Director of Commercial Development, Forestry and Land Scotland

at  Scottish Government

JOB SUMMARY

Forestry & Land Scotland (FLS) is an agency of the Scottish Government (SG) responsible for managing Scotland’s national forests and land. This is an exciting time for FLS: we are on a journey of transforming our business to make it completely financially sustainable and ensure that FLS delivers its vision: forests and land that Scotland can be proud of.
We are currently seeking a visionary and strategically minded leader to join us as the Director of Commercial Development. This is a permanent, pensionable role at Senior Civil Service Level 1 (SCS1) with a salary range of £90,718 - £94,383. Location is flexible across Scotland; in-office attendance each week (usually 2 days) will be required, the exact pattern and location of which will be discussed with the successful candidate.
To succeed in this role, you will already be an outstanding commercially focussed leader, able to operate at strategic and operational levels. You will have a track record of delivering highly attractive commercial outcomes and leading multi-disciplinary teams.
Reporting directly to the Chief Executive, your primary objective will be to develop and execute a robust commercial strategy as we transition towards full financial sustainability. The successful candidate will spearhead initiatives to maximize the commercial potential of Scotland’s forests and lands while ensuring environmental stewardship and community engagement.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Key objectives will include:

• Developing and executing a robust commercial strategy aligned with FLS’ objectives, aiming to move towards a long-term sustainable financial model.
• Articulating a clear vision for the Directorate, ensuring alignment with customers, peers and stakeholder needs to deliver commercial activities which offer high margin returns
• Providing inspirational leadership to a team of c.60 people, instilling a clear delivery culture to provide excellent advice and services across the business and fostering a business-focused culture that seeks continuous improvement.
• Sharing collective corporate leadership of FLS as a member of the Strategic Board and Executive Leadership Team, driving commercial strategy in particular and contributing to wider business delivery, governance, corporate decision-making, and promoting health, safety and wellbeing.
• Driving a transformation in delivery of FLS’s c£85m programme of procurement of goods and services, and embedding the contribution of Procurement as a business enabler and improver including developing contractor/supplier resilience.
• Optimising the financial contribution of the estate through management of commercial contracts and agreements to deliver improved stable and longer-term net income lines.
• Leading on the expansion of the renewable energy portfolio (24/25 income of c £21M pa). This includes commercial negotiations on the £2.7Bn Coire Glas Pump Storage development to optimise returns for FLS.
• Managing Acquisition and Disposals strategy along with development opportunities to support FLS/Regions in achieving best value asset management and business sustainability, in particular disposals which help deliver agreed investment plans.
• Developing business capability to deliver short, medium and long-term income/benefits from commercial opportunities including carbon projects.
• Managing financial and non-financial resources to support commercial development projects whilst delivering key wider environmental net zero ambitions, including budget responsibility of c £4.5 million; contributing to the long-term financial sustainability of FLS through application of strategic priorities and identifying new and improved income and cost saving opportunities.

To find more information on this role, please read the Director of Commercial Development candidate pack.

NATIONALITY REQUIREMENTS

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Commercial
Senior leadership