Stakeholder Manager (Census 2031)

Job description Overview Do you want to shape the delivery of Scotland’s Census, enabling governments and other public bodies to plan the services we all rely on, and telling the story of Scotland's people for generations to come? If so, this post could be for you. We are the trusted producer of Scotland’s population statistics, including taking the Census of Scotland’s population every 10 years. The next Census is in 2031 and will be delivered in partnership with the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and Northern Ireland Statistics & Research Agency (NISRA). This is one of the largest digital programmes delivered in Scotland, gathering data from every household across a population of c.5.7m. Census data is used by government, local authorities, health boards, the third and private sectors to plan national and local services and informs the allocation of billions of pounds of UK and Scottish Government public funds each year. We are looking for a Stakeholder Engagement Lead to support the delivery of the next census, where you will be responsible for leading and delivering a comprehensive stakeholder engagement strategy for Scotland's Census 2031. This is a significant and complex role: as a statutory exercise for every household in Scotland, the census requires engagement with a wide and diverse range of stakeholders across the programme lifecycle. You should note that Scotland’s Census is a time limited project which will run until 2032 depending on the role. Staff who are on permanent contracts will remain with NRS after this time whilst a new, suitable role is found. Please contact the line manager named in this advert if you have any further questions. Responsibilities Working closely with communications, community engagement, policy, digital and statistical colleagues, you will lead the development of strong relationships with key stakeholders, securing their understanding, buy-in and active support for the programme. Specifically you will : Lead the strategic identification, analysis and prioritisation of stakeholders across the census 2031 lifecycle, using appropriate tools and frameworks to map influence, interest, risk and engagement needs. Develop, maintain and own a census‑wide stakeholder engagement strategy, ensuring alignment with programme objectives, equality considerations and delivery timelines. Act as a senior adviser to programme leaders on stakeholder sentiment, risks, opportunities and emerging issues, providing clear, evidence‑based recommendations. Assisting in ensuring stakeholder insight is fed into programme design and delivery decisions. . Support mitigation of delivery and reputational risks by proactively identifying stakeholder‑related issues and leading appropriate engagement responses. Capture lessons learned from census engagement activity and previous censuses, ensuring these inform future phases and post‑census evaluation. Deliver briefings, presentations and awareness sessions on the census programme and engagement approach to a range of audiences, including senior stakeholders and Ministers. Build effective relationships across the UK census system, helping to share insight, manage cross‑cutting stakeholder issues and support the programme’s strategic partnerships. Qualifications Applicants will have or be will be willing to work towards a professional level qualification, such as APMG’s Change Management, APM’s PMQ or Axelos’ P3O qualifications Success profile Technical / Professional Skills: Stakeholder engagement - Expert Requirements management - Practitioner You can find out more about the skills required, here: Project Delivery - Professions - Technical Capabilities and Behaviours Framework details - Objective Experience Significant experience of leading stakeholder engagement and management in a complex, large-scale programme environment. The postholder will have a demonstrable track record of developing and implementing stakeholder strategies and engagement plans that support delivery, ideally in a public sector or nationally significant context. Behaviours: Communicating and Influencing level 4 Changing and improving Level 4 Find out more about Success Profiles . How to apply Apply online, providing a CV and Supporting Statement (of no more than 1500 words) which provides evidence of how you meet the skills, experience and behaviours listed in the Success Profile above. Vacancy closes at 23:59 on Monday 3 August. 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 presentation.. 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. 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 We are the trusted producer of Scotland’s population statistics, including taking the census of Scotland’s population every 10 years. The next census is in 2031 and will be delivered in partnership with the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and Northern Ireland Statistics & Research Agency (NISRA). This is one of the largest digital programmes delivered in Scotland, gathering data from every household across a population of c.5.7m. Census data is used by government, local authorities, health boards, the third and private sectors to plan national and local services and informs the allocation of billions of pounds of UK and Scottish Government public funds each year. NRS is a Non-Ministerial Department of the Scottish Government & and our staff are part 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 . 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. Candidates should note that office attendance will be needed at points in particular for collaboration sessions but there is currently no fixed set days in addition there will be occasional travel to other UK agencies. 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: Monday 3 August (23:59)