Executive Director - People and Culture

Job Description

The Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS) plays a vital and visible role at the heart of Scotland's justice system. As an independent, national organisation, we are entrusted with supporting fair, efficient and accessible justice for the people of Scotland.

The Executive Director: People and Culture is a strategic Executive leader who role models our values and behaviours with responsibility for shaping and leading organisational strategy. They will work across organisational boundaries, driving change and efficiencies to translate our vision into clear common goals, building a kind and inclusive culture, where all employees can contribute and feel valued to enable sustainable delivery of justice, now and into the future.

As a core member of the Executive Team, the Executive Director: People and Culture is the principal adviser to the Chief Executive, Executive Team and People Committee on people, culture and organisational delivery and effectiveness.

This newly created role is an exciting opportunity as part of the Executive team to lead the people of SCTS through the next stages of reform, developing organisational design across SCTS, setting principles and governance for how the organisation is structured and led. The postholder will lead on building a clear and strong organisational culture. Through enhancing organisational development focused on empowered leadership and collaboration at all levels, you will build high performing teams working to the organisational values of service, excellence and respect.

The organisation is responding to rising user expectations, financial pressures, and the expanding role of digital technology. The Executive Director: People and Culture will partner with the Executive Team to lead our reform agenda to ensure that SCTS's people, structures and systems are aligned to strategic priorities, resilient to ongoing reform, and capable of delivering modern, sustainable and high-quality services in a complex and demanding environment.

Reporting and Governance

• Reports directly to the Chief Executive
• Member of the SCTS Executive Team
• Primary Executive lead for the People Committee of the SCTS Board
• Accountable for effective partnership working with PCS, our recognised trade union
• Provides strategic leadership of the People and Culture functions, integrating Human Resources and Education & Learning to deliver a cohesive, organisation-wide approach to workforce capability, development and cultural transformation

Responsibilities

• Lead and shape an inclusive, high-performing organisational culture, embedding SCTS values, accountability, collaboration, trust and leadership consistency across the organisation.
• Provide strategic leadership for people and workforce planning, ensuring people priorities align with business objectives, service delivery and financial planning.
• Direct organisational development and design, ensuring structures, roles and governance support effective decision-making, organisational effectiveness and future business needs.
• Oversee workforce capability and readiness, including workforce planning, succession planning, future skills development and digital capability to support reform and transformation.
• Lead organisational change and transformation programmes, ensuring the organisation is equipped to deliver continuous improvement, digital transformation and strategic reform.
• Provide executive oversight of the employee lifecycle, including recruitment, talent management, learning and development, performance, reward and succession planning.
• Champion equality, diversity, inclusion, wellbeing and employee engagement, ensuring SCTS remains a safe, respectful and inclusive workplace where employee voice informs decision-making.
• Maintain effective employee and stakeholder relations, leading engagement with recognised trade unions, public sector partners, Scottish Government and external stakeholders to support shared priorities.
• Ensure compliance and governance standards are met, overseeing adherence to employment legislation, public sector requirements and workforce-related risk management.
• Lead a high-performing People function and model values-driven leadership, fostering continuous improvement, accountability, professional excellence and the development of others across SCTS.