Temporary DDaT Programme Manager; Grade M1

Temporary DDaT Programme Manager (Grade M1)

Final date to receive applications: 1 June 2026

Department: Corporate Services

Employment Type: Fixed Term - Full Time

Location: Edinburgh - Hybrid

Compensation: Grade M1 £ 66,924 - £78,930. Civil Service Pension with Employer Contribution of 28.97%. Flexible Working Hours. Hybrid Working.

Our ambition is for Scotland to be the best place in the world to learn, educate, research and innovate, so that all of our nation can flourish. Our purpose is to create and sustain a world-leading system of tertiary education, research and innovation that changes lives for the better, enriches society and supports sustainable and inclusive economic growth.

To lead the planning, governance and delivery of the DDaT (Digital, Data and Technology) workstream within Scottish Funding Council (SFC) Tertiary Education Training (TET) Bill Programme, ensuring that all technology, data, systems and digital service elements of the apprenticeship funding transfer from Skills Development Scotland (SDS) are delivered to the required standard and timeline for operational readiness by April 2027.

We expect that this role will end in February 2027.

• Lead the DDaT workstream of the TET Bill Programme, owning the delivery plan, milestones, dependencies and budget for all technology, data and digital service elements of the transition.
• Establish and maintain programme governance for the DDaT workstream, including reporting into the Joint Governance Group, internal Programme Board and other programme governance structures as required.
• Manage cross workstream dependencies between DDaT and the broader TET Bill Programme, working closely with the Programme Manager and other workstream leads to ensure alignment on sequencing, risks and interdependencies.
• Coordinate the DDaT input to Transitional Services Agreement negotiations with SDS, ensuring that technology, data and systems requirements are accurately captured and that SFC’s interests are protected in service level, access and exit provisions.
• Oversee DDaT readiness planning for Day 1 operations, including the managed service arrangements for the apprenticeship funding and payments system (FIPS) under EIS/Leidos, data migration and integration continuity across more than 15 external connections, and the standing up of SFC’s internal capability to oversee and assure the transferred services.
• Manage risks, issues and dependencies across the DDaT workstream, maintaining appropriate registers and escalating to the CIO and programme governance where intervention is needed.
• Lead and develop the DDaT PMO team, including the Lead Business Analyst and Senior Business Analysts, ensuring that requirements analysis, process mapping and business analysis activities are properly scoped, resourced and aligned to programme priorities.
• Coordinate with SFC’s Cloud Technology, Data Engineering, Analytics and Digital Delivery teams on TET Bill related work packages, ensuring that permanent team capacity and contractor resource are deployed effectively across programme and BAU commitments.
• Work with external advisory and consultancy partners to ensure their outputs are aligned with programme objectives and build on existing feasibility work rather than duplicating it.
• Produce clear, accurate programme reporting for senior leadership, the SFC Board and Parliamentary accountability requirements, maintaining transparency on progress, cost, risk and delivery confidence.
• Contribute to benefits identification and tracking for the DDaT workstream, ensuring that the transition delivers not just operational continuity but measurable improvement in SFC’s digital and data capability.

It is important through your CV / Cover Letter that you give evidence of proven experience of each of the following essential criteria:

ESSENTIAL SKILLS, QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• Proven experience leading programme delivery in complex, multi stakeholder environments involving organisational change, service transition or operational separation, not solely technology implementation.
• Demonstrable experience of managing programmes with…