The Scottish Land Commission is seeking to appoint an experienced communicator as Head of Communications and Corporate Services. This is an exciting opportunity to join the Scottish Land Commission in a senior leadership role to shape the way we communicate, engage and operate.

Scottish Land Commission

The ways we own and use land impact many parts of lives from the price and availability of housing, impacts of derelict sites in the heart of communities, meeting our climate targets or simply giving people the means and confidence to build businesses and functioning communities. The Scottish Land Commission stimulates fresh thinking in the ways we own and use land in Scotland. We are a public body, established by the Scottish Parliament in 2017, and our role is to advise on changes in policy and law, and to support good practice and change on the ground.

The Commission’s strategic plan 2020-23 sets out our three strategic objectives:

• Scotland’s land is owned and used in ways that are fair, responsible and productive
• More of Scotland’s people are able to influence and benefit from decisions about land
• The way we own and use Scotland’s land creates public value and economic wellbeing.

The Role

Reporting to the Chief Executive, the Head of Communications and Corporate Services will be a member of the Commission’s management team, working closely with the board and managing a team of staff to deliver effective communications and corporate functions. The post will lead a strategic approach to communications across the organisation, leading our communications and engagement with the public and stakeholder organisations.

The post will also oversee our corporate support functions, managing the corporate team to ensure good governance in our finance, audit and administration support. As a member of the management team, this person will work collaboratively to provide organisational leadership, shaping our culture and managing our delivery and performance.

Key Duties

• Lead and advise Commissioners on our communications strategy and approach to engagement, building the reputation and increasing the profile of the Commission and the role of land reform in contributing to Scotland’s ambitions.
• Lead delivery of the communications and organisational development programmes within our business plans.
• Lead and develop a creative approach to public and stakeholder engagement across the organisation that joins up our work and connects with a wide range of people.
• Lead the organisation’s commitment to continuous organisational improvement and development, including regular staff engagement, effective internal policies and ways of working.
• Responsible for the organisation’s commitment to staff wellbeing, support and training and development.
• As a part of the management team, co-ordinate the strategic planning, resourcing and reporting of workstreams to deliver our Strategic Plan.
• Build a strong reputation and profile for the Commission including representing the Commission regularly at a senior level with stakeholders, Scottish Government, Parliament, public meetings and events.
• Lead effective internal communications to support valuable staff engagement across the organisation.
• Oversee implementation of corporate governance and business systems, supporting the Audit & Risk Committee, internal and external auditors and the finance and data management.
• Hold delegated budget responsibility ensuring that expenditure is planned in accordance with the Commission’s budget requirements and procurement principles.

The Person

The successful candidate will hold a relevant degree or have equivalent professional experience. They will have experience of designing and delivering creative and effective communications with a proven ability to lead a strategic programme of public and stakeholder communications to deliver organisational impact. They must have experience of creative approaches to public and stakeholder engagement with a proven ability to articulate complex messages to a variety of audiences with exemplary written and verbal communication skills.

The candidate will have strong management skills and the proven ability to manage and empower a staff team. They will have the ability to work as part of a management team providing organisational leadership. They will have experience of business planning and budget management as well as a willingness to learn and take on new areas of responsibility and to travel to fulfil the requirements of the post.

The standard working week is a 5-day week, Monday to Friday, of 37 hours. Flexible working is available and both part-time and full-time applications are welcomed. The Commission expects to move to a 35 hour working week during the current financial year.

Applications are invited by application form which can be found on our website landcommission.gov.scot/work-for-us along with a detailed job description, privacy statement and equality statement.

Completed applications should be submitted to HR@landcommission.gov.scot prior to the closing date.

Closing date for applications is 5 pm on Wednesday 7th September.

Interviews will be held in Inverness on 23rd September 2022.