Job Description
Are you highly organised, ambitious and looking to grow your skills in a dynamic area during a period of transformational change?
This is an exciting opportunity to join the Office of the Chief Social Work Adviser at a time when we are in the process of developing and transitioning into a National Social Work Agency, which will be established in April 2026.
This is a great opportunity to support the Chief Social Work Adviser and her team on extremely high Ministerial priority areas.
The Business Support Officer is a key member of the Business Management Unit (BMU) to provide strategic organisational support to the Chief Social Work Adviser, Deputy Chief Social Work Adviser and Unit Heads, including managing the dairy and inbox for the Chief Social Work Adviser. The workload will be varied and, at times, extremely busy with lots of opportunities for growth and development through exposure to a wide variety of work.
You will play a key role in the BMU leading on a large number of financial and administration tasks, including the role of Budget Centre Liaison Officer (BCLO) and Information Management Support Officer (IMSO) for the division. You will have a key role in overseeing the Division’s budget and ensuring that financial processes are adhered to whilst managing the ongoing budget monitoring of the grants administered by the division. You will help to coordinate correspondence tasks including FOIs, PQs, and MiCases. You will support both the Chief Social Work Adviser and her Deputy Chief Social Work Adviser in meetings when required and support the wider division with a wide range of tasks and asks.
Responsibilities
Work autonomously to manage incoming emails to the Chief Social Work Adviser’s mailbox, including filtering, processing, and prioritising incoming and outgoing correspondence and identifying items for the attention of the broader team.
Work autonomously to manage the diary of the Chief Social Work Officer and Deputy CSWO, ensuring that diary clashes are avoided and that their time is managed to maximise their capacity.
Divisional BCLO responsibility, working closely with the Unit Head to allocate and monitor spend throughout the financial year. This will include management of the division’s programme and operating budget, oversight of the numerous grants managed within the division and acting as the central point of contact for financial processes.
Lead on various financial and administration tasks. In particular, ensuring that all divisional payments are processed in a timely manner.
Coordinating the recruitment and contracts of our Professional Social Work Adviser (PSWA) secondees and ensuring all paperwork is kept up to date and a plan is place to ensure post are extended or replaced when required.
Provide ad hoc support to the division by producing high quality meeting notes, briefings and submissions across all aspects of the division’s policy aims when required.
Management of the OCSWA mailbox, ensuring that corporate asks FOIs, PQs, MiCases etc are distributed and monitored, ensuring that the deadlines are clear and met.
Success Profile
Success profiles are specific to each job and they include the mix of skills, experience and behaviours candidates will be assessed on.Technical / Professional Skills:
Adaptability to change - Working level.
You can find out more about the skills required here
Behaviours:
Making Effective Decisions – Level 2
Working Together – Level 2
Delivering at Pace – Level 2
You can find out more about Success Profiles Behaviours, here: Behaviour levels - Success profiles: candidate guide - gov.scot
How to apply
About us
The Scottish Government is the devolved government for Scotland. We have responsibility for a wide range of key policy areas including: education, health, the economy, justice, housing and transport. We offer rewarding careers and employ people across Scotland in a wide range of professions and roles.
Our staff are part of the UK Civil Service, working for Ministers and senior stakeholders to deliver vital public services which improve the lives of the people of Scotland.
We offer a supportive and inclusive working environment along with a wide range of employee benefits. Find out more about what we offer.
As part of the UK Civil Service, we uphold the Civil Service Nationality Rules.
Working pattern
Our standard hours are 35 hours per week and we offer a range of flexible working options depending on the needs of the role. From October 2025, the Scottish Government will require staff in hybrid-compatible roles to work in-person 40% of the time, either in an office or other agreed work location. If you have specific questions about the role you are applying for, please contact us.
Security checks
Successful candidates must complete the Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS), before they can be appointed. BPSS is comprised of four main pre-employment checks – Identity, Right to work, Employment History and a Criminal Record check (unspent convictions).
You can find out more about BPSS on the UK Government website, or read about the different levels of security checks in our Candidate Guide.
Equality statement
We are committed to equality and inclusion and we aim to recruit a diverse workforce that reflects the population of our nation.
Find out more about our commitment to diversity and how we offer and support recruitment adjustments for anyone who needs them.
Further information
Find out more about our organisation, what we offer staff members and how to apply on our Careers Website.
Read our Candidate Guide for further information on our recruitment and application processes.
Apply before 23:59 on 9 September 2025.
This post is open to internal candidates and Common Citizenship Organisations only.