Planning and Data Project Officer

Job Description

The Improvement Service (IS) is a publicly funded company limited by guarantee, with a total annual budget in the region of £8 Million. We exist to support councils and their partners to improve the health, quality of life and opportunities of all Scottish people through community leadership, strong local governance and the delivery of high quality, efficient local services. 

Working for the IS means joining a small family of professionals, who work together to strive for continuous improvement in the public sector and ultimately, better outcomes for Scotland’s communities. 

Our company headquarters are based in West Lothian, located conveniently for commuters between Edinburgh and Glasgow. Pay is only one of the benefits of working for the IS, our terms and conditions are progressive and flexible and employees are rewarded with a generous annual leave entitlement of forty days per year as well as a flexible working policy. 

The IS is committed to promoting equality and diversity in all its activities to promote inclusive processes, practices and culture.

The IS is a Disability Confidence Committed Employer.  We are committed to interviewing anyone with a disability who meets the essential criteria.

An exciting opportunity has arisen with the Improvement Service for a Project Officer with a particular focus on supporting councils in their use of data and intelligence to drive service improvement and transformation.

We are now looking to recruit a pro-active and dynamic individual to join our Digital Public Services team, supporting the Digital Transformation of the planning system in Scotland, building upon the provision of data through the Improvement Service’s Spatial Hub. This includes a focus on planning data in a dynamic project environment, requiring an individual with technical data and organisational skills to participate in the maintenance, improvement and management of this data over 2 years, using the Spatial Hub and other digital data resources within a wider developing data ecosystem in collaboration with key stakeholders.

This unique role offers the chance to gain a wide range of experience in different areas, all of which support the delivery of change, and to develop a diverse skills portfolio building upon existing technical skills and experience in a high-profile policy environment.

The IS also invites applications from candidates who wish to be considered for the post on a secondment basis.

For more information about this role, download the full job description.

Requirements

Location: West Lothian Council Civic Centre, Howden South Road, Livingston, West Lothian, EH54 6FF

It is anticipated that the role will involve a blended model of office and home working. This flexible approach will be agreed between employee and line manager.

Occasional travel will be required across Scotland.

Duration: A 2-year contract is available for this post, with the possibility of extension beyond that period.  This position would be suitable as a secondment opportunity.

Hours: Standard working week is 36 hours Monday to Friday.  Hours can be worked flexibly in agreement with the Line Manager.

Closing Date: 11^th June 2023

Interview Information: A competence based interview will take place w/c 19^th June 2023 (shortlisted candidates will be advised by email in advance of the interview). 

For more information about competency-based interviews, see our 'Guide to Competency-based Interviews'. You may also find it useful to read our current Business Plan.