Skills Development Scotland
Regional Skills Planning Lead - North East
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Regional Skills Planning Lead - North East
Skills Development Scotland: Regional Skills Planning Lead – North East Scotland
About Skills Development Scotland (SDS)
Skills Development Scotland (SDS) is Scotland’s national skills agency, committed to driving productivity and inclusive economic growth by investing in skills and empowering businesses and individuals.
Through strategic partnerships, industry insights, and innovative solutions, SDS supports Scotland’s skills and labour market challenges, ensuring employers have access to talent while individuals can develop and succeed.
Our core values guide all we do:
- Customer-centric focus: Prioritising the needs of individuals and businesses.
- Collaborative excellence: Leveraging collective expertise for the best outcomes.
- Respect and accountability: Upholding self-motivation, responsibility, and continuous improvement.
- Excellence in everything: A commitment to outperforming expectations.
About the Role
Job Title: Regional Skills Planning Lead – North East Scotland Location: Primarily based in the North East of Scotland (Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, and Moray), with hybrid working (home/office) and travel as required.
This is one of five Regional Skills Planning Leads as part of SDS’s expanded leadership team, reporting to the Director of Regional Skills Planning & Sector Development.
Why This Role Matters: You’ll drive skills planning and sector development across one of Scotland’s most dynamic regions, shaping economic growth through strategic partnerships and targeted skills interventions.
Your work will impact:
- The North East Regional Economic Strategy
- The Highlands and Islands Regional Economic Plan (REP)
- Ministerial priorities in employment, skills, and productivity
You’ll be a visionary strategist, a relationship builder, and a pragmatic leader, ensuring SDS’s influence aligns with national and local ambitions.
Key Responsibilities
Leadership & Strategic Influence
- Champions SDS’s offer across the North East and Highlands, expanding partnerships in Moray and working collaboratively with the Highlands and Islands Lead.
- Influences Scottish Government policy and regional priorities, determining the most effective forums to engage senior stakeholders.
- Aligns skills agendas with high-growth economic initiatives, including:
- The City and Growth Deal
- Energy Transition Zone
- Innovation Zone
- Green Freeport
- Keeps skills at the fore of the Conveth Regional Delivery Plan, ensuring SDS’s objectives are embedded where they can make the biggest impact.
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Strategic Development & Delivery
- Refines and promotes the Regional Skills Assessments and contributes to a new Skills Needs Framework, using data to inform local decision-making.
- Develops tools and evidence to highlight skills gaps, investment opportunities, and measurable outcomes across the North East.
- Strengthens skills offerings through SDS products and services, ensuring alignment with regional economic strategies.
Programme Leadership
- Steers multi-partner programmes, facilitating alignment of partners on key skills priorities.
- Coordinated GDPR-compliant engagement with recently launched tools, fostering mutual benefit while protecting SDS interests.
- Balances strategic focus with operational delivery, mitigating risks while driving value-added projects.
Team Management & Stakeholder Support
- Line-manages up to two Skills Planning & Sector Development Managers, focusing on capacity building, performance evaluation, and career development.
- Oversees risk management, ensuring timely, high-quality responses to Scottish Government queries and SDS information requests.
Requirements
Essential Skills & Experience
- Strong background in economic, skills, or labour market policy (e.g., SCQF Level 9-10 qualifications or equivalent in-depth experience).
- Proven expertise in translating national strategies into place-based action, with a track record of influencing policy and investment in Scottish regions.
- Strong partnerships and senior-level skills in engaging with industry, local authorities, and public sector stakeholders.
- Judgement and conflict resolution: Confidence in managing political and economic complexity, steering collaborative decisions in areas with competing priorities.
- Strategic leadership: Ability to shape visions, build compelling case studies, governing structures, and secure stakeholder buy-in while delivering results on time and within budget.
- Project management or team-leading experience (a formal qualification is advantageous but not essential).
Highly Desirable
- Experience in either writing a Regional Skills Plan or contributing key deliverables in the development of a regional growth strategy.
- Familiarity with economic modelling, skills assessments, or sectoral resilience research.
- Experience working with industry partners, trade bodies, or further/higher education providers on skills interventions.
Core Attributes
SDS seeks someone who can:
- Overcome bureaucratic barriers with creativity and diplomacy.
- Empower diverse stakeholders (local authorities, Business Improvement District teams, innovation partners, and others) to see the value of skills initiatives.
- Connect technical strategy with grassroots ambitions, fostering consistency and clarity at all levels.
- Leverage external capital (e.g., through Economic Accelerator Programmes) to maximise SDS’s resources in a competitive environment.
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Why Join SDS?
SDS is an award-winning organisation that stands by its commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion. We pride ourselves on offering a workplace that:
- ** Values ambition and has transformational impact** for Scotland’s people and economy.
- ** Prioritises wellbeing** with flexible working models, supportive management, and professional development opportunities.
- Recognises merit regardless of background, ensuring all candidates with the right skills are considered.
- Prepares candidates fairly (AI-assisted interview questions will be shared in advance of the second round of interviews).
About the Region
Working in the North East and Highlands brings both stimulating challenges and unprecedented opportunities. The Energy Transition Zone and Innovation Zone are driving major growth, particularly in advanced manufacturing, offshore renewables, and life sciences.
Key considerations for the role include:
- Travel requirements: Up to 2 days per week in Aberdeen-based SDS premises, occasional meetings in wider locations (e.g., Inverness or Glasgow).
- Hybrid flexibility: The role supports both home and office working.
- Impact of science-based industry: Skills-focused projects will link to global green energy transitions, creating high-profile opportunities for SDS.
Closing Date: Sunday 26th July 2026
Interviews: Thursday 20th or Friday 21st August 2026 in Aberdeen
Second-round interviews: Scheduled at SDS Headquarters in Glasgow
Contact & Considerations
If you would like to discuss the role, please get in touch:
- Andrea Glass (Head of Regions and Enabling Sectors) → andrea.glass@sds.co.uk
- Chris Brodie (Director of Regional Skills Planning and Sector Development) → chris.brodie@sds.co.uk
Note:ADS is committed to fair and transparent recruitment, meaning they may share interview questions in advance to reduce unnecessary barriers during pre-interview preparation.
Learn more about SDS here: Skills Development Scotland | Working With Us.
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