The Scottish Government
Deputy Director - Client Services Delivery – Social Security Scotland
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Lead one of Scotland’s largest public service operations and help shape a social security system that supports more than a third of the nation’s population.
Social Security Scotland is an Executive Agency of the Scottish Government responsible for delivering Scotland's devolved social security system in line with the Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018 and our Charter. We provide vital support to people on low incomes, disabled people, carers, young people entering employment, and households requiring support with energy costs. Our mission is to ensure everyone receives the support they are entitled to with dignity, fairness, and respect.
As Deputy Director, Client Services Delivery, you will lead large-scale operational services responsible for delivering benefits to hundreds of thousands of people across Scotland. Your primary objective will be to ensure the delivery of high-quality, person-centred, efficient, and resilient services while driving continuous improvement and helping shape the future of social security delivery that improve outcomes for the people and communities of Scotland. You will work closely with Ministers, senior government officials, and key partners across the public sector.
Responsibilities
- Provide strategic leadership for Social Security Scotland’s Client Services Delivery function, leading over 3,000 operational delivery and registered health and social care colleagues to deliver services aligned with the values of dignity, fairness, and respect and Civil Service standards.
- Ensure the effective delivery of client services across Scotland, maintaining high-quality, accessible, and person-centred services in line with the Social Security Charter and organisational commitments.
- As a visible and values-led leader, you will lead through others to build a high-performing, inclusive, and engaged workforce. In line with the Civil Service Leadership Statement, Social Security Scotland Charter, and People Strategy, you will drive a culture of openness, accountability, learning, and collaboration, developing organisational capability, nurturing talent, and strengthening leadership capacity to ensure the long-term success of the organisation.
- Lead operational performance, risk, and service improvement, using client insight, stakeholder feedback, and management information to drive continuous improvement, deliver value for money, and safeguard organisational reputation.
- Act as a key member of the Agency senior leadership team, shaping organisational strategy and transformation, while working collaboratively with Scottish Government's Social Security Directorate to deliver strategic and Ministerial priorities.
- Build and maintain effective relationships with Ministers and senior stakeholders, providing assurance, performance reporting, and strategic advice to support informed decision-making and public accountability.
- Oversee workforce, financial, and business resilience planning, managing an annual budget of approximately £170 million, ensuring compliance with public finance requirements, maintaining operational capacity and capability, and leading robust business continuity and incident management arrangements to sustain critical services.
Success Profile
It is essential that you can provide evidence of the Experience criteria below within your CV and supporting statement as this will be used to assess your application at sift.
Experience
We’re looking for candidates who can demonstrate:
- Substantial experience providing strategic leadership within a large, complex service delivery organisation, setting strategic direction, and delivering organisational objectives through multi-disciplinary teams.
- Demonstrable success in leading large-scale operational performance and service improvement, balancing quality, efficiency, and service user outcomes while responding effectively to changing priorities, demand, and policy requirements.
- Experience of leading across organisational boundaries to deliver outcomes, taking a whole-system approach to complex and dynamic challenges by building strategic partnerships, managing dependencies and risks, and driving sustainable improvements for service users.
- A strong track record as a visible and influential corporate leader, contributing to organisational success beyond your own area of responsibility, with experience of working collaboratively across a senior leadership team to shape strategy, drive change, improve organisational performance, and build an inclusive, high-performing culture.
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Behaviours
You are expected to provide evidence of the following behaviours at Level 5.
- Managing a Quality Service
- Leadership
- Developing Self & Others
- Seeing the Bigger Picture
You can find out more about Success Profiles Behaviours, here: Success Profiles - Civil Service Behaviours
How To Apply
Apply online, providing a CV and Supporting Statement (of no more than 750 words) which provides evidence of how you meet the Experience criteria. Both your CV and Supporting Statement will be used to assess your suitability against the criteria.
During the interview and assessment process we will test your Experience as well as the Behaviors aligned to this role.
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.
If you are invited to the next stage, the assessment process will include an interview with a short presentation, an engagement panel, and psychometric testing – further details will be provided to you in advance.
Assessments are scheduled from weeks commencing 12 October and 19 October 2026, however this may be subject to change.
The Final Interview Panel Will Take Place The Week Commencing 2 November 2026 In Person At Social Security Scotland, Agnes Husband House, 17 South Union Street, Dundee, DD1 4BF. Interviews Will Be Chaired By Karyn Lavelle, Social Security Scotland Chief Operating Officer. The Other Panel Members Are
- Nicola Rudnicki, Deputy Director for People and Place
- Veena Muthuraman, Social Security Scotland, Non-Executive Director
- Barry Matheson, Social Security Scotland, Non-Executive Director
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.
Interview Expenses
Any travel and subsistence expenses incurred during the selection process are the responsibility of the applicant.
About Us
Led by Chief Executive David Wallace, Social Security Scotland is an Executive Agency of the Scottish Government and one of its largest public service organisations. We play a vital role in supporting people and families across Scotland, delivering benefits that improve lives and contribute to positive social outcomes.
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Guided by the principles of dignity, fairness, and respect, we are committed to ensuring everyone can access the financial support they are entitled to, in the right way and at the right time.
As an Executive Agency of the Scottish Government, Social Security Scotland operates within Scottish Government employment frameworks, with remuneration and reward arrangements aligned to Scottish Government Main Pay Bargaining and Senior Civil Service pay policy.
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.
As part of the UK Civil Service, we uphold the Civil Service Nationality Rules.
Benefits
We offer a supportive and inclusive working environment along with a wide range of employee benefits. Alongside your salary of £93,667, Scottish Government contributes £27,135 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%
Working pattern
Applicants on any working pattern are welcome to apply for this post. If you are interested in applying on a job-share basis, please make clear in your application if you wish to be considered as a pre-existing job-share partnership or if you are interested in moving into a job-share arrangement. We will assess proposed working patterns against the business requirements for the post and discuss all options with candidates.
Our standard hours are 37 hours per week, and we offer a range of flexible working options depending on the needs of the role, including Flexi-leave.
You will also be part of an ‘on call rota’ approximately one week in four offering incident management, media, and ministerial support outside normal hours as part of the senior leadership responsibilities attached to this role.
The organisation operates on a hybrid basis, with a minimum office attendance of two days per week.
This role can be based in either Dundee or Glasgow, but regular travel will be required across all Social Security Scotland sites and to Scottish Government locations, such as Edinburgh, other Glasgow sites, to provide visible leadership, engage with key stakeholders, and support collaborative delivery across the organisation.
If you have specific questions about the role you are applying for, please contact us.
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).
In addition to the standard pre-employment checks, this vacancy will also require all candidates to obtain National Security Vetting (NSV) at Security Check (SC) clearance level. This type of check normally includes meeting a minimum UK residency period, which for SC level is 5 years.
Further information about NSV checks can be found on the UK Government website - National security vetting: clearance levels
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
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