Scottish Government
Senior Policy Officer - Child Poverty
Get notified of more jobs like this · No spam, ever
How your CV stacks up
Upload your CV to see how well it fits this job role
?%
This is an Expression of Interest (EOI) opportunity, available on a lateral move basis only. Applications are open to Core Scottish Government employees only.
Job Title - Senior Policy Officer - Child Poverty
Business Area/Directorate - General Practice Policy Division
Location - St Andrews House
Working Arrangement – Staff in roles compatible with hybrid working should aim to spend 40% of their contracted working time working in person at their contractual workplace. More information can be found within Hybrid Working Policy [https://scotsconnect.sharepoint.com/sites/saltireredirect?siteId=mylifeandcareer&pageId=8c5a454f-11b6-4349-a97e-96ba6acf3f51&pageParams=working-in-person-hybrid-working]
Grade - B3
Advert type - Level Transfer
Duration - 18-months, with the possibility of extension to March 2029.
Eligibility - Expressions of interest are invited from substantive colleagues on level transfer from core SG only.
Sponsorship: Skilled Worker sponsorship is not available for this role. As a result, we are unable to appoint candidates who require Skilled Worker sponsorship now or in the future. Applicants must have an existing and ongoing right to work in the UK.
This is a new and exciting opportunity for a B3 to join the friendly team on a fixed term basis (18 months) to support delivery of the Whole Family Support through General Practice project. We are seeking applications for a Senior Policy Officer in the General Practice Healthcare Inequalities Team to lead work on the expansion of our innovative ‘Whole Family Support through General Practice’ (WFSGP) project, which is a commitment in ‘Bringing Hope, Building Futures’ our latest Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan. The WFSGP approach has, since early 2025, been tested and delivered in twelve general practices in areas of Glasgow with high levels of family poverty. ‘Bringing Hope, Building Futures’ commits us to double the number of WFSGP practices in Glasgow in 2026/27 and to expand WFSGP into a wider programme in other areas of Scotland from 2027/28.
This is your chance to be at the centre of our efforts to realise our ambition to eradicate child poverty in Scotland.
Key Responsibilities:
As the day-to-day lead to deliver our commitment in ‘Bringing Hope, Building Futures’ to expand the Whole Family Support through General Practice approach to other areas of Scotland from 2027/28, you will:
- Develop and deliver a structured plan for WFSGP expansion, that includes developing and agreeing an evidence-based proposal; setting and meeting deadlines; establishing governance; monitoring/managing risk; and budget-management.
- Manage strong, positive relationships with a wide range of external delivery partners and stakeholders to ensure open and effective communication and collaboration which focuses on delivery and impact.
- Work in close collaboration with the Senior Policy Officer responsible for the original and ongoing WFSGP project in Glasgow City.
- Lead/oversee Ministerial support, including advice and meetings, provide high quality input to commissions, handle reactive policy work (correspondence, PQs, briefings, and FOIs).
- Work in partnership with internal health and child poverty policy officials, and with colleagues in other portfolios, as required.
- Ensure that good quality evidence and data are central to WFSGP expansion, collaborating with/seeking input from SG analysts and external experts as needed.
Reasons to use Rodeo
Start with a chat, not a search bar
Grad scheme, placement, apprenticeship? Not sure what you want yet — that's fine. Your agent talks it through with you and turns "I have no idea" into a shortlist.
It searches the market for you
Every day your agent scans the market matching roles against what actually matters to you, not just keywords on a CV.
Only hits
No noise. No "maybe this fits." Just roles with a clear explanation of why they're right — and where to focus when applying.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Success Profile Success profiles are specific to each job and they include the mix of skills, experience and behaviours candidates will be assessed on, you should provide evidence of how you meet these in your statement.
Experience
- Strong briefing skills, with an ability to communicate policy intentions through clear written and oral communication.
- Excellent skills in stakeholder relationships and management, including being able to have difficult conversations.
- The ability to work collaboratively as part of a team, sharing information, communicating with colleagues and external partners.
- Strong project management skills, including the ability to plan and oversee activities to meet policy commitments and deadlines, anticipating and managing risks and dependencies.
- Capable of leading on work independently while contributing to wider team goals.
Behaviours:
- Communicating and Influencing – Level 3
- Working Together – Level 3
- Making Effective Decisions - Level 3
You can find out more about Success Profiles Behaviours, here: Behaviour levels - Success profiles: candidate guide [https://www.gov.scot/publications/success-profiles-candidate-guide/pages/behaviour-levels/]
Working pattern This role is a temporary position for 18 months, with the possibility of extension to March 2029.
This post is a full-time role, but we welcome applications from staff with different working patterns, proposed working patterns will be assessed against the business requirements for this post.
Our standard hours are 35 hours per week and we offer a range of flexible working options depending on the needs of the role, including Flexi-leave. 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.
QUALIFICATIONS
How to Apply Applications are invited from eligible staff in B3 grade for this vacancy, see guidance on Saltire for details on eligibility criteria: Temporary vacancies and lateral move opportunities.
Please submit an Expression of Interest (maximum 750 words) outlining your suitability for the role, relevant skills and experience, and what you would bring to the team. Please align this to how you meet the behaviours, experience and technical skills listed in the Success Profile above.
Vacancies close at 23:59pm on Wednesday 23 September.
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 [https://www.gov.scot/publications/recruitment-candidate-guide/pages/use-of-ai-tools/] for more information on acceptable and unacceptable uses of AI in recruitment.
Get help with your application
Your very own career expert that helps elevate your application to the next level.
If invited for further assessment, this will consist of an informal interview, scheduled for w/c TBC.
For any questions relating to your expression of interest please contact fiona.macdonald2@gov.scot [fiona.macdonald2@gov.scot]
Selection Process Applications will be reviewed by panel. Shortlisted candidates who are considered to have the skills and experience will be invited to interview with the hiring manager and another panel member. The panel will recommend the candidate considered most suitable for the post. Interviews are expected to be scheduled for w/c insert date.
Further Information If you have specific questions about the role, please contact insert contact details. Read our Candidate Guide for further information on our recruitment and application processes.
Recruitment Principles
As a government organisation, we adhere to the Civil Service Commission Recruitment Principles [https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/document/02a-recruitment-principles-april-2018-final/?d102_cookies_enabled=all] 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 [https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/about-us/] 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 [https://www.jobs.gov.scot/what-we-offer].
As part of the UK Civil Service, we uphold the Civil Service Nationality Rules [https://www.gov.scot/publications/recruitment-candidate-guide/pages/nationality-requirements/].
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 [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/government-baseline-personnel-security-standard], or read about the different levels of security checks in our Candidate Guide [https://www.gov.scot/publications/recruitment-candidate-guide/pages/pre-employment-checks/].
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 [https://www.jobs.gov.scot/an-inclusive-organisation] and how we offer and support recruitment adjustments [https://www.jobs.gov.scot/requesting
“It took my CV and asked me questions relevant to understanding what kind of jobs to suggest for me. Suggestions were almost perfect. Jobs were exactly what I’ve been looking for.”
Jessica, London
Location