As Digital Director, you will set the direction for Scotland’s digital, data and technology agenda, helping public services go collectively further and faster in delivering Ministerial priorities and Public Service Reform(PSR). This is a role with national reach and visible impact, shaping how Scotland uses digital, data and AI to transform public services, improve outcomes, deliver better value, support growth in the economy and sustain public trust across Scotland, underpinned by the infrastructure, platforms and technology needed to enable reform at scale.
Working directly with Ministers and senior public service leaders, you will look across PSR and the wider public service landscape to identify where Scotland should act once, at scale, rather than create multiple local versions of the same capability. You will create the conditions for organisations to come together around shared platforms, common standards and delivery models that improve outcomes for people, places and services.
The portfolio spans national digital infrastructure, connectivity and access, including how Scotland enables secure Wi-Fi and digital access across the whole country, alongside cloud, cyber, digital sovereignty, data, AI, digital inclusion, emerging technologies, ethical frameworks, innovation and major technology delivery. You will play a critical role in ensuring these agendas are not treated as separate programmes, but as connected national capabilities that underpin modern, trusted and effective public services. This includes establishing what successful, ethical AI deployment can achieve across the public sector, reducing costs, improving services and strengthening public confidence in the use of emerging technology.
As the Scottish Government’s senior advisor on digital, data and technology, you will work with senior leaders and partners across Scotland’s public services to translate ambition into practical delivery choices and ensure investment creates visible public value. You will be responsible for enabling wide-scale improvements to citizen, business and public service outcomes through modern digital platforms, joined-up systems and solutions, and the stronger use of data to unlock PSR delivery and operational reform.
Success in this role will depend on close, purposeful working with fellow directors across digital projects, internal digital capability, and digital policy for the economy. The Digital Director will play a critical role in bringing these agendas together, ensuring that Scotland’s approach to digital, data and technology is coherent, collaborative and system-focused, with no silos between policy, platforms, infrastructure, delivery and organisational capability.
This is an opportunity to shape how digital, data and emerging technologies support Scotland’s future public services, not only by setting strategy, but by bringing partners together, making choices that matter, and delivering the platforms, standards and capabilities that allow reform to happen once for Scotland, at pace and at scale.
Responsibilities
Reporting to Director General Corporate, you will provide strategic national leadership of the Digital Directorate and act as the senior digital advisor to Ministers and the Executive Team. You will ensure digital investment, capability and delivery are prioritised across Scotland to improve public services, strengthen national infrastructure, unlock data and support Public Service Reform.
You will lead a directorate of circa. 500 FTE and a budget allocation of £146 million, managing a team of Deputy Directors whose responsibilities cover:
You will work closely with the part time Chief Digital Officer, who will focus on time limited digital project delivery, and with the Director of Corporate Operations, who leads on internal digital solutions and AI. Together, these roles will ensure strategic direction, delivery priorities and internal digital capability are joined up, avoiding silos and supporting a coherent approach to digital, data and technology across the organisation and wider public service system.
Main Duties:
Success Profile
It is essential that you can provide evidence of the Professional Skills and Experience criteria below within your CV and supporting statement.
Professional Skills and Experience
You will be able to demonstrate experience and capability in the following areas:
1. Setting national direction for digital, data and technology across complex public service systems
Evidence of shaping and delivering digital, data and technology strategy across organisational and sector boundaries, securing alignment amongst multiple stakeholders and organisations, and delivering measurable improvements in public service outcomes through digital transformation and reform.
2. Ensuring resilience, security and sovereignty across cloud, cyber, connectivity, platforms and national digital infrastructure
Evidence of leading major digital investment portfolios and technical delivery at scale, ensuring robust governance, resilience, security, digital sovereignty, value for money and effective management of strategic technology risks across complex environments.
3. Leading innovation and delivery across AI, data, shared platforms and emerging technology at scale
Evidence of driving large-scale transformation through AI, data and digital technologies, establishing shared platforms and common delivery approaches, and embedding responsible innovation to achieve measurable service, operational and organisational benefits.
4. Operating as a senior leader within a national public service landscape
Proven ability to advise Ministers and senior executives, influence diverse stakeholders and partners, and provide visible leadership across organisational and sector boundaries to shape policy, delivery and strategic direction.
You can full details of the technical skills required, here: Chief digital and information officer - Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework
Behaviours:
You are expected to provide evidence of the following behaviours at Level 6.
You can find out more about Success Profiles Behaviours, here: Success Profiles - Civil Service Behaviours (publishing.service.gov.uk)
How to apply
Apply online, providing a CV and Supporting Statement (of no more than 1000 words) that directly addresses the Professional Skills and Experience criteria listed in the Success Profile above. Both your CV and Supporting Statement will be used to assess your suitability against the criteria.
During the interview and assessment process we will test your Behaviors aligned to this 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.
If you are invited to the next stage, the assessment process will include an interview with a short presentation, engagement panel(s), and a psychometric testing – further details will be provided to you in advance.
Assessments are scheduled for weeks commencing 28 September and 5 October 2026, however this may be subject to change.
The Final Interview Panel will take place on 14 October 2026, in person at St Andrews House, Regent Road, Edinburgh, EH1 3DG. Interviews will be chaired by Miriam Craven, Director General Corporate. The other panel Members are:
Recruitment Principles
As a government organisation, we adhere to the Civil Service Commission Recruitment Principlesand we investigate any complaints received in relation to recruitment cases.
Interview Expenses
Any travel and subsistence expenses incurred during the selection process are the responsibility of the applicant.
About us
The Scottish Government is the devolved government for Scotland. We have responsibility for a wide range of key policy areas including: education, health, the economy, justice, housing and transport. We offer rewarding careers and employ people across Scotland in a wide range of professions and roles.
Our staff are part of the UK Civil Service, observing the Civil Service Code and working for Ministers and senior stakeholders 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
We offer a supportive and inclusive working environment along with a wide range of employee benefits. Find out more about what we offer
Working pattern
Applicants on any working pattern are welcome to apply for this post. If you are interested in applying on a job-share basis, please make clear in your application if you wish to be considered as a pre-existing job-share partnership or if you are interested in moving into a job-share arrangement. We will assess proposed working patterns against the business requirements for the post and discuss all options with candidates.
Our standard hours are 37 hours per week and we offer a range of flexible working options depending on the needs of the role, including Flexi-leave. Scottish Government staff in hybrid-compatible roles should aim to work in-person 40% of the time, either in an office or other agreed work location. If you have specific questions about the role you are applying for, please contact us.
Location
In line with our current ways of working, the successful candidate will work on a hybrid basis. Our colleagues use a mix of office based and remote working (home based). This role can be based at either Victoria Quay, Edinburgh, or Atlantic Quay, Glasgow. Regular attendance to St Andrew's House, Edinburgh, will also be 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).
In addition to the standard pre-employment checks, this vacancy will also require all candidates to obtain National Security Vetting (NSV) at Developed Vetting (DV) clearance level. This type of check normally includes meeting a minimum UK residency period, which for DV level is 10 years.
Further information about NSV checks can be found on the UK Government website - National security vetting: clearance levels - GOV.UK
If you have any questions about this please contact our recruitment team.
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
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.
***This role is open to internal Scottish Government candidates, OGD and Common Citizenship organisations only.***
The devolved government for Scotland is responsible for matters that are devolved from Westminster. Areas of responsibility include the economy, health, education, justice, rural affairs, environment, and transport.
