C1 Senior Delivery Manager (Design) in Social Security Scotland

Help shape how design delivers better outcomes for the people of Scotland. As our Senior Delivery Manager (Design), you'll play a pivotal role in ensuring User Centred Design (UCD) expertise is directed to the work that matters most. Working across Social Security Scotland's live services and change portfolio, you'll provide the strategic leadership, planning and governance that enables design teams to deliver high-quality, user-centred outcomes at scale.
A Senior Delivery Manager is accountable for the effective delivery of complex, high risk products and services. The role is similar to a Delivery Manager role, but Senior Delivery Managers have more experience across a range of products and services, throughout the entire product life cycle, and have greater responsibility and accountability as the main point of escalation.

At this role level, you will have strong communication skills and engage senior stakeholders.
About the Team
The User Centred Design function supports organisational priorities through Content Design, Service Design, User Research, Digital Accessibility and Performance Analytics. Our specialists work across a diverse portfolio of services, helping ensure that the needs of clients remain at the heart of service design and delivery.

About the Role
This is a strategic leadership role focused on the planning, prioritisation and delivery management of design services across Social Security Scotland. You will oversee demand management, resource allocation, governance, capacity planning, risk management and portfolio reporting, creating the conditions for UCD specialists to focus on delivering excellent design outcomes.

Working closely with colleagues across Product, Delivery, Operations and Policy, you will ensure design resources are aligned to organisational priorities, support informed decision-making by senior leaders, and help balance the needs of live services with investment in future change. You will champion effective governance, continuous improvement and design-led ways of working across the organisation.

About You
We're looking for someone who understands the value, challenges and realities of working in a User Centred Design environment. You don't need to be a practising designer, but you'll have a strong appreciation of disciplines such as content design, service design, user research and accessibility, and how they contribute to better services.

This is not a technical engineering or DevOps leadership role. We're seeking someone who can lead the delivery, planning and coordination of design services, build effective relationships across multidisciplinary teams, influence senior stakeholders and make complex prioritisation decisions with confidence.

You'll bring experience of managing delivery across multiple workstreams, balancing competing demands, improving processes and governance, and creating the conditions for design teams to do their best work.

Responsibilities

• Adapt ways of working to meet service and project requirements, continuously improving delivery processes, resource allocation and team effectiveness.
• Mediate between stakeholders at all levels, managing expectations and facilitating discussions involving significant risk, complexity and competing priorities.
• Represent the User-Centred Design profession and wider community to large internal and external audiences.
• Influence delivery planning and resource allocation within complex environments, forecasting activity and communicating value propositions effectively.
• Collaborate closely with Agile delivery teams to achieve priority outcomes.
• Engage stakeholders throughout the product and service lifecycle, ensuring requirements and deliverables are clearly understood, appropriately prioritised and coordinated with the relevant teams and individuals.
• Optimise delivery flow by proactively managing complex risks, issues and dependencies, including situations where ownership is unclear.
• Resolve blockers creatively and effectively to maintain delivery momentum and support successful delivery outcomes.
• Challenge organisational processes to improve efficiency, adding value through coaching and supporting teams with process implementation and continual improvement activities.
• Lead continuous planning activities in complex environments, including demand management, capacity planning, forecasting and coordination of dependencies across products, services and business areas.
• Identify and address team dynamic issues, carrying out health checks and providing constructive feedback to accelerate team development and performance.
• Maintain oversight of delivery performance, reporting progress, capacity, risks and delivery commitments to support informed decision-making and prioritisation.

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:
Behaviours:

• Changing and Improving - Level 4

You can find out more about Success Profiles Behaviours here.
Experience:

1. You have expert-level ability in Agile and/or Lean practices, coaching and leading teams, serving as a recognised advocate, continuously reflecting and challenging teams, and innovating by creating or tailoring new ways of working.
   
2. You have expert-level ability in communicating with stakeholders, mediating between people, managing stakeholder expectations, moderating discussions about elevated risk and complexity, and representing the User-centred Design team to large audiences both inside and outside of the organisation.
   
3. You have expert-level ability in making processes work, finding, and challenging organisational processes, adding value through coaching and adaptation, and guiding teams through new process implementations.
   

Technical / Professional Skills:  
This role is aligned to Senior Delivery Manager 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: Delivery manager - Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework.

How to Apply
Apply online, you must provide a CV and a Supporting Statement (of no more than 750 words) which provides evidence of how you meet the Experience outlined in the Success Profiles above. Both the CV and the Supporting Statement provided will be assessed against the criteria for the role.

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.

An initial sift may be completed using the CV and Supporting Statement against the first Experience criteria. Candidates who pass the initial sift will have their applications fully assessed.

Successful candidates will be invited to an interview which will assess the Experience and Behaviours, and a technical assessment comprising a short presentation which will assess the Technical Skills.

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

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 - w/c 23^rd November
Interview – w/c 14^th December
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.

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. 

Further Information
This role is only available to those currently employed (on a permanent basis) by Social Security Scotland, Scottish Government Main or Common Citizenship organisations.

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.

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.

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 Tuesday 24^th November

Contact Name - Emma MacPhail
Contact e-Mail – emma.macphail@socialsecurity.gov.scot