Principal Applications Operations Engineer

This is an Expression of Interest (EOI) opportunity, available on a lateral move basis only. Applications are open to Core Scottish Government employees only . Job Title - Principal Applications Operations Engineer Business Area/Directorate / Unit - Heat in Buildings Assessment Register Team Location - Atlantic Quay / Victoria Quay Working Arrangement – Staff in roles compatible with hybrid working should aim to spend 40% of their contracted working time working in person at their contractual workplace. More information can be found within Hybrid Working Policy Grade - C1 Advert type - Level Transfer Duration - Permanent Eligibility - Expressions of interest are invited from substantive colleagues on level transfer from core SG only. 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 Job description We have an opportunity for a C1 to join the Heat in Buildings Assessment Register Team on a permanent basis to have overall lead responsibility for operational oversight of the Scottish EPC Register. This is an ideal opportunity for someone with proven digital and operational delivery experience. The Heat in Buildings Assessment – EPC Register team is responsible for the operation and development of the statutory Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) Register. EPCs are a vital part of the Heat in Buildings policy landscape; they communicate important energy efficiency and heating system information to building buyers or tenants, are required in every new property transaction, underpin millions of pounds of Government schemes, and support research and reporting against climate change targets. Over 200,000 EPCs are produced in Scotland per year by over 3,500 assessors. This is an exciting time to join the team as we move into delivering a package of reforms to the EPC system – the first reform in 17 years. New regulations have recently been approved by Parliament to reform the certificates, following work with the Climate Change Committee, academics, and other key stakeholders, to better reflect current heat in building and energy efficiency policy. This role involves leading an operational delivery team to ensure that the statutory EPC Register infrastructure operates effectively to support the functioning of the EPC assessment market and the wider Scottish property market where EPCs form part of every property transaction. This includes ensuring that the EPC Register, supports wider SG policies, programmes and legislation which rely upon it, and will include developing new modular functionality to enable additional legislative regimes to be integrated into the Register architecture, and resourced operationally. As an operational infrastructure underpinning the functioning of the property market, the team leader will ensure that the Register performs to high operational standards in a customer-facing service environment to meet user needs. As a newly-developed in-house digital infrastructure, the team leader will be the SG digital lead, with the expertise and knowledge to ensure this digital asset is properly managed and maintained. They will also ensure that the Register digital infrastructure is regularly updated and reviewed as the market evolves, working closely with counterparts in the UK Government and EPC Approved Organisations. They will work closely with the Unit Head and other team leaders to ensure the Register supports other aspects of EPC operational delivery, policy and regulations and those supporting wider Heat in Buildings and Housing legislative requirements – such as developing new enforcement functions, audit and inspection regimes This post is part of the Government Digital and Data (GDD) profession and currently attracts a £3,000 annual GDD pay supplement, which is paid monthly. Pay supplements are temporary payments and subject to regular review. Following a review, a pay supplement may change in value or be withdrawn. Key Responsibilities Manage configuration items, related information, service compliance and risks, ensure the correct implementation of standards and procedures, identify and mitigate risks and issues. Analyse current processes, and identify, establish and implement opportunities to optimise them, leading a Senior Product Manager and Senior Operations Lead to deliver service improvements Show a thorough understanding of the technical concepts required for the role, and can explain how these fit into the wider technical landscape Manage testing, risk, and customer relations workstreams Prioritise and define approaches to understand the user story, guiding others in doing so 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. The Success Profile will include the Professional / Technical skills, Experience and Behaviours. Please note - only items marked in the Profession Job Profile with a star (*) should be included in the advert. Technical / Professional Skills: Ownership and initiative – (Practitioner.) Service Management Framework Knowledge - (Practitioner) Technical specialism - (Expert) Testing - (Expert) For more information on the Government Digital and Data Profession framework see here . How to apply Apply online, providing a CV and supporting statement (of no more than 750 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. Vacancy closes at 23:59 on Wednesday 9 September. 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 (insert assessment type). Assessments are scheduled for w/c (insert date) 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 This post is a full-time role, but we welcome applications from staff with different working patterns, proposed working patterns will be assessed against the business requirements for this post. 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. Pay supplement This post is part of the Government Digital and Data (GDD) profession and currently attracts a £3,000 annual GDD pay supplement, which is paid monthly. Pay supplements are temporary payments and subject to regular review. Following a review a pay supplement may change in value or be withdrawn 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: 09/09/2026 (23:59). Applications will only be considered from substantive grade core SG staff.