Head of Digital Services

Head of Digital Services

£65,343 – £72,720

35 hours per week

Permanent/Secondment opportunity (2 years)

Dundee

Closing date: 8.00am on Monday 15 June 2026

About the role

The Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) is looking for an experienced and forward thinking Head of Digital Services to provide strategic leadership for our digital and technology function at a time of continued organisational and sectoral change.

This is a leadership role with real influence. You’ll set direction, make priorities clear, and ensure our digital services work well for the people who rely on them. That includes social service workers, employers, students and our own staff.

You don’t need to be a “tech evangelist”. We’re interested in someone who understands digital well, can work with specialists, and can translate technical choices into clear benefits for the organisation and the public.

Reporting to the Director of Strategy & Business Services, the Head of Digital Services will lead a multidisciplinary digital services team and play a key role within the SSSC’s leadership landscape. The role combines strategic leadership with strong governance and assurance, overseeing digital delivery, cyber security, data protection, business continuity and risk management. You will operate at both strategic and operational levels, providing expert advice, clear leadership and assurance to senior stakeholders and governance groups, while fostering a culture of continuous improvement, collaboration and innovation across the organisation.

What you need to succeed

We’re seeking a collaborative and strategic leader with:

• Significant senior level experience leading digital services, IT, or technology functions within a complex organisation.
• A strong track record of developing and delivering digital strategies and leading digital change or transformation.
• Experience of operating within robust governance, assurance and risk management frameworks.
• A strong understanding of cyber security, data protection, business continuity and digital resilience.
• Proven people leadership skills, with experience of leading and developing multidisciplinary teams.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills, with experience of working with senior leaders, boards and external stakeholders.

Experience of working in the public sector, regulatory environments or delivering user centred digital services would be advantageous.

The starting salary for this post is negotiable.

About the SSSC

We are the regulator for the social work, social care and children and young people workforce in Scotland.

Read more about us on our website.

Why work for us?

We are an ambitious, enthusiastic and supportive organisation. With around 300 employees, you can really make an impact here. We offer a generous salary, flexible working arrangements, a full range of benefits, local government pension scheme and up to 43 days holiday (dependent on service).

Read more about our benefits on our website.

Our office is based in Dundee, and we offer a flexible, agile working approach that combines remote working with time in the office. We value the benefits of in-person collaboration and working together, so while most roles allow flexibility, we ask colleagues to attend the office occasionally for key activities such as meetings, training, and team events and other occasions. We’re happy to discuss how this works in practice for each role.

We’re an equal opportunity employer

We are committed to creating an inclusive and supportive workplace where everyone can thrive. We value diversity and encourage applications from all backgrounds.

We are proud to be a Level 3 Disability Confident Leader and offer a Guaranteed Interview Scheme for candidates who identify as having a disability and for individuals who are Care Experienced, where they meet the essential criteria for the role.

We’re happy to discuss reasonable adjustments at any stage of the recruitment process. Email our recruitment team and we’ll be in touch.

Find more information about our Guaranteed Interview Schemes on our website.

Ready to apply?

You’ll find more information in the job profile and person specification.

For an informal chat about the role, please contact Laura Shepherd, Director of Strategy and Business Services, at the email on our website arrange a time.

To apply, please complete the online application by 8.00am on Monday 15th June 2026. We expect to hold interviews in the week commencing 22 June 2026 at our office in Dundee.

Using AI tools in applications

Please note that you are welcome to use AI tools to support the preparation of your application; however, your submission must accurately reflect your own skills and experience. If you have used AI at any stage, please disclose this in your application. Where you reach the interview stage, your skills, knowledge, and experience will be assessed during the process. For further details, please refer to our Guidance on Using AI.

Please note, we will retain your application for 12 months so that we may consider you for similar posts. If you’re interested in other roles at the SSSC, or if a similar post is re-advertised and you wish to submit an updated application, please continue to apply as normal.