relevant Scottish Government colleagues, external organisations and HMIPS colleagues as appropriate. Success profile Success profiles are specific to each job and they include the mix of behaviours, experience and technical criteria (if applicable) that candidates will be assessed on. Experience Experience of using Oracle as a BCLO (Budget Centre Liaison Officer) and Hiring Manager Experience of using Oracle as a Senior Business Manager Behaviours: Communicating and Influencing - Level 3 Working Together - Level 3 Delivering at Pace - Level 3 Find out more about Success Profiles . How to apply Apply online, providing a CV and supporting statement (of no more than 1000 words) providing evidence of how you meet the behaviours and experience listed in the Success Profile above. Both the CV and the supporting statement provided will be assessed against the criteria for the role. 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. Skilled Worker Sponsorship not being offered 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. If invited for further assessment, this will consist of an interview and Job Simulation. Assessments are scheduled for w/c 5th October 2026 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 . 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, 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. 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 , and read about the Government Vetting Charter , or about all the different levels of security checks in our Candidate Guide . Internal candidates may need to gain higher security clearance than they currently hold if successful in their application. 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 23:59 on 30th August 2026. This post is open to internal candidates and Common Citizenship Organisations only. External candidates and staff from UK Other Government Departments are not eligible to apply for this vacancy.