Principal Scrutiny Officer x 2

Posted by: Environmental Standards Scotland

Employed By: Environmental Standards Scotland

Job Title: Principal Scrutiny Officer x 2

Salary: £62,111

Contract: Full-time, Part-time

Location: Edinburgh

Application Deadline: 04/05/2026

We are recruiting for two team leader roles within our newly created New Scrutiny Duties Development Department:

• Principal Scrutiny Officer (Climate Change Reporting)

• Principal Scrutiny Officer (Nature Recovery)

Together, working with the Head of New Scrutiny Duties Development, these post holders will play a crucial part in how we will plan, prioritise and deliver our new areas of work:

• scrutinising local authorities’ reporting against climate change duties as set out in the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009

• scrutinising the Scottish Government’s delivery against the new statutory biodiversity and nature restoration targets which will be set under the Natural Environment (Scotland) Act 2026

The Principal Scrutiny Officer (Climate Change Reporting) will lead the development of processes to enable ESS to scrutinise local authorities’ reporting against climate change duties. This will include building and supporting a new team of five who will carry out this work and engaging with ESS’ wider stakeholders.

The Principal Scrutiny Officer (Nature Recovery) will lead the establishment of the processes required to scrutinise the Scottish Government’s delivery against the new statutory biodiversity and nature restoration targets. This will include building and supporting a new team of four (including staff with scientific, policy and data expertise) who will carry out this work and engaging with ESS’ wider stakeholders.