Temporary Deputy Director – Data & Digital Services

Role Overview

• Set and own the strategic direction for SFC’s data and digital services, acting as the senior product owner for the portfolio.
• Own SFC’s data strategy, ensuring the approach to data collection, engineering, governance, and analytics is coherent, sustainable, and capable of supporting both operational needs and strategic insight.
• Ensure SFC’s data and digital capability underpins the organisation’s wider assurance obligations including OFAM, enhanced institutional scrutiny, and financial health monitoring.
• Provide strategic assurance to the CIO, Board, and Audit and Assurance Committee, maintaining governance aligned with SFC’s risk management framework.
• Lead Data Engineering, Analytics, and Digital Service Delivery as an integrated function with clear responsibilities, accountability and strategic outcomes.
• Lead workforce planning across the function, determining how permanent and fixed term resources are structured to maximise delivery capacity and build sustainable capability beyond transitional funding.
• Coach and develop the Assistant Director leadership layer, ensuring heads of function have the clarity of remit, capability, and support to deliver and to develop their own teams.
• Lead, develop, and performance manage a multidisciplinary team spanning delivery, engineering, and analytics, fostering an inclusive culture where professional development and constructive challenge are valued.
• Build strong working relationships across SFC’s directorates and the CIO’s wider leadership team, positioning data and digital services as central to organisational priorities including OFAM, institutional scrutiny, and funding model reform, while managing dependencies with infrastructure, support, and programme governance teams.
• Champion a data literate culture across SFC, building confidence in using analytics and digital tools to support decision making, and establishing the function’s reputation within the Scottish public sector.
• Represent SFC’s data and digital interests at senior level with Scottish Government, Skills Development Scotland, colleges, universities, and sector bodies. Manage strategic supplier relationships, ensuring contracted outcomes and value for money.

Requirements

• Senior leadership of a multidisciplinary data and digital function, with direct accountability for portfolio outcomes, budget management, and team performance across specialist disciplines.
• Experience of setting strategic direction for data services or digital products and translating that into prioritised roadmaps, investment cases, and measurable outcomes.
• Track record of integrating specialist teams into a coherent operating model, particularly connecting data and analytics capability to service delivery or business outcomes.
• Experience of operating at Board or senior governance level within a public sector, regulatory, or arm’s length body context, including preparing briefings and investment cases for non technical audiences.
• Strong understanding of the data lifecycle from collection through engineering, analysis, and insight, with the ability to make informed strategic decisions about data platforms and analytical approaches.
• Proven stakeholder management at senior and cross organisational level, including managing service dependencies and delivery partnerships in a politically sensitive environment.
• Experience of leading organisational transitions or major change programmes where continuity of service must be maintained alongside transformation.
• Ability to build and develop high performing teams, including coaching senior managers, shaping team structures, and fostering a collaborative working culture across organisational boundaries.

Benefits

• Normal full-time hours of work are 35 per week. We will consider flexible working arrangements.
• Annual leave entitlement of 30 days pro-rata, plus public and privilege holiday entitlement of 13 days pro-rata.
• A flexible approach to hybrid working, giving you flexibility to work from home anywhere in the UK for some of the time while also maintaining regular in-person contact with colleagues.
• Annual pay review: approved within the framework of the Scottish Government’s Public Sector Pay Policy and negotiated with our recognised trade union, Unite. Salaries are reviewed annually in April for employees who commence employment prior to 1 October in the preceding year.
• Eligibility to join the Civil Service Pension Scheme. With its low member contribution rates and generous employer contributions, this gives you a secure, inflation-proof pension for life with no investment uncertainty.
• Support for continuous professional development: as a part of SFC, we are dedicated to providing comprehensive support for continuous learning and professional development.
• Support for health and wellbeing, including generous occupational sick pay, free access to confidential advice and support through our 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme, Special Leave (paid and unpaid), a contribution to learning outside work through our Lifelong Learning Fund, free winter flu vaccination, and access to occupational health support.
• We provide support to SFC employees with Volunteering Days.
• Support for travel to and from work, including a salary sacrifice cycle loan scheme, cycle storage and shower facilities, an interest-free loan for bus or rail season tickets and free office car parking for employees on a first-come basis.