At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead exciting heritage programmes and drive business improvements for a dynamic organisation.
- Company: Join Historic Environment Scotland, a leader in preserving our cultural heritage.
- Benefits: Enjoy a competitive salary, generous leave, and flexible working options.
- Other info: Embrace a diverse workplace with excellent career growth opportunities.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on heritage projects while developing your leadership skills.
- Qualifications: Strong project management experience and a passion for continuous improvement.
The predicted salary is between 44000 - 60000 £ per year.
Starting salary: £52150
Contract type: Fixed Term
Grade: 5
Location: Longmore House (with hybrid working)
Working Hours: Monday - Friday, 35 hours per week
Interviews: To be held in person at Longmore House, Edinburgh on Wednesday 15 April 2026.
As the Heritage Programme Manager and Business Improvement Lead you will be responsible for planning, delivering, and governing programmes that support our strategic plan while driving continuous improvement across processes, systems, and ways of working. You will provide leadership, structure, and assurance to ensure benefits are realised, performance is optimised and a culture of effective project management and business improvement is embedded in our work.
You will lead a digital improvement project and lead on strategic business improvements across our functions. You will also focus on strengthening how the Directorate plans project management and delivery across the Directorate ensuring our work remains high quality, efficient, future ready, and aligned with organisational priorities.
Benefits Of Joining Us At Historic Environment Scotland
- Enrolment onto a Civil Service Pension scheme 28% employer contribution
- 25 days annual leave, pro-rata (increasing to 30 days after 3 years) + 11.5 public holidays
- Reimbursement for relevant professional subscriptions
- Support for further education and personal development
- Study leave for work related courses
- Flexible working hours (where appropriate)
- Free entry to all of our properties (with up to three guests)
- Free entry to English Heritage, Manx and Cadw properties
Key Responsibilities Of This Role
As the successful candidate, you will work within the Heritage Policy and Engagement team to support the strategic delivery and continuous improvement of the Heritage Directorates operations by overseeing performance improvement, project governance, strategic planning, and business transformation initiatives. The role also provides leadership in aligning directorate objectives with corporate strategy and ensuring effective delivery of our services.
Key Duties And Responsibilities
Strategic Planning and Programme Management
- Lead the end-to-end delivery by colleagues of multi-disciplinary projects aligned to our priorities and lead the delivery of our digital improvements project with input from across our teams.
- Work closely with project managers across the Directorate to ensure that we have the right skills in the right places and embed project management skills and reporting cycles.
- Oversee our programmes and projects, ensuring effective programme plans, roadmaps, milestones, risk management, budget management, dependencies and governance structures are in place.
- Provide regular reporting to senior leadership, steering groups, and key stakeholders and develop and maintain systems for monitoring and reporting on our services.
- Work closely with project managers to monitor progress, ensure compliance with strategic objectives, and resolve delivery challenges.
- Use your expertise to deliver efficiencies and ways of working to increase capacity and outputs and ensure our projects deliver measurable benefits and positive outcomes.
Business Improvement and Transformation
- Lead the delivery of our programme of existing business improvement work by engaging and monitoring other teams to deliver their projects.
- Identify opportunities to streamline processes, reduce inefficiencies and improve service delivery.
- Lead lean/continuous improvement initiatives using recognised methods (Lean, Kaizen, Six Sigma).
- Analyse workflows and systems to recommend changes that enhance productivity.
- Support cultural change and promote a continuous improvement mindset across teams.
- Embed new processes and ensure improvements are measurable and sustained.
- Build and maintain trusted relationships across the Directorate to support programme delivery and change adoption by colleagues.
- Communicate progress, risks, and decisions clearly.
Strategic Planning
- Work with our Heritage Business Manager and Heritage Business Planning and Development Officer to support development of our Directorates strategic plans.
- Contribute to the strategic use of data and insights to inform heritage service delivery and resource allocation.
Performance Leadership, compliance and governance
- Deputise for the Head of Policy and Engagement when required.
- Line manage the Heritage Policy and Engagement Officer.
- Represent the Directorate in internal governance forums and working groups, including the Project Management Office Board.
- Provide direction to project managers and delivery teams.
- Mentor project management staff across the directorate and develop capability in programme management and improvement methodologies.
- Foster a positive, collaborative, and delivery focused team culture.
- Ensure business improvement initiatives comply with HESs legal, ethical, and environmental obligations.
- Ensure programmes and projects comply with organisational policy, procurement rules, and audit requirements.
- Monitor performance using benefits tracking and quality measures.
Key Requirements Of The Role
In order for you to be successful in this post, we will be looking for you to submit a cover letter which addresses how you can meet each of the essential and desirable criteria (in up to 1,200 words), using examples of where you have demonstrated these criteria previously. Please ensure that you provide real life examples for each of the criteria to be considered for this post. You can use examples of how you have met this criteria from your work life, home life, education or volunteer experience.
Essential
- Strong programme or project leadership experience with a proven track record of delivering multiple programmes and projects
- Experience leading business transformation and/or continuous improvement activity with expertise in business improvement methodologies (Lean, Six Sigma, or equivalent)
- Excellent analytical, problem solving, and process mapping skills
- Ability to lead change, influence colleagues and manage resistance
- Financial acumen and ability to manage budgets
- Excellent communication and presentation skills
- Strong organisation, prioritisation, and time management capability
- SCQF level 10 in a relevant subject
We are dedicated to building a workforce which is reflective of diversity within Scotland. We warmly welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds, regardless of age, race, gender or gender identity, religious beliefs, marital status, sexual orientation, disability, or neurodiversity. In support of our Gaelic Language Plan, we welcome applications from Gaelic speakers.
We want every candidate to have the best chance to succeed during the recruitment process. If you require your application in an alternative format, please reach out to us via email at or call our Head Office at and speak to a member of our People Team.
Please note that, at this time, we are unfortunately unable to provide sponsorship as part of the recruitment process, therefore you must have current right to work in the UK to be considered for a post.
Heritage Programme Manager and Business Improvement Lead in Edinburgh employer: Historic Environment Scotland
At Historic Environment Scotland, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer, offering a supportive work culture that values continuous improvement and professional development. With a generous benefits package including a Civil Service Pension scheme, flexible working hours, and opportunities for further education, our team members thrive in an environment that encourages collaboration and innovation, all while contributing to the preservation of Scotland's rich heritage from our beautiful Longmore House location in Edinburgh.
Contact Details:
Historic Environment Scotland Recruitment Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Heritage Programme Manager and Business Improvement Lead in Edinburgh
✨Tip Number 1
Get to know the company inside out! Research their heritage projects and business improvement initiatives. This will help you tailor your conversations during interviews and show that you're genuinely interested in what they do.
✨Tip Number 2
Network like a pro! Connect with current or former employees on LinkedIn. Ask them about their experiences and any tips they might have for the interview process. It’s all about making those connections!
✨Tip Number 3
Practice makes perfect! Prepare for common interview questions related to project management and business improvement. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your answers and highlight your achievements.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to follow up! After your interview, send a thank-you email to express your appreciation for the opportunity. It’s a great way to leave a lasting impression and keep you on their radar.
We think you need these skills to ace Heritage Programme Manager and Business Improvement Lead in Edinburgh
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Cover Letter:Make sure to customise your cover letter for the Heritage Programme Manager role. Highlight how your experience aligns with the key responsibilities and requirements mentioned in the job description. We want to see your personality shine through while showing us you understand what we’re looking for!
Use Real-Life Examples:When addressing the essential and desirable criteria, back up your claims with real-life examples. Whether it’s from work, education, or volunteering, we love to see how you’ve demonstrated your skills in action. This helps us picture you in the role!
Be Clear and Concise:Keep your application clear and to the point. We appreciate well-structured responses that are easy to read. Remember, you have a word limit of 1,200 words for your cover letter, so make every word count!
Apply Through Our Website:Don’t forget to submit your application through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets to us directly. Plus, you’ll find all the details you need about the role and our organisation there.
How to prepare for a job interview at Historic Environment Scotland
✨Know Your Programmes
Before the interview, dive deep into the programmes and projects that the organisation is currently running. Familiarise yourself with their strategic plan and think about how your experience aligns with their goals. This will help you demonstrate your understanding of their needs and how you can contribute.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
Be ready to discuss specific examples of your leadership experience in managing projects or programmes. Highlight instances where you've successfully led teams through change or improvement initiatives, especially using methodologies like Lean or Six Sigma. This will show them you have the right skills for the role.
✨Prepare for Scenario Questions
Expect questions that ask how you would handle specific challenges related to project management and business improvement. Think of scenarios where you've had to solve problems or manage resistance to change. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your answers clearly.
✨Communicate Clearly and Confidently
Effective communication is key for this role. Practice articulating your thoughts on complex topics in a straightforward manner. Be prepared to present your ideas on performance improvement and project governance, as clear communication will be crucial in leading teams and engaging stakeholders.
