Head of Research and Commercial Development Service
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- United Kingdom
- Work type
- Hybrid
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Would you like a job where you can lead the development and delivery of a new commercial research service for the National Records of Scotland (NRS) in a fast paced, high priority area?
This new research service represents a significant strategic opportunity for NRS to leverage its world‑leading archival, genealogical, demographic and census datasets to generate income that can be reinvested in public services. While these authoritative, historically verified assets create clear potential for high‑value research partnerships and commercial activity, realising this opportunity requires a dedicated operational leadership role to translate strategic intent into a structured, marketable, and sustainable service offer whilst ensuring that, alongside this new service, NRS continues to make data and information available to meet statutory responsibilities.
This dedicated lead role is essential to develop and implement the new service, drive income generation and funding diversification, and establish NRS as a credible research partner—particularly in support of UKRI recognition and future investment, using their skills to help market the service to the right audiences. This role will provide the coordination, external engagement, and governance needed to manage complex partnerships, protect NRS’s reputation for quality and integrity, and ensure the service delivers both financial return and public value. The role will report into the Director of Customer Services Operations and Archives and be part of the largest directorate within NRS, alongside working with other service and business areas across the organisation.
- Lead the design, development and implementation of the new research service.
- Set the vision and purpose for the new research service and using a range of communication channels to share this vision.
Handle data and information sensitively in accordance with the business procedures and/or law.
Engage with internal and external stakeholders and suppliers and customers, to gather insight, test and develop and implement the service to meet market demand.
Work across NRS to engage with a range of service areas to develop research products.
Collaborate with communications and marketing colleagues to ensure research products are effectively positioned, promoted and disseminated to maximise reach, demand and uptake.
Partner directly with policy, procurement and finance colleagues to ensure that the new service meets statutory, compliance, policy and income requirements.
Monitor the impact of the service both in terms of quality, financial impact and overall public value outcomes.
- Connections and communication – Practitioner
- Adaptability to change - Practitioner
- Data and insight - Practitioner
- Delivery and decision making as speed - Practitioner
You can find out more about the skills required, here: Core ODP Skills - Operational Delivery Profession
- Experience of leading the development and implementation of a new public-facing customer service across multiple teams, establishing governance, processes and stakeholder engagement arrangements.
- Experience of introducing commercial or income generating services with a knowledge of public sector obligations.
Behaviours:
- Seeing the big picture – Level 4
- Leadership – Level 4
- Managing a quality service – Level 4
You can find out more about Success Profiles Behaviours, here: Behaviour levels - Success profiles: candidate guide - gov.scot
Apply online, providing a CV and supporting statement (of no more than 1500 words) providing evidence of how you meet the behaviours, experience and technical skills listed in the Success Profile above. Both the CV and the supporting statement provided will be assessed against the criteria for the role.
If invited for further assessment, this will consist of an interview and presentation.
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.
Assessment schedule to be confirmed.
Sponsorship
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.
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.
National Records of Scotland (NRS) is Scotland’s record keeper. Our purpose is to collect, preserve and produce information about Scotland's people and history and make it available to inform current and future generations. We offer rewarding careers and employ people across Scotland in a wide range of professions and roles.
NRS is a Non-Ministerial Department of the Scottish Government & and our staff are part of the UK Civil Service, 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.
Our standard hours are 35 hours per week, we offer a range of flexible and hybrid working options with the expectation of on-site working across the week.
If you have specific questions about the role you are applying for, please contact us.
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.
For further information about the role, please contact Jane Milne at Jane.Milne@nrscotland.gov.uk
