Director of Forensic Services

The Director of Forensic Services is a critical role within the Authority’s senior leadership team. You will be responsible for the strategic direction and performance of Forensic Services, reporting directly to the Board of the Scottish Police Authority (SPA). Your line manager will be the Chair of the SPA Board.

You will lead SPA Forensic Services in Scotland, a world-leading national crime-scene-to-court organisation of more than 500 staff. Forensic Services is the largest public sector forensic organisation and among the largest forensic organisations in the UK.

You will be committed to scientific excellence and be responsible for providing independent, impartial specialist forensic services to Police Scotland, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, and the Police Investigation and Review Commission. The majority of the work of SPA Forensic Services has been accredited by United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) for more than 20 years.

A yearly review of Forensic Services strategic performance is published as part of the SPA’s Annual Review and laid before Parliament.

You will have responsibility for appropriate reporting to the Forensic Services Committee (FSC) and engagement with its members, who are all members of the SPA Board and will represent Forensic Services in Scotland across strategic platforms in the UK and Internationally.

You will lead day-to-day operational activity in line with the organisation’s objectives and business plan and always aligned with the Forensic Services’ values of Integrity, Professionalism, and Impartiality and be the Senior Responsible Officer for the delivery of the organisation’s strategic outcomes managing a revenue budget of circa £30m and to lead on a capital investment and replacement programme

You will be required to ensure appropriate relationships and engagement with Forensics Services’ key partners and stakeholders – as well as Forensic Science bodies and academia, this will include the Scottish Government, Scottish Parliament and its Committees, and other justice and public and private sector organisations.