Job detail for Head of Offshore Renewables Policy

Job Title – Head of Offshore Renewables Policy (Maternity Cover – end date October 2027)

Business Area/Directorate –Offshore Wind Directorate

Location – Glasgow or Edinburgh

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

Grade- C1

Advert type - Temporary Promotion or Level Transfer

Duration - Up to 12 months

Eligibility - Expressions of interest are invited from eligible staff in Bands A – C for this vacancy.

Overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen within the Offshore Wind Directorate to lead a small team to coordinate the development of policy work related to offshore wind and marine energy (wave and tidal), to contribute to Scotland’s net zero targets and maximise the economic opportunity and wider benefits to the people of Scotland. This is a high profile role that requires close working with Ministers and stakeholders across government, the wider public sector and industry.

Reporting to the Head of Offshore Wind Policy Unit (C2) you will influence national policy, lead collaborative delivery, and help position Scotland as a global leader in offshore wind. You will lead a team working across key areas of strategic policy development and implementation, working closely with colleagues in the Marine Directorate, Directorate for Energy and Climate Change (DECC), and DG Economy, to ensure policy coherence and delivery of programme objectives.

Overview of Directorate

The Offshore Wind Directorate leads on policy and programmes related to offshore renewables, marine energy and sectoral marine planning, to support the continued growth of the offshore wind sector.

The Directorate’s core aim is to maximise the significant economic benefits from the growth of offshore renewables for Scotland’s economy, citizens and environment as we transition to net zero. We also have a key role in ensuring the balance of economic and environmental objectives, with other users of the marine environment.

We support the development of Scotland’s offshore wind economy by:

• working across the public sector to deploy strategic investment in ports and supply chain that grows our manufacturing base, attracting capital, inward investment, driving economic growth and job creation;
• demonstrating the potential role for marine energy in Scotland’s low carbon energy system;
• delivering enabling programmes e.g. through the Energy Act to streamline consenting, improve regulatory certainty, and accelerate deployment;
• managing the constraints and opportunities of Scotland’s transition to net zero through the sustainable expansion of offshore renewables, enabled by sectoral marine planning that provides clarity, reduces risk, and supports balanced use of the marine space.

**Key **

• Lead a strategic approach to policy development to enable deployment of the Scottish offshore wind pipeline, including tackling technical, regulatory and policy barriers to deployment, including issues such as Contracts for Difference.

• Ensuring alignment across all public sector partners, private sector partners and key industry groups with an interest in delivery.

• Oversee management and delivery of the work of the offshore wind and wave and tidal policy teams including financial and grant management.

• Make links with colleagues working across the offshore wind programme, DECC, marine and economy as required to deliver key pieces of policy work.

• Supporting Ministers in their engagement with the UKG, offshore wind developers, trade bodies, public sector partners and others to enable maximum deployment of the offshore wind pipeline.

• Line management responsibility for 3 x B3s and countersigning responsibility for 3 x B2s.

Success Profile

Success profiles are specific to each job and they include the mix of behaviours, experience and technical criteria (if applicable) that candidates will be assessed on.

Experience

1. Able to communicate confidently and credibly both verbally and written, building and maintaining positive relationships with internal and external stakeholders through strong interpersonal skills.

2. Experience of policy development and delivery, working flexibly and collaboratively with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders to achieve specific policy outcomes.

3. Experience of working autonomously to develop complex and high-profile policy across organisational boundaries.

4. Ability to draw together and interrogate technical, analytical and policy information to draw out key messages and findings to make recommendations.

5. A proven track record of leading a team in an agile way through a period of change, to establish well defined priorities, role and team culture.

Behaviours Being Tested

1. Seeing the big picture (level 4)

2. Making effective decisions (level 4)

3. Leadership (level 4)

4. Working together (level 4)

You can find out more about Success Profiles Behaviours, here: Behaviour levels - Success profiles: candidate guide

Working Pattern

This role is a temporary promotion position with an end date of October 2027.

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. If you have specific questions about the role you are applying for, please contact us.

Further Information

Further information about this opportunity is available from Ragne.Low@gov.scot,  Hannah.Chillingworth@gov.scot and Michaela.@gov.scot

How to Apply

Please submit an Expression of Interest (maximum 500 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 14 October.

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.

Applications will be reviewed by panel. Shortlisted candidates who are considered to have the skills and experience will be invited to an informal interview with the hiring manager and another panel member. The panel will recommend the candidate considered most suitable for the post.

Interviews will be scheduled as soon as possible, dates will be confirmed to shortlisted candidates.

Temporary Promotion (If Applicable)

Please click the link to access further guidance and information on overview and eligibility Temporary promotion

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 Codeand 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.

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, 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 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: 14/10/2026 (23:59). This role is open to internal candidates and common citizenship organisations only.