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.

Do you want to shape the delivery of Scotland’s Census, enabling governments and other public bodies to plan the services we all rely on, and telling the story of Scotland's people for generations to come? If so, this post could be for you.

We are the trusted producer of Scotland’s population statistics, including taking the Census of Scotland’s population every 10 years. The next Census is in 2031 and will be delivered in partnership with the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and Northern Ireland Statistics & Research Agency (NISRA). This is one of the largest digital programmes delivered in Scotland, gathering data from every household across a population of c.5.7m. Census data is used by government, local authorities, health boards, the third and private sectors to plan national and local services and informs the allocation of billions of pounds of UK and Scottish Government public funds each year.

We are looking for a Stakeholder Engagement Lead to support the delivery of the next census, where you will be responsible for leading and delivering a comprehensive stakeholder engagement strategy for Scotland's Census 2031. This is a significant and complex role: as a statutory exercise for every household in Scotland, the census requires engagement with a wide and diverse range of stakeholders across the programme lifecycle.

You should note that Scotland’s Census is a time limited project which will run until 2032 depending on the role. Staff who are on permanent contracts will remain with NRS after this time whilst a new, suitable role is found. Please contact the line manager named in this advert if you have any further questions.

Responsibilities

Working closely with communications, community engagement, policy, digital and statistical colleagues, you will lead the development of strong relationships with key stakeholders, securing their understanding, buy-in and active support for the programme. Specifically you will :

• Lead the strategic identification, analysis and prioritisation of stakeholders across the census 2031 lifecycle, using appropriate tools and frameworks to map influence, interest, risk and engagement needs.
• Develop, maintain and own a census‑wide stakeholder engagement strategy, ensuring alignment with programme objectives, equality considerations and delivery timelines.
• Act as a senior adviser to programme leaders on stakeholder sentiment, risks, opportunities and emerging issues, providing clear, evidence‑based recommendations.
• Assisting in ensuring stakeholder insight is fed into programme design and delivery decisions.
• Support mitigation of delivery and reputational risks by proactively identifying stakeholder‑related issues and leading appropriate engagement responses.
• Capture lessons learned from census engagement activity and previous censuses, ensuring these inform future phases and post‑census evaluation.
• Deliver briefings, presentations and awareness sessions on the census programme and engagement approach to a range of audiences, including senior stakeholders and Ministers.

• Build effective relationships across the UK census system, helping to share insight, manage cross‑cutting stakeholder issues and support the programme’s strategic partnerships.

Qualifications

Applicants will have or be will be willing to work towards a professional level qualification, such as APMG’s Change Management, APM’s PMQ or Axelos’ P3O qualifications

Experience

1. Significant experience of leading stakeholder engagement and management in a complex, large-scale programme environment. The postholder will have a demonstrable track record of developing and implementing stakeholder strategies and engagement plans that support delivery, ideally in a public sector or nationally significant context.

Working PatternThis role is a permanent level transfer position.
Candidates should note that office attendance will be needed at points in particular for collaboration sessions but there is currently no fixed set days in addition there will be occasional travel to other UK agencies. If you have specific questions about the role you are applying for, please contact us. 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 28 May.

Selection Process

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

Discussions are expected to be scheduled for w/c tbc.

Further Information

If you have specific questions about the role, please contact james.gosling@nrscotland.gov.uk

Read our Candidate Guide for further information on our recruitment and application processes.