RPID and ALT Business Manager

Job description

Are you ready to lead a high-performing business support team in a dynamic environment that offers the opportunity to build strong relationships across the Directorate and wider Scottish Government?

Opportunities have arisen for two Business Managers to join the Agriculture and Rural Economy (ARE) Directorate – one in the Rural Payments and Inspections Division (RPID) and the other in the Agriculture and Land Transitions (ALT) Division. These roles sit at the heart of divisional leadership providing essential business management support to ensure effective governance, planning and delivery. RPID and ALT play pivotal roles in supporting the rural economy with a shared mission to improve outcomes for Scotland’s people, environment and economy.

You will lead divisional business operations working closely with senior leaders to drive strategic planning, workforce and financial management and continuous improvement. Your objective will be to ensure robust support structures are in place enabling informed decision-making, operational resilience and alignment with corporate priorities.

• Lead divisional business operations ensuring strategic alignment and effective governance across corporate and delivery functions.
• Provide high-quality advice and support to Deputy Directors and SMTs enabling informed decision-making and operational resilience.
• Oversee workforce and financial planning ensuring compliance with budgetary frameworks and identifying opportunities for efficiency.
• Drive internal communications and engagement supporting staff wellbeing, learning and development and organisational improvement.
• Support the coordination of divisional responses to corporate commissions and reporting requirements ensuring deadlines are met and outputs are of high quality.

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:

• Connections and communication –
  Practitioner level
• Operational leadership and management –
  Practitioner level
• Data and insight –
  Practitioner level
• Delivery and decision making as speed –
  Practitioner level

You can find out more about the skills required Here

Relevant experience in business management – such as strategic planning, financial oversight, operational coordination or supporting senior leadership.

• Seeing the Big Picture –
  Level 3

Required Experience: Manager

Key

Skills:

Business Development, Sales Experience, Management Experience, Microsoft Outlook, Quick Books, Lawson, Banking, Business Management, Conflict Management, Strategic Planning, Leadership Experience, Negotiation

Employment Type: Full Time

Experience: years

Vacancy: 1

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.

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 an in-tray exercise
.

Assessments are scheduled for w/c 17 November 2025 however this may be subject to change.

Apply before 23:59 on 29 October. Post is open to internal candidates and Common Citizenship Organisations only.

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…