Job Description

This opportunity is only open to applicants who are currently 'Priority Movers'. Applications from individuals not currently on the Priority Mover list will be rejected and not considered.

The Forensics team has a sponsorship role with the SPA Forensic service, maintaining constructive and strategic relationships to ensure they meet their statutory duties. The team is supporting the development of SPA Forensic services full business case for the Long Term Sustainable Model for drug driving testing, providing scrutiny and challenge to ensure best value.

In addition, the team maintains a strategic relationship with the Scottish Biometrics Commissioner, a public office holder accountable to the Scottish Parliament. This includes engagement on ensuring that the use of biometric technologies by policing bodies is lawful, ethical and proportionate. The team also has statutory responsibilities this year, including carrying out a review of the Commissioner’s functions and laying a report before the Scottish Parliament by November. It will engage on the Commissioner’s review of his statutory Code of Practice and lay the necessary regulations to bring the revised Code into effect. Connected to this, the UK Government will shortly introduce a Bill to establish a new legal framework for live facial recognition technology and wider biometric oversight. The team must be fully engaged in cross‑government discussions and prepared to advise Ministers at pace.

We are looking to recruit a C1 team leader for a temporary period of six months, who will play a pivotal role in meeting these statutory requirements and parliamentary expectations.

Key Responsibilities

• Retention period review: Working group with Police Scotland, SPA and Scottish Biometrics Commissioner (SBC) on options appraisal for biometric data retention and thereafter provide advice to ministers on whether legislative change is necessary.
• Strategic engagement with UKG on their proposals to legislate this year on the use of biometric technologies by policing bodies, including Live Facial Recognition. Provide advice to Ministers on how we should respond in Scotland.
• Oversee this year's statutory review of the SBC’s functions, ensuring appropriate scoping, project planning and resource are in place to deliver a statutory report to Parliament by November 2026. Potential need to legislate in consequence of the review.
• Oversight of SPA delivery of drug driving and development of their Long Term Sustainable Model.
• Provide strong and effective leadership and cross team collaboration within the division, serving as a strategic link between our units to ensure alignment and prioritisation of workstreams.
• Line management of one B3 and countersigning responsibility for one B2.

Working pattern

This role is a temporary position with an expected commitment of 6 months.

How to Apply

Applications for this position will only be accepted from substantive C1 grade employees.

Please submit a statement outlining your suitability for the role, relevant skills and experience, and what you would bring to the team (maximum 500 words).

Vacancies close at 23:59pm on Thursday 30 July.

If you have questions about your application please contact kevin.lee@gov.scot

All applicants will be invited to an informal discussion with the hiring manager. There will be no formal testing or assessment.

Discussions are expected to be scheduled for w/c TBC