Senior Policy Official

Job Description

Are you ready to shape Scotland’s digital future and lead transformative policy on green data centres and infrastructure?

Digital Connectivity is a multi-discipline Division, leading policy and delivery across digital infrastructure priorities. Digital infrastructure is central to economic and societal resilience and must be capable of meeting current and future needs of business and wider society. 

Data centres, and the associated digital infrastructure required to service them, are the backbone of a vibrant digital economy – providing the ability to service cloud computing, IoT, Big Data and other data-driven technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI). With the appropriate support, interventions and investment, Scotland can generate significant new economic growth from data storage, management, and innovation.

Despite responsibility for telecommunications being reserved to the UK Government, Scottish Ministers have made improving Scotland's digital connectivity a key priority. You will support policy development and delivery within the Digital Connectivity Policy Team and contribute to key objectives within successive Programmes for Government (PfG), the National Strategy for Economic Transformation (NSET), the Digital Strategy for Scotland, Scotland’s AI Strategy, and the Green Industrial Strategy.

Responsibilities

• Work to represent the Scottish Government’s digital connectivity policy interests in relation to the Green Data Centres Vision and Action Plan.
• Work constructively with other areas across Scottish Government including (but not limited to) AI policy, economy, inward investment, and energy to bring together the data centres ecosystem to fully capitalise on the current market interest from data centres operators and maximise the benefits for Scotland.  
• Work closely with colleagues across Scottish Government, Scottish Enterprise (SE), Scottish Development International (SDI), Office for Investment (OfI), UK Government Department of Science Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and other agencies as required to oversee the development and delivery of a co-ordinated suite of interventions and activities designed to maximise the economic opportunity - and keep Ministers both updated on progress and informed of potential Ministerial interventions as appropriate.  
• Contribute to a Team Scotland response to a range of inward and indigenous investment opportunities which each require specific action to maximise the value to Scotland.
• Supported by the Policy Lead, you will have overall responsibility for drafting and submitting Ministerial submissions relating to the Green Data Centres programme.  
• Working with others in the Division, manage the provision of high quality and timely advice, briefing and intelligence to Ministers, senior officials, and other colleagues often at short notice to tight timescales.  

Success Profile

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

Technical / Professional Skills

1. Policy Context and Purpose - Practitioner 
2. Participation and Engagement - Practitioner 
3. Policy Delivery and Systems - Practitioner

Behaviours

• Seeing the Big Picture 
• Making Effective Decisions 
• Delivering at Pace 
• 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 1500 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 scheduled for w/c beginning 27th October however this may be subject to change. 

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.

This role is open only to internal and common citizenship partners. 

  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.

From October 2025, the Scottish Government will require staff in hybrid-compatible roles to work in-person 40% of the time, either in an office or other agreed work location.

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 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.