Tax Design Lead

Revenue Scotland is Scotland's devolved tax authority and contributes to Scotland's public services through the taxes we collect. Revenue Scotland currently has responsibility for Land and Buildings Transaction Tax, Scottish Landfill Tax and Scottish Aggregates Tax. Air Departure Tax will be the fourth tax that we are responsible for when it commences in April 2027 and Scottish Building Safety Levy is due to become operational in April 2028.

The Tax Policy and Legislative Change team within Revenue Scotland is responsible for delivering and assisting in the development of Scotland’s devolved taxes. This is your chance to be a key member of the team that shapes and delivers the structure and content of Scotland’s new taxes and broader legislative change. We are working in conjunction with our Scottish Government Exchequer colleagues to deliver an ambitious programme of new taxes and legislative change over the next three years, and beyond.

Revenue Scotland occupies a unique role in being able to bring its tax professionalism to the consideration of a wide range of taxes in Scotland. This role provides a unique opportunity to shape Revenue Scotland’s approach to tax more broadly in Scotland. By ensuring Revenue Scotland provides a credible voice, informed by our tax technical and operational expertise you will engage with stakeholders to inform decisions on Revenue Scotland’s future organisational responsibilities.

This role requires a self-motivated individual with excellent leadership and communication skills, proven capabilities in building working relationships with stakeholders. You will have had relevant policy experience in tax delivered through a project management approach, as well as tax compliance experience.

Responsibilities

• Engage and work with SG Policy officials and a range of broader stakeholders to deliver legislative change in your area, to transform, expand and enhance Revenue Scotland’s legislation, functions and powers in the devolved taxes.
• Lead on the design and delivery of legislation and operational policy for your team’s policy areas of the devolved taxes using the skills and experience from across the tax function within RS.

• Provide accurate and timely technical advice and support to internal and external stakeholders and decision makers

• Expand Revenue Scotland’s outreach by identifying and engaging with known and new key stakeholders to further the development of operationally competent tax legislation.
• Adopt recognised project management techniques to deliver change.
• Leadership and management of small tax design team.
• As a member of Revenue Scotland’s wider leadership team, you will champion diversity and inclusion and make a significant contribution to the leadership and performance of the organisation as a whole.
• You will promote collaborative working across teams and professional boundaries to establish a multi-disciplinary approach that enables you to respond creatively to issues and challenges.
• If don’t hold one of the qualifications listed, you must demonstrate a commitment to undertaking Association of Taxation Technicians Qualification (ATT)

Required Qualifications

You will possess one of the following tax qualifications:

• Advanced Diploma in International Tax (ADIT)

• Chartered Tax Adviser (CTA)

• Consultative Committee of Accountancy Bodies membership qualification (such as ICAS, ICAEW, ACCA, CIPFA)

• Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA)

• Post Graduate legal qualification specialising in tax

• HMRC TSP or predecessor qualification (TPDP, IDP, ITS2, CPT, FT2)

• ATT offered by the Association of Tax Technicians

Success Profiles

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.

Technical / Professional Skills:

• Strategic thinking - anticipating and diverting future problems, applying a strong understanding of the organisation’s strategic objectives, policy aims and operational demands
• Stakeholder management - building excellent and diverse stakeholder networks, collaborating to overcome challenges

Experience:

• You will have tax compliance experience with a broad understanding of tax law and administrative practice
• You will have experience of delivering change in complex environments with multiple stakeholders

Behaviours:

• Delivering at pace (Level 4)

• Leadership (Level 4)

You can find out more about Success Profiles Behaviours, here: Behaviour levels - Success profiles: candidate guide - gov.scot

How to Apply

Apply online, providing a CV (of no more than 3 pages) and Supporting Statement (of no more than 1,500 words) which provides evidence of how you meet the skills, experience and behaviours listed in the Success Profile 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

If invited for further assessment, this will consist of an interview and assessment

Assessments are scheduled for w/c 2 November however, this may be subject to change.

About Us

Revenue Scotland is Scotland's devolved tax authority and contributes to Scotland's public services through the taxes we collect.

Revenue Scotland is a diverse, high performing organisation that has a reputation for delivering excellence and a commitment to continually improving the way we work while supporting the health, wellbeing, and development of our employees. Revenue Scotland is a great place to develop new skills, and you will be supported in your role with learning and development to enable you to perform at your best.

Look at our video to find out more about working for Revenue Scotland.

If you would like to learn more about Revenue Scotland, please visit our website. Our Corporate Plan sets out our strategic objectives for the period 2024 to 2027.

Working Pattern

Our standard hours are 35 hours per week, we offer a range of flexible and hybrid working options. Our hybrid working principles require you to attend your assigned office, Victoria Quay, Edinburgh at least 2/3 days each month. Our hybrid approach supports a blend of home and workplace working, this should be agreed with the line manager to achieve the right balance between collaboration, in-person engagement and flexibility. You can also work from our Glasgow hub office if required.

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.

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.

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 in our Revenue Scotland Candidate Guide

Revenue Scotland is a diverse and inclusive workplace, and we want to help you demonstrate your full potential whatever type of assessment is used. The interview and assessment process are primarily conducted in person unless you require a reasonable adjustment. Interview questions will be issued 24 hours in advance. If you require any adjustments during our recruitment process, please let us know via rsrecruitment@revenue.scot.

Our Revenue Scotland Candidate Guide provides further information on our recruitment and application processes.

Further information

Revenue Scotland is a Non-Ministerial Office which is a part of Scottish Government Main Bargaining unit and have adopted Scottish Government main terms and conditions and pay arrangements.

Our staff are part of the UK Civil Service, working to deliver vital public services which improve the lives of the people of Scotland. As part of the UK Civil Service, we uphold the Civil Service Nationality Rules

As part of any recruitment process, Scottish Government and associated public bodies collects and processes personal data relating to job applicants and applicants for public appointments.

Personal information you provide in the recruitment process will be made available to Scottish Government and our additional data processors.

We will hold a reserve list for 12 months.

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.

Minimum Time in Post

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

For further information on this role prospective candidates are encouraged to contact the vacancy holder, James Lindsay on Microsoft Teams or by email James.lindsay@revenue.scot

This role is open to internal candidates, OGD and Common Citizenship organisations only.