Business and Finance Officer

Are you looking for a role that puts you at the heart of financial strategy, leadership, and business operations within a high-profile, fast-paced environment?
 

This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in shaping financial and business operations within a dynamic area of the Education and Skills portfolio. As a Business and Finance Officer in the Learning Directorate’s Business Support Unit, you’ll join a small, supportive team at the centre of a high-impact, evolving organisation.

With the Directorate undergoing a strategic merger with the Education Reform Directorate (set to be implemented by April 2026), this role offers the chance to be part of a period of significant transformation. Working in a hybrid model between Victoria Quay, St. Andrew’s House, and home, you’ll be involved in a broad spectrum of activity—from financial assurance and systems management to workforce planning and strategic engagement.

You'll have opportunities to build skills in financial and business management, governance, communication, and leadership—working closely with senior leaders, including the Director and the Senior Management Team, while gaining valuable insight into the inner workings of public finance in Scotland.

• Supporting the Finance and Assurance Manager and Financial Management Moderation Group in monitoring the Learning Directorate budget of over £900 million (including an operating cost budget of £10 million for over 140 staff) in accordance with the Scottish Public Finance Manual.
• Lead responsibility for responding to finance commissions and complying with requests for financial information for the Directorate, on both programme and staffing expenditure; liaising with programme budget holders, Budget Control Liaison Officers, DG office and others as necessary.
• Supporting in coordinating the directorate’s response to annual budgeting exercises including spending review.
• Leading the monthly finance, budget monitoring and BCLO forums in the directorate including planning, organising, chairing, preparing agendas, papers and  minutes and ensuring actions are progressed.
• Preparing regular reports supported by Oracle data and briefing to support the Senior Management Team with decision making in relation to people, performance and financial assurance, including data analysis.
• Performing Directorate BCLO duties within Learning Directorate including Oracle budget functions, supporting BCLOs, monthly monitoring, reconciling budget returns, providing scrutiny and challenge where necessary, running regular reports and processing ePC requests.
• Supporting workforce planning by performing Systems Business Manager functions on Oracle in line with position management principles and diligent monitoring and reporting of FTE data.
• Supporting the Director of Learning by providing diary or inbox management cover during periods of PA absence.

Success Profile

Success profiles are specific to each job and they include the mix of skills, experience and behaviours candidates will be assessed on.
 

Experience:

Experience in a business management and financial reporting role at divisional or directorate level, preferably using the Oracle system.
 

Behaviours:

• Communicating and Influencing – (Level 3)
• Changing and improving - (Level 3)
• Making effective decisions - (Level 3)
• Seeing the big picture - (Level 3)
• You can find out more about Success Profiles Behaviours, here: Behaviour levels - Success profiles: candidate guide - gov.scot
• How to apply

Apply online, providing a CV and Supporting Statement (of no more than 1000 words) which provides evidence of how you meet the skills, experience and behaviours listed in the Success Profile above.
 If invited for further assessment, this will consist of an interview and presentation.
 Assessments are estimated to be w/c 06/10/25 however this may be subject to change. 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, 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.

Working Pattern

Our standard hours are 35 hours per week.  We offer a range of flexible and hybrid working options depending on the needs of the role. If you have specific questions about the role you are applying for,  please contact us.

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 post is open to Internal Scottish Government candidates and Common Citizenship organisations only.