Job Advert
In June 2025, the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care introduced two key frameworks: the Population Health Framework and the Service Renewal Framework (SRF). The SRF sets out an ambitious vision to drive innovation and enable more integrated delivery across Scotland’s health and care services. As part of this transformation, NHS National Services Scotland (NSS) and NHS Education for Scotland (NES) will come together to form a new organisation: Public Services Delivery Scotland in April 2026. The new organisation will play a pivotal role in supporting the renewal and long-term sustainability of health and care services across Scotland.
To learn more about the new organisation, please read the public consultation paper, NHS Delivery – A New National Delivery Organisation, available on the Scottish Government website
Flexible Location: NES is a remote-friendly employer with staff based throughout Scotland. We support office-based and hybrid working arrangements. We welcome conversations about alternative working patterns—please get in touch during the application process to discuss.
Work Pattern: Fixed Term, 37 hours per week
As from 1/4/26, the Agenda for Change full-time working week will be reducing from 37 to 36 hours per week. Part time hours will be reduced pro-rata. However, there will be a corresponding increase in the hourly rate so that pay will not be affected
Fixed-term or Secondment** until 31st March 2027
**For NHS applicants, only a Secondment will be made available. For non NHS applicants, a fixed-term or secondment would be considered.
You must have eligibility and entitlement to work in the UK which is required to be maintained throughout your period of employment
Who We Are
NHS Education for Scotland (NES) is the national health board with statutory responsibilities to effect sustainable change through workforce development, education and training across the health and social care system in Scotland, while working at UK level with partner organisations.
NES Technology Service has created a strategic programme for the transformation of digital based services to allow NES to become a leading digital organisation in Scottish Health, digital by default and fully aligned with the Scottish Government’s technology strategies.
Our Technology
We are in the business of providing safe, secure and innovative technology products and services that aim to improve outcomes across education, training, workforce, health and care in the public sector in Scotland. Using modern cloud-based technology we deliver sustainable products and services for the future.
The Opportunity
To enable NES to deliver our strategic objectives, and assist NTS in our contribution to delivering against the Scottish Government Digital Health and Care Strategy and Data Strategy, NTS is seeking a highly skilled and motivated Principal Analyst to lead the Data Engineering team and oversee technical delivery for stakeholders.
Do you want to play a key role in leading the delivery of high quality and robust data engineering and reporting solutions and services to meet key strategic objectives?
Do you enjoy playing a leadership role in multi-disciplinary teams to bring data and technology solutions from inception to production and sustained operation?
Do you want to play an important role in delivering the NES Strategy, the PSD Scotland Strategy once agreed, the Digital Health and Care Strategy and Data Strategy for Scotland?
Do you enjoy working at pace and being adaptive to an ever-changing environment?
Does this sound like you?
What We Love to See
Principal Analysts in Data Engineering offer a broad range of skills and experience, if you can offer some or all of these, we’d love you to apply:
Proven experience of building and leading data technology teams to successfully deliver outcomes
Demonstratable experience of what it takes to get complex technology solutions from inception to production to deliver agreed strategic objectives, leading on technical direction and advice to enable this, both within the Data Engineering team and with stakeholders
Highly effective communicator knowing how to make complex technical information and language simple for diverse senior internal and external stakeholders (both verbally and in writing)
Line management and coaching/mentoring experience
Highly experienced in leading teams to deliver data engineering and reporting solutions and services
Confidently lead in all aspects of data engineering and reporting utilising modern, cloud-first technology architecture, design and delivery
Ability to collaborate effectively and build networks and communities of practice
Demonstrate honesty, integrity, care and compassion when dealing with others, utilising tact and persuasion skills when necessary
Ability to work on own initiative, to organise and prioritise own workloads and that of others, and to meet strict deadlines
Benefits Which Matter
As a valued employee of NHS Scotland, you can enjoy an extensive range of benefits including:
Life-work balance - with opportunities for flexible working and hybrid working
Generous NHS pension scheme
Annual incremental salary progression (up to the maximum of the salary band) plus annual NHS salary scale review
Annual Leave - 27 Days increasing in line with service plus 8 days public holiday
NHS discounts and more
Diversity and Inclusion
Developing a successful national service for Scotland is impossible without ensuring we consider the diverse needs, perspectives and backgrounds of everyone in Scotland in our work. We are focused on hiring the very best talent available for NES, and actively encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds and aim to ensure everyone is treated fairly, with respect and has a positive recruitment experience – regardless of the outcome.
We welcome applications from all under-represented groups, including racially minoritised people and disabled people. It is not essential to be in a Data Engineering role right now - you may be returning from a career break (e.g., maternity, paternity, caring) or coming from another field. Your experiences can bring a fresh perspective to our work.
If you are considering applying and would like to discuss the opportunity, any adjustments or alternative work patterns, please contact greg.thomson@nhs.scot.
Next Steps
**NHS applicants will only be considered on a secondment basis, and so are strongly encouraged to discuss this with their current employer at the earliest opportunity, ideally prior to application.
All applicants who are shortlisted for interview will be contacted by e-mail.
Online interviews (including a presentation) will take place on or around the 23rd April 2026. The presentation topic will be sent to candidates selected for interview.
For further information please refer to the Job Information Pack below.
Unless otherwise stated the deadline for applications is 23:59 hours on the closing date. Please note, CV’s will not be accepted.
Please be advised that if you are successful in being offered the role following the recruitment process, you will be expected to attend the office prior to your start date to complete face-to-face pre-employment checks. If you require any adjustments to support this, please let us know.
To work in the United Kingdom, there is a legal requirement for an individual to demonstrate that they have the relevant permission to work in the country. This permission is, without exception, granted by the UK Visa and Immigrations Service.
As part of the pre-employment checks for a preferred candidate, NHS Scotland Boards will check your entitlement to work in the UK. It can be evidenced through a number of routes including specific types of visa as well as EU settled and pre-settled status. To find out more about these routes of permission, please refer to the GOV.UK website here.
For specific types of post, if you do not have the necessary eligibility to work in the UK, it might be possible (though not guaranteed) to secure sponsorship via a UK Skilled Worker/Health & Care Worker Visa. However, this is only possible if the employer is a licenced Sponsor, and if the post does not fall below the current minimum salary threshold or ‘going rate’. Further information on these criteria can be found here.
It is ESSENTIAL that you have checked that you either already have an appropriate right to work in the UK or that the post would be eligible to be sponsored BEFORE submitting your application form.