Head of Strategic Growth Policy Scotland

Job summary

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is the department for economic growth. We support businesses to invest, grow and export, creating jobs and opportunities across the country. We operate in an increasingly dynamic international environment, with a range of forces rapidly reshaping the global economy. To meet this challenge, the Government launched a new Modern Industrial Strategy in June 2025.

The Local and International Growth directorate within DBT supports economic growth across the UK by strengthening places, enabling businesses, and connecting local economies to national and international opportunity driving jobs, higher living standards and inclusive growth.

We do that by providing local policy insight and influence to shape growth policy, drive big bet interventions to support business growth in each area, collaborate with local partners to deliver growth outcomes, and connect DBTs international network to unlock global growth opportunities for businesses across UK.

Within the directorate, the Local Growth Policy Team performs a critical role in driving forward DBTs strategic approach to local growth policy. It is a linchpin team, acting as the strategic hub for local growth policy in DBT, working closely with our place-based teams.

The Head of Strategic Growth Policy for Scotland will play a vital role in drawing together UK Governmental policies and translating that into a Scottish economic context to drive economic growth. The successful candidate will engage with key Scottish stakeholders (Local Authorities, Enterprise Agencies, Scottish Government and Regional Economic Partnerships), working with colleagues to shape and articulate UK Government and DBT policy. This role will work closely with sector/investment leads in DBT Scotland to support the implementation of key strategies (Industrial Strategy, Trade Strategy and Small Business Plan) to drive economic growth in Scotland.

 1. Provide Local Insight for Government Growth Policy 

• Develop a deep understanding of the local business environment - identifying opportunities for sustainable growth including domestic initiatives, high value export/scale-up potential, and investment

• Provide strategic insight for local growth overall, particularly in relation to the Industrial Strategy and the eight high growth sectors identified, working with DBT nations sector leads. Influence HMG, devolved governments, and regional policy, drawing on local intelligence and international best practice

• Lead DBT nations teams engagement with the Growth Mission Fund, including project development, evaluation, and coordination with devolved governments and local authorities

2. Promote Local Business Growth Opportunities

• Drive focused activity to ensure high-growth potential businesses in Scotland to access DBT support, e.g. through the target operating model for exports, wider support for scale-ups, other high-value interventions

3. Collaborate with Local Growth Partners 

• Alongside the Deputy Director and Head of Team, lead strategic engagement with business representative organisations across Scotland. Advocate DBT policies and business support services to enhance visibility, reputation, and uptake in the nations

• Build trusted relationships with devolved governments and other local delivery partners to enable coordinated growth efforts

• Facilitate impactful engagement by DBT, including through the delivery of high-profile visit programmes 

4. Support Delivery and Integration of DBT International Network 

• Collaborate with Offices for Nations and the FCDO to raise awareness of UKGs domestic growth objectives and overall growth opportunities in Scotland, ensuring complementarity and shared impact, including the Brand Scotland initiatives. 

Essential

The below criteria are essential and will be assessed at application stage;

• Strong strategic thinking and policy development skills. 

• Proven ability to build and manage relationships with senior stakeholders across government and industry

• Commercial awareness and understanding of investment and trade dynamics

 Desirable 

The below criteria are desirable only. These will not be assessed throughout the recruitment process, but will be used in the event of tied scores between candidates;

• Excellent stakeholder engagement, influencing and management skills to a wide audience

• Excellent written and oral communication skills