Job Title – PMO Lead
Division/Directorate – Agriculture and Land Transitions / ARE
Location – Saughton House, Edinburgh or Atlantic Quay, Glasgow
Working Arrangement – Staff in roles compatible with hybrid working should aim to spend 40% of their contracted working time working in person at their contractual workplace. More information can be found within Hybrid Working Policy
Grade - B3
Advert type –Level Transfer
Duration - Permanent (for the duration of the Programme)
Eligibility - Expressions of interest are invited from substantive colleagues on level transfer for Core SG only.
Sponsorship - 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.
The PMO Lead plays a key role in the Programme Management Office, ensuring effective delivery of workstreams within the Agricultural Reform Programme while supporting overall programme management. Working within a multi-disciplinary team, the post holder sets standards for workstream and change practices and provides strategic advice to senior leaders (including the SRO and Programme Director) and contributes to PMO leadership alongside other B3 leads. The role also includes line management of a PMO officer.
Key responsibilities
Establish and maintain PMO standards and governance, ensuring consistent frameworks, documentation, and effective programme controls.
Lead programme planning, reporting and performance tracking, providing timely, high-quality insight to senior stakeholders.
Manage delivery oversight, including risks, issues, dependencies, change control and resource planning across workstreams.
Support programme assurance activities (e.g. Gateway, DAO, TAF), ensuring compliance with required reviews and controls.
Enable effective governance, ensuring meetings, reporting and decision-making processes run smoothly.
Drive continuous improvement and team cohesion within the PMO and across the wider programme.
Lead and develop staff, including line management and building team capacity.
Success Profile
Experience
Professional/Technical Requirements ( descriptors)
Behaviours - Level 3
You can find out more about Success Profiles Behaviours, here: Behaviour levels - Success profiles: candidate guide
Working Pattern
This post is a full-time role, but we welcome applications from staff with different working patterns, proposed working patterns will be assessed against the business requirements for this post.
Further Information
Further information about this opportunity is available from Elaine Young (elaine.young@gov.scot).
How to Apply
Please submit an expression of interest (maximum 750 words) outlining your suitability for the role, relevant skills and experience, and what you would bring to the team. Please align this to how you meet the behaviours, experience and technical skills listed in the Success Profile above.
Vacancies close at 23:59pm on Monday 17 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 ourcandidate guidance for more information on acceptable and unacceptable uses of AI in recruitment.
Selection Process
If invited for further assessment, this will consist of an informal discussion.
Discussions are scheduled for w/c 24 August however this may be subject to change.
For any questions relating to your application please contact Elaine Young (elaine.young@gov.scot).
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.
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 Codeand 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
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 ourCandidate 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 ourCareers Website
Read ourCandidate Guidefor further information on our recruitment and application processes.
Apply before: 17/08/2026 (23:59)
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.
