Are you an experienced people leader ready to drive meaningful change and shape the future of our workforce?
This
four year fixed term appointment is a great opportunity to lead the HR and People Development teams at the Scottish Public Pensions Agency (SPPA) as we deliver an ambitious and impactful programme of work to position the agency for the future. Reporting to the Head of People & Place and forming a key part of their leadership team, you will drive the development and delivery of a three-year engagement strategy focused on enhancing development, productivity, innovation, and inclusivity.
With a proven ability to deliver meaningful outcomes, you will work collaboratively across boundaries, using data and insight to inform decisions and influence change. You will lead with purpose, empowering your teams to deliver quality services that are aligned with the Agency’s business plan, grounded in evidence, underpinned by policy, and accountable for real impact.
Responsibilities
- Provide strategic and operational leadership to HR and People Development teams, reviewing our service offerings and improving delivery across recruitment, learning and development, workforce planning, inclusion, talent, capacity, and capability. Take full responsibility for staff management and operational decisions within your remit.
- Lead the design and implementation of a three-year engagement plan that promotes development, productivity, innovation, and inclusivity, delivering measurable improvements in colleague experience within the fixed-term period.
- Drive the delivery of the People elements of the People and Place business plan, ensuring alignment with SPPA’s operational vision and priorities, and contributing to broader strategic planning.
- Work collaboratively to evaluate and improve management practices and behaviours, fostering a culture of trust and positivity. Provide professional guidance and expertise, balancing organisational and colleague needs. Promote feedback mechanisms and work with stakeholders to enhance colleague voice.
- Coach managers to assess future needs and shape integrated workforce planning strategies. Use people data to inform planning and talent decisions, collaborating with senior leaders to address short- and long-term capability gaps.
- Lead organisational design initiatives that bring together people and process, enabling adaptability and alignment with SPPA’s evolving priorities. Support change programmes and contribute to business continuity planning.
- Develop learning solutions that are fit for the organisation’s future needs. Engage stakeholders to define capability needs and deliver targeted learning interventions, leveraging technology and data. Build EDI capability in leaders and managers, and implement pragmatic plans that drive sustainable change
- Ensure the HR and PD teams are equipped for long-term success beyond the fixed-term role by embedding sustainable practices, developing internal capability, and aligning delivery models to future organisational needs. Provide professional guidance and contribute to the development of policy frameworks.
Qualifications
We welcome applications from candidates with Chartered CIPD membership or equivalent experience. If you don’t hold this qualification but have strong relevant skills, please reach out to the recruiting manager to explore your fit for the role.
Success profile
Success profiles are specific to each job and they include the mix of skills, experience and behaviours candidates will be assessed on.
Technical / Professional Skills
- Workforce planning. Develops and applies proactive interventions and solutions that build long-term resilience, partnering with managers to forecast needs, optimise resources, and embed sustainable practices across the organisation.
You can find out more about the skills required here: CIPD Profession Map
Experience
- Applying employment law or employee relations principles. Mitigating risk, applying effective judgement, building and maintaining collaborative partnerships.
- Using data and evidence to make decisions and influence. Ability to gather, critically evaluate, and apply insights to inform forward-looking decisions - shaping plans and practices rather than focusing solely on past analysis.
Behaviours
- Leadership - Level 4.
- Working together - Level 4.
- Managing a quality service - Level 4.
You can find out more about Success Profiles here: Success profiles: candidate guide - gov.scot
How To Apply
Apply online, providing a CV and Supporting Statement (of no more than
1000 words) which provides evidence of how you meet the skills, experience and behaviours listed in the Success Profile above.
Stage one (application sift): Candidates will have their applications assessed against all success profile criteria listed above unless there is a large number of applications, in which case, the following process will apply:
An initial sift will be conducted using the CV and supporting statement on the
Managing a quality service behaviour as listed above. Candidates who pass the initial sift will have their applications fully assessed against the rest of the Behaviours and one Experience criterion.
Stage two (interview and presentation): If successful at application sift, you will be invited to an assessment and interview where we will test all criteria listed in the Success Profile above.
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 invited for further assessment, this will consist of an interview and presentation. Assessments are scheduled for
w/c 26 January 2026, however this may be subject to change.
About Us
The Scottish Public Pensions Agency is an Agency of the Scottish Government. Our principal role is to administer the pensions for employees in the National Health Service, Teachers’, Police and Fire-fighters’ pension schemes in Scotland for over 500,000 key workers. The Agency administers these public service pension schemes on behalf of Scottish Ministers with an annual pension spend to over 200,000 pensioners to the value of more than £2.5 billion.
SPPA Careers | SPPA (pensions.gov.scot)
Our staff are part of the UK Civil Service, 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.
Working Pattern
Our standard hours are 35 hours per week. We offer a range of flexible and hybrid working options, with
two days minimum working on site at SPPA. 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).
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.
We will hold a reserve list for 12 months.
Apply before: 5 January 2026 (23:59)
