Senior Policy Officer (Grade E3) (Maternity Cover)
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- United Kingdom
- Work type
- Hybrid
- Posted
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Our ambition is for Scotland to be the best place in the world to learn, educate, research and innovate, so that all of our nation can flourish.
Our purpose is to create and sustain a world-leading system of tertiary education, research and innovation that changes lives for the better, enriches society and supports sustainable and inclusive economic growth.
In this role you will act as SFC's key contact for a portfolio of colleges and universities. This will include regular engagement with the institutions, monitoring of their delivery of SFC’s Outcomes Framework, managing key relationships, and providing written and oral briefings, advice and guidance both within SFC and externally, including to Scottish Government Ministers and officials.
This is a temporary position providing maternity cover.
Interviews are expected to be held week commencing 30 November 2026 (via Teams).
Our purpose is to create and sustain a world-leading system of tertiary education, research and innovation that changes lives for the better, enriches society and supports sustainable and inclusive economic growth.
In this role you will act as SFC's key contact for a portfolio of colleges and universities. This will include regular engagement with the institutions, monitoring of their delivery of SFC’s Outcomes Framework, managing key relationships, and providing written and oral briefings, advice and guidance both within SFC and externally, including to Scottish Government Ministers and officials.
This is a temporary position providing maternity cover.
Interviews are expected to be held week commencing 30 November 2026 (via Teams).
Key Responsibilities
- Working as part of a team, lead engagement across a portfolio of colleges and universities, including regular engagement on the delivery of the designated priorities in the Outcomes Framework through the Assurance Model process.
- Maintain current knowledge on a portfolio of institutions and use this information to monitor college and university contributions towards SFC’s Ouctomes Framework, and to brief colleagues and to respond to external queries, including from Scottish Government officials and Ministers.
- Work with teams across SFC on a range of topics relevant to your portfolio of institutions, including monitoring and evaluating data and evidence to inform the assessment of institutional risk, and helping to identify/facilitate priority changes and developments and work to ensure their delivery. As part of the assurance process, bring together SFC teams for institutional case conferences.
- Contribute to the development and implementation of SFC policy and practice, specifically on good governance:
- Support the AD (Assurance and Outcomes, Governance) on the development and implementation of SFC’s good governance outcome within the Outcomes Framework (OF) and Assurance Model (AM) for Scotland’s colleges and universities, and respond to specific institutional governance issues.
- Support the Regional Lead of the Highlands and Islands region on matters that relate to wider reform within the region.
- Contribute to the development and implementation of SFC policy and practice, including the ongoing evaluation and enhancement of OFAM.
- Write and present policy and strategy papers at committee and board level.
- Contribute to external communications, and internal and external guidance.
- Represent SFC at external meetings, conferences and other events, including giving presentations, chairing and facilitating discussions when required.
Skills, Knowledge and Expertise
It is important through your CV / Cover Letter that you give evidence of proven experience of each of the following essential criteria:
Essential:
Essential:
- Strong interpersonal skills, including experience of representation and negotiation.
- Proven ability to analyse, understand and respond to complex issues in an appropriate manner, demonstrating good judgement.
- Strong organisational and project management abilities to cope with diverse and changing workload in a politicised environment.
- Ability to interpret, analyse and explain complex information to audiences with varying degrees of expertise.
- Ability to think and act strategically.
- High-level oral and written communication skills.
- Ability to manage and develop staff.
- Good IT skills.
- Strong policy development or implementation experience.
- Degree level education (SCQF level 9) or equivalent experience.
Terms and Benefits
· Normal full-time hours of work are 35 per week. We will consider flexible working arrangements. A flexi-time system is in operation.
· Annual leave entitlement of 30 days pro-rata, plus public and privilege holiday entitlement of 13 days pro-rata.
· A flexible approach to hybrid working, giving you flexibility to work from home anywhere in the UK for some of the time while also maintaining regular in-person contact with colleagues.
· Annual pay review: approved within the framework of the Scottish Government’s Public Sector Pay Policy and negotiated with our recognised trade union, Unite. Salaries are reviewed annually in April for employees who commence employment prior to 1 October in the preceding year.
· Eligibility to join the Civil Service Pension Scheme. With its low member contribution rates and generous employer contributions, this gives you a secure, inflation-proof pension for life with no investment uncertainty. Details of contribution rates together with further details of the pension benefits are available on the Civil Service Pensions website. There is also the option of a Partnership pension account.
· Support for continuous professional development: as a part of SFC, we are dedicated to providing comprehensive support for continuous learning and professional development. Civil Service-Learning curriculum has thoughtfully designed to cater to various learning preferences, allowing employees to engage in a manner that best suits their needs. All our educational resources are conveniently accessible through the CSL website.
· Support for health and wellbeing, including generous occupational sick pay, free access to confidential advice and support through our 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme, Special Leave (paid and unpaid), a contribution to learning outside work through our Lifelong Learning Fund, free winter flu vaccination, and access to occupational health support.
· We provide support to SFC employees with Volunteering Days.
· Support for travel to and from work, including a salary sacrifice cycle loan scheme, cycle storage and shower facilities, an interest-free loan for bus or rail season tickets and free office car parking for employees on a first-come basis.
Although most salaried roles are advertised as full time positions (35 hours a week), we are happy to discuss part-time or compressed hours to suit a candidates circumstances. We also operate a flexible working scheme to work around a candidate's other commitments such as caring responsibilities.
We will consider secondment applications for most salaried fixed-term or temporary positions and in many cases also for salaried permanent positions. If you are interested in applying on a secondment basis and this option is not explicitly mentioned in the job advert, please contact recruitment@sfc.ac.uk for further information.
Although most salaried roles are advertised as full time positions (35 hours a week), we are happy to discuss part-time or compressed hours to suit a candidates circumstances. We also operate a flexible working scheme to work around a candidate's other commitments such as caring responsibilities.
We will consider secondment applications for most salaried fixed-term or temporary positions and in many cases also for salaried permanent positions. If you are interested in applying on a secondment basis and this option is not explicitly mentioned in the job advert, please contact recruitment@sfc.ac.uk for further information.
