This is an exciting opportunity to shape and influence the development of a new public body: the Scottish Food Commission. It is expected that the Commission will be formally established by mid-2025.

The Scottish Food Commission is a new non-departmental public body that is to be established to provide an oversight role of provisions made in the Good Food Nation (Scotland) Act 2022.

As the first chair of the Scottish Food Commission, this appointment will play a crucial role in shaping the future and strategic direction of this new public body.

You will be actively involved in the recruitment of the chief executive, the first member of staff to the Scottish Food Commission, and in appointing the other members of the board.

You will work closely with the sponsor team and the chief executive, once in place, to enable the new public body to take on its statutory functions and full budgetary control once it is established.

Once the body is fully established you will be key in ensuring the Commission effectively fulfils its oversight role and provides constructive challenge, that is evidence based, to Scottish Ministers and relevant authorities in relation to their Good Food Nation Plans.

This is a high publicity role that will attract great interest from key stakeholders interested in the Scottish food system.

Remuneration and time commitment

The chair role is paid at a gross daily rate of £211 per day (7.5 hours).This role is non-pensionable. This means that there is no pension contribution paid.

We expect that the time commitment will change over the life of the body. While the body is being established and during the first months of operation more engagement will be needed – i.e. up to 80 days/year. During the establishment phase there may also be phases of increased activity.

It is likely that once the body is established the chair’s time commitment will decrease to approximately 50 days/year.

The chair’s time commitment will be reviewed on a regular basis.

Skills/Experience Required

Scottish Ministers welcome applications from people from a wide range of backgrounds who have the following

skills/knowledge/experience:

All of the following priority criteria:

• Experience of setting up a new organisation, and setting the direction for that organisation
• Experience of navigating a complex policymaking landscape, including communicating with a range of stakeholders
• Leadership and Management

All of the following essential criteria:

• Analysis and Decision-making
• Seeing the bigger picture
• Communication, influence and constructive challenge
• Understanding of the complexity of the food system

Turning Point Scotland is a national social care charity who promote evidence based practice. We provide services in Alcohol and Other Drugs, Learning Disabilities, Mental Health, Justice and Homeless/Prevention.

This is a rare and exciting opportunity to join Scotland’s leading social care organisation in a key strategic role.

About the role

As our Head of Services North East, you will provide operational and strategic leadership with overall responsibility for our services across the North East of Scotland. To achieve this, you will build effective partnerships both internally and externally with stakeholders in delivering our Turning Point Scotland Strategic plan. Your role will include:-

• Direct line management and supervision of Service Managers
• Develop and grow relationships with local partners and commissioners in delivering high quality services for the people we support
• Contribute to tendering, retendering and framework opportunities
• Ensure that all operational systems, policies and procedures are fully implemented, and best practice is maintained
• Work in partnership with Director of Operations, Director of Finance, Director of BDI to ensure the sound and efficient financial management of all services
• Audit and manage significant budgets including making tough decisions regarding budget savings, restructuring or reallocating resources

About You

You will have experience of working at senior management level within the Social Care sector, with the ability to demonstrate leadership characteristics of: vision, creativity and innovation, self-leadership, collaborating and inspiring and empowering your management team.

With your Leadership abilities you will provide management and supervision to your Service Managers. Utilising your knowledge and experience of working within the Social Care Sector from either Homelessness, Alcohol & Other Drugs, Learning Disabilities, Justice and Mental Health.