Head of Delivery and Performance Transformation

Overview

Do you want to shape how Scotland measures what truly matters and turn strategy into results across government?

This is a high-impact leadership role at the heart of government, offering a unique opportunity to shape strategic direction and drive organisational coherence. As Head of Delivery and Performance Transformation, you will lead the design and implementation of data-driven delivery, performance and accountability systems for the Scottish Government. You will collaborate across the organisation and the wider public sector to align these systems with the National Performance Framework and the Public Service Reform Strategy contributing to a coherent and consistent approach to accountability across public services in Scotland.

The Strategy and Delivery Directorate (SDD) supports Ministers and senior leaders in setting Scotland’s strategic direction. We provide insight, analysis, and delivery support to help shape policy and respond to emerging challenges. This role sits at the centre of that effort, working with stakeholders across Scottish Government and wider public services to develop delivery, performance and assurance systems that improve consistency, transparency and accountability.

• Engage regularly with stakeholders across Scottish Government, local government, public bodies and community‑planning partnerships to co‑design approaches to performance, assurance and delivery.
• Utilise strong working relationships with local government, the third sector and delivery partners to share expertise, understand operational realities and strengthen the link between national priorities and local implementation.
• Coordinate activity that improves accountability across multi‑level government and complex systems, ensuring alignment between national policy, local delivery bodies and external partners.
• Lead the development and embedding of intelligence‑led performance and accountability mechanisms that demonstrate a clear link between policy development and measurable delivery outcomes.
• Work with teams across the Strategy and Delivery Directorate to develop delivery and performance dashboards and reporting tools that support transparent and outcome focused decision making.
• Ensure performance and accountability frameworks become a practical and widely understood tool for policy teams, embedding delivery thinking at the start of policy development.
• Support wider organisational capability building around delivery, performance and assurance to embed best practice into policy development and implementation.
• Engage with Ministers, Senior Civil Servants and external leaders ensuring, alignment between policy ambition and delivery feasibility.
• Undertake line management responsibilities.