Temporary Corporate Governance Officer; Grade E2

Temporary Corporate Governance Officer (Grade E2)

Final date to receive applications: 8 March 2026

Department: Corporate Services

Employment Type: Fixed Term - Full Time

Location: Edinburgh - Hybrid

Reporting To: Senior Governance Officer

Compensation: Grade E2 from £39,579 to £46,611 salary per annum. Civil Service Pension. Flexible Working Hours. Hybrid Working.

SFC is seeking an experienced Corporate Governance Officer to deliver a comprehensive and professional secretariat service to an SFC Board Committee. Working with the Senior Governance Officer, the postholder will assist in the establishment of the new Apprenticeship Committee (and its sub-committees) and the development, coordination and maintenance of relevant governance processes and systems to ensure statutory and regulatory compliance.

The postholder will work with the Senior Governance officer and colleagues across SFC to establish the Committee (including activities such as supporting the work to appoint external members, organise an annual programme of meetings) and support the provision of a professional, confidential and high quality administrative and logistical support service to this statutory Committee (including activities such as agenda production and management, timely production of Committee papers, advanced minute-taking and follow-up of actions as required from meetings).

We expect that this role will end in February 2027.

• Working with the Senior Governance Officer and colleagues across SFC to establish the new Apprenticeship Committee (and its sub-Committees).
• Once established, provide high quality administrative and secretariat support to the Apprenticeship Committee (and its sub-committees), including planning meeting dates in alignment with other Committees and the Board, preparation and distribution of agendas and papers, effective minute-taking, booking of venues and catering.
• Monitor the drafting and formatting of Committee papers and ensure their timely dispatch to members.
• Maintain systems to support good governance and accountability, including the register of interests, gifts and hospitality, expenses, terms of office and freedom of information requests relating to relevant papers.
• Assist with the induction of new Committee members.
• Provision of detailed briefings for Committee Chairs and senior colleagues as appropriate.
• Development and maintenance of relevant corporate governance procedural documents in relation to the Committee.
• Provide support to the Deputy Director, Governance & Planning (Secretary to the Board) on relevant matters.

It is important through your expression of interest that you give evidence of proven experience of each of the following criteria:

• Experience in delivering an efficient and effective secretariat service to senior committees.
• Excellent understanding of the principles of good governance and good practice in supporting committees.
• Understanding of the political and governance context in the public sector.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, including experience of writing high quality minutes and reports and drafting briefing notes for senior executives.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, including the ability to build effective relationships and work collaboratively with senior leaders.
• Ability to prioritise tasks and time appropriately.
• Demonstrable political acuity and highly tuned emotional intelligence, coupled with a proven track record of implementing governance systems.
• Tact and diplomacy and the ability to deal with confidential matters with discretion.
• Excellent organisational and planning skills, including the ability to work calmly and at pace under pressure while maintaining attention to detail and the flexibility to manage a diverse range of priorities.
• Competent in the use of standard office IT packages such as Microsoft 365.

• Experience of establishing new Committees/groups/panels.

This role is subject to funding approval.

Following the successful passage of the Tertiary Education and Training (TET) Bill through the Scottish Parliament, work will now begin in earnest to facilitate the smooth transfer of the funding, development and delivery of national training programmes, including apprenticeships, from Skills Development Scotland (SDS) to the Scottish Funding Council (SFC).

This is a major change programme that will require significant resources to ensure the successful transition of staff and to ensure there is no disruption to learners, providers and employers. It will see SFC transform into a redesigned organisation, welcoming new colleagues from SDS. The redesigned organisation will have an expanded remit, including a new mission, new objectives, new culture and new values and we look forward to working collaboratively on this over the coming months.

As previously advised, the Scottish Government has committed additional funding to support a number of core roles to ensure the smooth…