Director General Health & Social Care and Chief Executive NHS Scotland

The Director General Health & Social Care and Chief Executive, NHS Scotland post is the most significant, high profile and influential leadership role in the Scottish public health sector. This is an outstanding opportunity to join the top leadership team of the Scottish Government (SG) and lead a core public service through a reform programme focused on improving outcomes for people and ensuring sustainability of services.

This is a unique and highly visible role, with regular Ministerial contact and a high external profile providing strategic direction, ensuring delivery of key priorities and driving reform, performance, efficiency and value for money. You will be a champion for the culture, values and behaviours of the health and care system.

You will be the SG’s principal policy adviser on Health and Social Care supporting the Cabinet Secretary for Health and other Ministers. Your key responsibility will be the delivery of the Cabinet Secretary’s priorities across a complex adaptive system. Affecting change in this system requires collaborative working and a commitment to fostering positive relationships. You will work with others to protect, sustain and enhance the health of the population in the context of the Public Services Reform Strategy, the Population Health Strategy, and the Service Renewal Strategy.

• Lead Director General (DG) for prevention and Chair of the Reform Executive, overseeing the development and implementation of the Health & Social Care Reform portfolio and its contribution to Public Service Reform.
• Advise and assist Ministers to deliver ambitions against the Public Service Reform Strategy, the Population Health Framework and the Service Renewal Framework for Health and Social Care (HSC), ensuring improved performance and system sustainability.
• Provide strategic direction to NHS Scotland, driving reform, improved performance, efficiency and value for money in the delivery of sustainable high-quality services.
• Work with system leaders across health and social care to deliver large-scale reform which enhances outcomes and the quality of the user experience whilst ensuring sustained performance and productivity.
• Ensure NHS Scotland and the broader health and social care system has appropriate governance structures and arrangements to drive forward reform, quality improvement, performance and accountability.
• Play a leading and collegiate role as part of the Executive Team and Corporate Board to cut through silos and organisational boundaries in developing and aligning resources in support of SG priorities.
• Role model for the ambition and values of the SG and NHS Scotland reinforcing and supporting a diverse and inclusive culture shaped by continuous improvement and the drive for excellence.

It is essential that you can provide evidence in your application of the professional experience and skills required for this role. Candidates applying for roles with the government agencies and public bodies in Scotland are assessed in line with the Success Profiles framework used across the Civil Service, and will be expected to evidence behaviours at the level required for this Senior Civil Service role.

• Significant senior leadership experience at Executive or Board level within large, complex organisations, ideally in health, social care, or similarly regulated sectors with political accountability.
• Comprehensive experience of driving delivery across whole systems, using collaborative approaches that integrate partners, stakeholders and services to effectively address challenges such as public health.
• Proven expertise in overseeing substantial revenue and capital budgets, supported by strong corporate governance and financial stewardship.
• Demonstrated success in delivering measurable outcomes across multiple functions through effective partnership working and stakeholder engagement.
• Strong track record of achieving strategic objectives while cultivating a high-performance culture that drives continuous improvement and system-wide transformation.

• Leadership (Level 6)
• Seeing the big picture (Level 6)
• Managing a quality service (Level 6)
• Changing and improving (Level 6)
• Communicating and influencing (Level 6)

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• Flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97% and member contributions of £8.05%

The standard hours are 37 hours per week with a range of flexible working options. Staff in hybrid-compatible roles should aim to work in-person 40% of the time, either in an office or other agreed work location.

Successful candidates, if new to the Civil Service, must complete the Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) before appointment. National security vetting to Developed Vetting level is required as a condition of appointment.

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

Apply before Sunday 12 July 2026 at 23:55