Service Manager (Release Management)

Join Social Security Scotland at a pivotal time as we continue to deliver services that make a meaningful difference to the lives of people across Scotland.

As part of the Strategic Portfolio and Delivery Assurance team, you'll play a key role in ensuring projects, programmes and products are delivered safely, effectively and in line with organisational priorities. This governance and assurance function provides oversight for 3 distinct areas of Portfolio Management, Testing and Release Management, helping to ensure the right change is delivered at the right time, with assured quality and minimal disruption.

As Service Manager, you will be accountable for the quality, performance, outcomes and continuous improvement of the Change and Release service. Providing strategic leadership and end-to-end ownership, you will ensure releases are planned, governed and delivered safely and securely while protecting live services. Working across multidisciplinary teams and senior stakeholders, you will set direction, manage risk, build consensus and ensure change delivers the intended benefits, supporting Social Security Scotland's commitment to delivering trusted, user-centred public services.

A Service Manager is accountable for the quality, performance, benefits and outcomes of a service, providing end-to-end direction, prioritisation, risk management and decision-making aligned to organisational, policy and user needs. They define success and quality measures, drive continuous improvement, influence stakeholders to build consensus, and ensure change delivers the intended service outcomes and benefits.

Responsibilities

• Build positive, effective relationships with multiple suppliers and stakeholders to create mutually beneficial outcomes.
• Lead and coach teams in Agile and Lean practices, selecting and tailoring the most appropriate approaches to deliver successful outcomes.
• Develop innovative ways of working, build stakeholder consensus, and champion best practice while continuously driving improvements in team performance, processes, and delivery.
• Apply advanced knowledge of design, technology, data, and assisted digital solutions to shape and improve services.
• Understand digital, data and technology (DDaT) roles and capabilities, working effectively with specialists to support service delivery.
• Develop, own, and iterate Agile business cases throughout the product lifecycle, collaborating across portfolios to define, realise, and track benefits.
• Maintain a strong understanding of financial management, including sprint-level costs, value delivered, and investment decisions.
• Draw on experience across all stages of the product lifecycle, making informed decisions on when to progress, pause, or stop initiatives.
• Identify the right deliverables, stakeholders, and governance requirements, planning engagement and collaborating across Agile delivery functions throughout the lifecycle.
• Promote industry best practice, improve operational efficiency, and act as an escalation point for significant operational issues while championing operational excellence across the community.
• Build strong relationships with operational delivery leaders across digital, data, and technology functions.
• Anticipate and mitigate risks, understand problems in their wider context, clearly articulate issues, and develop problem-solving capability in others.
• Demonstrate expertise in product delivery tools, methods, and frameworks, adapting them to different phases of delivery while setting long-term vision and strategic objectives.
• Maintain a disciplined focus on priorities, providing clear direction on the most effective tools, methods, and approaches to achieve outcomes.
• Develop capability in others through coaching, mentoring, and knowledge sharing.
• Champion user-centred delivery, drawing on experience across multiple channels and applying insight into evolving user needs to shape services.
• Apply strategic thinking to ensure services deliver the best possible outcomes and experiences for end users.

Success Profiles
We use an assessment framework called ‘Success Profiles’ which lists the elements we test and provides detailed descriptions of each. Find out more about the framework here.

For this post, the following Success Profile elements will be assessed:

Experience

1. Demonstrable experience leading a service, function, programme or portfolio, setting strategic direction, establishing priorities, and ensuring delivery of organisational objectives and outcomes.
   
2. Experience establishing and overseeing governance, assurance and risk management arrangements for complex change and operational environments, ensuring safe, controlled and effective delivery.
   
3. Experience leading the implementation of significant organisational change or service improvements, using evidence and insight to drive continuous improvement while balancing operational performance and business needs.
   

Behaviours

• Making Effective Decisions (Level 4)
  

You can find out more about Success Profiles Behaviours here.

Technical / Professional Skills
This role is aligned to Service Owner within the Government Digital and Data Profession.

These skills will be tested during the Technical Assessment if you are successful at sift stage. They will not be assessed at application stage. Please review the following to understand the skill expectations: Service owner - Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework

How to Apply 
Apply online, you must provide a CV and Supporting Statement (of no more than 750 words) which provides evidence of how you meet the Experience and Behaviours listed in the Success Profiles above. 

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.

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the CV and Supporting Statement on the first Experience criteria. Candidates who pass the initial sift will have their applications fully assessed.

There may be a telephone interview prior to the final interview stage.

Candidates who are successful at sift stage will be invited to attend an Interview and Technical Assessment. The interview will further assess the Experience and Behaviours listed in the job advert, and the Technical Assessment, comprising a 10 minute presentation, will evaluate the Technical Skills relevant to the role.

Full details of the interview and assessment process will be shared with shortlisted candidates once the sift has been completed.

We aim to provide feedback on request. However, if we receive a large number of applications it may not be possible for us to provide specific feedback on your application. We will provide feedback on request to candidates who attend an interview/assessment.

Expected Timeline (subject to change)
Sift – week commencing 23rd November 2026
Interview – week commencing 14th December 2026
Location – In Person in either Dundee or Glasgow

Reserve List 
In the event that there are more successful candidates than posts available, a reserve list will be kept for up to 12 months. 

About Us 
Social Security Scotland is an Executive Agency of the Scottish Government. Our benefits help people from all walks of life in Scotland. We offer rewarding careers and employ people across Scotland in a wide range of professions and roles. We are committed to recruiting a diverse workforce that is representative of the clients we serve.  Find more about us here.  

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. We embrace a hybrid working style where all colleagues will spend time in either our Glasgow or Dundee offices. There is an expectation of a minimum 2 days per week in your assigned location, which will be either Glasgow or Dundee.  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, or read about the different levels of security checks in our Candidate Guide. 

Equality Statement 
Social Security Scotland are committed to equality and inclusion, and we aim to recruit a diverse workforce that reflects the population of our nation.   

Social Security Scotland are a Disability Confident Employer. We will consider and implement any reasonable adjustments you may require throughout the recruitment process and during the course of your employment, should you be successful in securing a post. If you feel you may require assistance with any part of our recruitment process, please contact us at Recruitment@socialsecurity.gov.scot.

Find out more about our commitment to diversity and how we offer and support recruitment adjustments for anyone who needs them.

Right to Work in the UK
Social Security Scotland is an approved sponsor under the UK Visa and Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker route. Please note that UK immigration guidance, including skill and salary thresholds and eligible occupations, is reviewed regularly and subject to change. If you require visa sponsorship, you should check the latest criteria to confirm whether this role meets current requirements before applying. You can find further advice at Skilled Worker visa: Overview - GOV.UK

Further Information
Social Security Scotland’s recruitment processes are underpinned by the recruitment principles of the Civil Service Commissioner, which outline that selection for appointment be made on merit on the basis of fair and open competition - Recruitment - Civil Service Commission

If you feel at any time your application has not been treated in accordance with the values in the Civil Service Code and/or if you feel the recruitment has been conducted in such a way that conflicts with the Civil Service Commissioner’s Recruitment Principles, you can make a complaint, by contacting Social Security Scotland at recruitment@socialsecurity.gov.scot in the first instance. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive you can contact the Civil Service Commissioner.

The successful candidate will be expected to remain in post for a minimum of 3 years unless successful in gaining promotion to a higher Band or Grade.

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. 

If you experience any difficulties accessing our website or completing the online application form, please contact the Resourcing Team via recruitment@socialsecurity.gov.scot    

Apply before 23:55 on 19th November 2026

Contact Name - Resourcing Team 
Contact Email - Recruitment@socialsecurity.gov.scot