Senior Accessibility Specialist in Edinburgh

Are you passionate about making government services accessible for everyone? Join us as Senior Accessibility Specialist and lead the way in inclusive design.

Corporate Operations Directorate, part of the DG Corporate family, leads efforts to enable Scottish Government to operate more effectively and efficiently, supporting both internal teams and shared service customers. Our critical technologies and services underpin operations across government, with a focus on digital transformation, automation and shared services.

This role sits within the Analysis and Design Team, a multidisciplinary group of professionals focused on improving corporate shared services through user-centred design, data-driven insights and collaborative problem-solving. As Senior Accessibility Specialist you will support the continuous improvement of corporate shared services, as well as working across a change portfolio designed to transform how we work in government.

This role will report directly to the Head of User Centred Design in Corporate Architecture and offers an opportunity to take the lead in assuring and delivering accessible corporate products and services. You will bring knowledge of established and emerging best practice in accessibility. You will credibly work with suppliers, senior leaders and staff networks to continually improve accessibility for corporate users. Your people skills will be required as you influence, question, coach and facilitate stakeholders, service users and citizens, designers, researchers, and cross-functional teams in valuing accessibility as a key component of digital service delivery.

This is an exciting opportunity to be involved in shaping the early stages of the transformation agenda, ensuring that we balance the needs of users and the business, across a complex stakeholder landscape covering Scottish Government and customer organisations.

As Accessibility Specialist Lead you will plan and lead accessibility activities across teams, align and prioritise accessibility activities with strategic goals, and build accessibility practices into new and existing teams. You will champion and promote accessibility and inclusive design across Scottish Government digital activities. You will supervise and mentor other accessibility specialists and promote accessibility awareness in the broader user-centred design team to assure research quality in line with digital service standards.

• Lead on accessibility strategy and implementation ensuring compliance with relevant legislation.
• Work with people at a range of role levels to embed accessibility into the output of teams.
• Engage with teams across different levels and capabilities to embed accessibility into delivery.
• Coach and mentor more junior colleagues input into accessibility strategy with business areas or teams.
• Create and deliver accessibility training.
• Lead governance and assurance for accessibility by identifying and managing risks, supporting procurement and supplier assessments, evaluating third-party tools for compliance, and working with suppliers to resolve issues and drive improvements for users.
• Manage testing activities within development or integration activities.
• Potentially manage or lead individuals or sub-teams.
• Engage with and contribute to the cross-government accessibility specialist community.

Success profiles are specific to each job and they include the mix of skills, experience and behaviours candidates will be assessed on.

This role is aligned to the Accessibility Specialist role within the User centred design job family. You can find out more about the skills required: Accessibility specialist - Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework. These skills are assessed by technical assessment, designed to represent the role. Candidates reaching this stage will receive a Technical Assessment Candidate Pack which outlines the specific skills to be assessed, plus the method of assessment.

You have an expert-level understanding of accessibility standards and legislation (e.g. WCAG 2.2, Equalities Act 2010) and are proficient in using assistive technologies to perform detailed audits of products and services, and provide actionable recommendations.

You have a strong track record in managing accessibility testing on large and/or high profile projects, identifying, challenging and mitigating risks to compliance, and providing inclusive and accessible services.

• Seeing the big picture - Level 4
• Developing self and others - Level 4
• Delivering at pace - Level 4

You can find out more about Success Profiles here: Success profiles: candidate guide.

Apply online, providing a CV and Supporting Statement (of no more than 1000 words) which provides evidence of how you meet the skills, experience and behaviours listed in the Success Profile above.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools can be used to support your application, but all statements and examples provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, and presented as your own) applications will be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.

Please see our candidate guidance for more information on acceptable and unacceptable uses of AI in recruitment.

If invited for further assessment, this will consist of an interview and (DDAT Assessment). Assessments are scheduled for w/c (8th December) however this may be subject to change.

About us The Scottish Government is the devolved government for Scotland. We have responsibility for a wide range of key policy areas including: education, health, the economy, justice, housing and transport. We offer rewarding careers and employ people across Scotland in a wide range of professions and roles. Our staff are part of the UK Civil Service, working for Ministers and senior stakeholders to deliver vital public services which improve the lives of the people of Scotland.

We offer a supportive and inclusive working environment along with a wide range of employee benefits. Find out more about what we offer.

As part of the UK Civil Service, we uphold the Civil Service Nationality Rules.

Our standard hours are 35 hours per week and we offer a range of flexible working options depending on the needs of the role. From October 2025, the Scottish Government will require staff in hybrid-compatible roles to work in-person 40% of the time, either in an office or other agreed work location. If you have specific questions about the role you are applying for, please contact us.

Successful candidates must complete the Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS), before they can be appointed. BPSS is comprised of four main pre-employment checks – Identity, Right to work, Employment History and a Criminal Record check (unspent convictions).

You can find out more about BPSS on the UK Government website, or read about the different levels of security checks in our Candidate Guide.

We are committed to equality and inclusion and we aim to recruit a diverse workforce that reflects the population of our nation.

Find out more about our commitment to diversity and how we offer and support recruitment adjustments for anyone who needs them.

Find out more about our organisation, what we offer staff members and how to apply on our Careers Website. Read our Candidate Guide for further information on our recruitment and application processes.