Are you a built environment professional and enthusiastic about sustainability, equality, and the use of new digital technologies in construction? Are you interested in helping public sector bodies to understand their role in achieving value for money from their major construction projects?
If so, you might be interested in our B3 Senior Construction Procurement Adviser post, which focusses on sustainability, Fair Work, and the use of digital technology in construction This post sits within the Construction Procurement Policy Unit in the Property and Construction Division of the Scottish Procurement & Property Directorate. The purpose of the Unit is to build capable procurement and sustainable construction in Scotland: facilitating, supporting, and promoting good practice by collaborating with stakeholders.
The profile of the construction sector in Scotland has rarely been as high, in both public and Ministerial terms. The Property and Construction Division leads, enables, and delivers the best public sector property and Construction Procurement Policy for Scotland, improving the work of property and procurement professionals and the stewardship of Scottish Ministers’ built assets to deliver social and economic outcomes aligned to Scotland’s National Performance Framework. The Division’s work is varied, fast-paced and high profile, and involves regular contact with Ministers and senior stakeholders.
The Unit is responsible for the Scottish Government’s Construction Procurement Policy and its supporting guidance, the Client Guide to Construction projects, which assist public sector contracting authorities embed value for money into their procedures for delivering our national infrastructure. Unit members also publish Construction Policy Notes and promote the use of the Construction Capability Assessment Tool.
The Unit’s remit extends over the whole life of a construction project. Key topics include sustainability, Fair Work, Quality, assurance, climate change, digital technologies, the Civils Framework, construction procurement and payment practices, including Project Bank Accounts.
Unit members have an extensive network that spans Scotland, the rest of the UK and overseas. They regularly collaborate with other built environment specialists, clients, and industry in various Working Groups to help embed Scottish Government’s Construction Procurement Policy. This includes the delivery of the Scottish Construction Accord’s Transformation Action Plan to facilitate effective working between Government and industry to benefit Scotland's economy, society, and environment.
We are a small team of built environment and policy professionals, comprising a C3 Head of Construction Procurement Policy Unit (a civil engineer), three C1 Principal Construction Advisors (a quantity surveyor, a civil engineer and an architect to whom you will report), a C1 Principal Construction Adviser (0.5 FTE), this vacant B3 Senior Construction Procurement Adviser and a B2 Senior Policy Officer (0.5 FTE). The successful candidate will manage the B2 Senior Policy Officer.
This varied role is ideal for a built environment professional seeking to move into policy or develop existing policy skills and establish contacts within and outside the Scottish Government.
The post holder will support Ministers and work with a range of colleagues to develop, disseminate, and embed the Scottish Government’s Construction Procurement Policy, as set out in the Client Guide to Construction Projects.
Pay Supplement
This post may attract a £3,250 pay supplement p.a. payable from the date of appointment for eligible candidates. Pay supplements are temporary payments designed to address recruitment and retention issues caused by market pressures and are subject to regular review.
• Leading and supporting the implementation and delivery of several construction procurement policy initiatives and projects across the whole life cycle, ensuring these align with Scottish Government’s Construction Procurement Policy and industry’s best practice. This will include reviewing and updating, as required, sustainable construction procurement, Fair Work, and the use of digital technologies guidance in our Client Guide to Construction Projects.
• Overseeing the development and application of a range of existing and emerging infrastructure digital technologies, including Building Information Modelling to improve the efficiency and accuracy of the delivery of construction and infrastructure projects and programmes.
• Developing positive and effective relationships with key (internal and external) cross – sector partners and stakeholders to build credibility, ensuring Construction Procurement Policy is focused and sustainable. This will include industry, policy, and professional bodies particularly in relation to sustainable construction procurement and Fair Work in construction.
• Providing professional advice and support to Ministers, Senior Civil Servants, and colleagues at meetings on a range of construction procurement policy initiatives that support improvement in the performance, competency, capability, and culture of the built environment community.
• Representing the Construction Procurement Policy Unit at cross-portfolio Directors’ meetings, Ministerial portfolio meetings, cross-partner and other senior level meetings and working groups, providing advice and direction on a regular basis. For example, participating in the Construction Leadership Forum’s Net Zero working group and the Fair Work Working Group and in the Scottish Construction Accord’s Transformation Action Plan’s Working Group for Sustainability.
• Maximising the effective use of data, ensuring that the impact of learning is measured to identify most appropriate methods of delivery to improve operational efficiency.
• Managing the Senior Policy Officer, including overseeing the drafting and handling of briefing, FOI responses and correspondence work.
Competencies
Communications and Engagement
Self-Awareness
Analysis and Use of Evidence
Improving Performance
You must hold a degree level qualification in built environment and current membership of a relevant professional body together with up-to-date relevant CPD. Other qualifications equivalent to these may also be acceptable, if you are in any doubt please discuss with Fiona Munn or Graham Porteous; contact details are provided below.
Essential Criteria
1. Full corporate membership of the RIAS, RIBA, RICS and/or ICE and compliant CPD, or equivalent and extensive knowledge of current construction/infrastructure processes, such as contract management, tendering processes.
2. Ability to work under own initiative, responding to competing demands to prioritise and manage a varied workload to meet deadlines with a history of basing decisions and actions on analysis of evidence drawn from a range of sources, while recognising wider policy and political implications.
3. Excellent people skills and the ability to develop effective working relationships with a wide variety of stakeholders and communicate simply and succinctly, describing complex issues, both orally and in writing, at all levels.
4. Ability to lead the design, development, delivery, and evaluation of flexible and innovative projects that engage partners and stakeholders and positively impact on the Scottish Government’s Construction Procurement Policy.
Location
This post is based in Victoria Quay, Edinburgh with hybrid working in line with current policies. You will also be required to travel to other Scottish Government and partner’s buildings and sites.
Provisional Dates for Sift
TBC
Minimum Time in Post
You will be expected to remain in post for a minimum of three years unless successful at gaining promotion to a higher Band or Grade.
How to Apply
For further information on this vacancy please download and review the “Person Specification" which you will find below.
To apply, you must fully complete and submit an online application via this website before the closing date using evidence based examples to demonstrate your knowledge/skills (300 words). Remember, your answers should be clear, concise and reflect what actions you undertook. You may want to use the STAR(R) approach to respond to each criterion.
Additional Information
Scottish Government is preparing for the implementation of a new HR and Finance platform and, as a result, some job offers will be subject to an October 2024 start date at the earliest. This will be confirmed as your application progresses.
In the event that further posts are required, a reserve list of successful candidates will be kept for up to 12 months.
For further information on this vacancy, please contact Fiona Munn at fiona.munn@gov.scot or Graham Porteous at graham.porteous@gov.scot
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