Skills Investment Adviser
If you require this advert in another format, please contact recruitment@sds.co.uk or call 0300 013 5119.
About Us
At Skills Development Scotland, we're committed to helping people develop the skills they need to succeed. You'll join our National Training Programmes (NTP) Operations team, working at the heart of Foundation and Modern Apprenticeships and other national training initiatives.
Working with learning providers, employers and apprentices across Scotland, you'll play a key role in helping people develop skills, gain qualifications and progress into successful careers through Foundation and Modern Apprenticeships.
Be part of something bigger — build skills, change lives!
What You’ll Be Doing
As a Skills Investment Adviser, you’ll manage a portfolio of Foundation and Modern Apprenticeship contracts, working in partnership with learning providers to support high-quality delivery and continuous improvement.
You'll analyse performance information, review outcomes, gather feedback from employers and apprentices and use evidence-based insight to support providers in achieving strong results. Through constructive challenge and collaborative working, you'll help drive improvements that enhance the learner experience and programme performance.
Building strong relationships will be central to the role.
You'll work with colleagues, learning providers, employers and other stakeholders across Scotland, contributing to activities such as quality reviews, procurement exercises, complaints handling and Scottish Apprenticeship Week.
What We’re Looking For
You’ll bring experience
in contract, account or project management, together with strong planning and organisational skills and the ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.
A confident communicator, you'll be comfortable building relationships with a wide range of stakeholders, using influence, collaboration and constructive challenge to support improvement and achieve positive outcomes. Experience of working with organisations to deliver services and using management information and reports to inform decisions is essential.
You'll have a strong eye for detail and be confident recording information accurately, analysing performance data and producing clear written reports and feedback for contractors and senior stakeholders to agreed deadlines.
About SDS
Skills Development Scotland (SDS) is Scotland’s national skills agency, focused on driving productivity and inclusive economic growth by investing in skills and supporting people and businesses to reach their full potential. Through deep partnership working, expert insights and innovative solutions, SDS helps address Scotland’s skills and labour‑market challenges, ensuring employers can access the talent they need while individuals gain opportunities to develop and thrive. SDS is guided by strong organisational values, placing customers at the heart of everything it does and fostering a culture of collaboration, continuous improvement and respect.
Our Values
Our organisational values are created by our colleagues and are the compass that guide our behaviours and actions with our customers and each other. We need our future colleagues to share these values and help us to continue to deliver our bold ambitions for the future;
- We put the needs of our customers at the heart of all we do
- We make use of our combined strengths and expertise to deliver the best outcomes
- We demonstrate self-motivation, personal responsibility, and respect
- We continually improve to achieve excellence
Why You’ll Love Working Here
SDS is an award-winning, equal opportunities and fair work employer where our culture is driven by our people. The values we share guide how we support our customers—the people of Scotland—and how we support one another. With progressive benefits, flexible ways of working, and a strong focus on wellbeing, engagement, and development, we’re proud to be a great place to work.
Where You’ll be Working
This role can be located at any of our SDS locations, although occasional travel to Glasgow offices will be required. SDS are working to a hybrid working model, therefore the successful applicant is expected to work from both home and an SDS workplace on a regular basis. Happy to discuss this with candidates at Interview.
The role involves managing learning providers across Scotland, so a driving licence and access to a car, or another appropriate means of transport such as support through Access to Work, is essential.
How to Apply
The closing date to submit your application is Thursday 8th October 2026. Interviews are due to be scheduled as soon as possible thereafter and are expected to be held in Glasgow.
If this opportunity excites you and you would like to discuss the role in more detail to help you decide if it is right for you, please contact alison.hamilton@sds.co.uk
Using AI
AI can be a useful tool for drafting or refining your application. Please ensure that everything you submit is accurate and genuinely reflects your own skills, experience and voice. We value authenticity and want to hear your real story.
All applications are reviewed and shortlisted by the hiring manager and not by AI.
One Last (but very important) Thing
At SDS we are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion. If you've got the right skills for the job, we want to hear from you. We encourage applications from the right candidates regardless of age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, belief or race. Therefore, while we want to know about your relevant skills and experience, please avoid disclosing any identifying characteristics.
To help you prepare and perform at your best, SDS shares interview questions with all candidates in advance. This removes unnecessary barriers, supports those who benefit from additional preparation time, and helps ensure a fair and transparent recruitment process. This approach is being trialled for 6 months from April 2026.
To find out more about working at SDS and our application process please visit us at https://www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk/work-with-us/
Internal applicants should discuss their application with their People Manager prior to applying for this post.
Applicants should be aware that this role is in scope of transfer from Skills Development Scotland (SDS) to the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) on 1st April 2027, under the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations (TUPE)