The Director General Health & Social Care and Chief Executive, NHS Scotland post is the most significant, high profile and influential leadership role in the Scottish public health sector. This is an outstanding opportunity to join the top leadership team of the Scottish Government (SG) and lead a core public service through a reform programme focused on improving outcomes for people and ensuring sustainability of services.
This is a unique and highly visible role, with regular Ministerial contact and a high external profile providing strategic direction, ensuring delivery of key priorities and driving reform, performance, efficiency and value for money. You will be a champion for the culture, values and behaviours of the health and care system.
You will be the SG’s principal policy adviser on Health and Social Care supporting the Cabinet Secretary for Health and other Ministers. Your key responsibility will be the delivery of the Cabinet Secretary’s priorities across a complex adaptive system. Affecting change in this system requires collaborative working and a commitment to fostering positive relationships. You will work with others to protect, sustain and enhance the health of the population in the context of the Public Services Reform Strategy, the Population Health Strategy, and the Service Renewal Strategy.
Responsibilities
You will be the Accountable Officer for the Health & Social Care Portfolio in SG with a budget of approx. £22 billion, charged with ensuring the best use of resources and driving reform that enables capacity to be matched with demand within a sustainable financial envelope.
- Lead Director General (DG) for prevention and Chair of the Reform Executive, you will have a key role in overseeing the development and implementation of the Health and Social Care Reform portfolio and its contribution to Public Service Reform ensuring that priorities and ambitions are delivered.
- Advise and assist Ministers to deliver ambitions against the Public Service Reform Strategy, the Population Health Framework and the Service Renewal Framework for Health and Social Care (HSC) ensuring improved performance and system sustainability.
- Provide strategic direction to NHS Scotland, driving reform, improved performance, efficiency and value for money in the delivery of sustainable high-quality services.
- Work with system leaders across health and social care to deliver large scale reform which enhances outcomes and the quality of the user experience whilst ensuring sustained performance and productivity.
- Ensure NHS Scotland and the broader health and social care system has appropriate governance structures and arrangements to drive forward reform, quality improvement, performance and accountability.
- Play a leading and collegiate role as part of the Executive Team and Corporate Board to cut through silos and organisational boundaries in developing and aligning resources in support of SG priorities.
- Role model for the ambition and values of the SG and NHS Scotland reinforcing and supporting a diverse and inclusive culture shaped by continuous improvement and the drive for excellence.
Success Profile
It is essential that you can provide evidence in your application of the professional experience and skills required for this role.
In addition, candidates applying for roles with the government agencies and public bodies in Scotland are assessed in line with the Success Profiles framework that is used across the Civil Service. This means that as well as evidencing the professional experience and skills you will also be expected to evidence behaviours at the level required for this Senior Civil Service role.
Experience:
- Significant senior leadership experience at Executive or Board level within large, complex organisations, ideally in health, social care, or similarly regulated sectors with political accountability.
- Comprehensive experience of driving delivery across whole systems, using collaborative approaches that integrate partners, stakeholders and services to address challenges such as public health effectively.
- Proven expertise in overseeing substantial revenue and capital budgets, supported by strong corporate governance and financial stewardship.
- Demonstrated success in delivering measurable outcomes across multiple functions through effective partnership working and stakeholder engagement.
- Strong track record of achieving strategic objectives while cultivating a high-performance culture that drives continuous improvement and system-wide transformation.
Behaviours:
- Leadership (Level 6)
- Seeing the big picture (Level 6)
- Managing a quality service (Level 6)
- Changing and improving (Level 6)
- Communicating and influencing (Level 6)
You can find out more about Success Profiles Behaviours, here: Success Profiles – Civil Service Behaviours
How to apply
Candidates must apply online, providing a CV and Supporting Statement (of no more than 500 words) that directly addresses the Experience criteria listed in the Success Profile above. General or unrelated statements will not be accepted and may result in your application being sifted out. Please ensure your statement clearly demonstrates how you meet the specified experience requirements.
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.
During the interview and assessment process we will test your skills and experience as well as behaviours aligned to this role.
If you are shortlisted, you will be provided with full details of the next stages of the selection and assessment process. This may include an individual psychological assessment and both stakeholder and staff engagement exercises as well as a short meeting with the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Care.
The final interview panel and some of the assessment exercises will take place in person in Edinburgh. Interviews will be chaired by Liz Walmsley, Civil Service Commissioner.
The other panel members are:
- Joe Griffin, Permanent Secretary, Scottish Government
- Sam Jones, Permanent Secretary, Department for Health & Social Care, UK Government
- Alex Plant, Chief Executive, Scottish Water
- Mark Adderley, Non-Executive Director, Scottish Government
Indicative Timeline*
- Assessments & Meeting with Cabinet Secretary for Health and Care – w/c 20/27 July & 3/10 August
- Final panel interview with presentation – w/c 17 August
*Timings are subject to change. You will be informed appropriately.
This campaign is being supported by an Executive Search partner, currently being appointed via a government procurement process.
Interview Expenses
Any travel and subsistence expenses incurred during the selection process are the responsibility of the applicant.
Recruitment Principles
As a government organisation, we adhere to the Civil Service Commission Recruitment Principles and we investigate any complaints received in relation to recruitment cases.
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 observing the Civil Service Code and 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.
Benefits
Alongside your salary of £190,000, Scottish Government contributes £55,043 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension Provides.
- Learning and development tailored to your role
- An environment with flexible working options
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
- A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97% and member contributions of £8.05%.
Working pattern
Our standard hours are 37 hours per week and we offer a range of flexible working options depending on the needs of the role. Scottish Government staff in hybrid-compatible roles should aim to work in-person 40% of the time, either in an office or other agreed work location. If you have specific questions about the role you are applying for, please contact us.
Security checks
Successful candidates, if new to the Civil Service, must complete the Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS), before they can be appointed. In addition, given the requirements of this role, candidates will require national security vetting to Developed Vetting level as a condition of appointment.
You can 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.
Apply before Sunday 12 July 2026 at 23:55.
Pay: £190,000.00-£205,000.00 per year
