Note: Recruitment for the Patient Safety Commissioner is being managed by the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman’s office. The role advertised below is not for the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman.
Contract type: Fixed Term (2 years), Full time (35 hours per week), 9am-5pm Monday-Friday
Location: Edinburgh Office – Bridgeside House, 99 McDonald Road, Hybrid working available with some required attendance at the office
Salary scale: Band 6: £74,891 – £84,836, Starting salaries are normally placed at the starting point of the scale
Benefits: 40.5 days of annual leave (including public holidays), Flexible working arrangements, Civil Service Pension Scheme
The Office of the Patient Safety Commissioner for Scotland plays a vital role in strengthening the safety and quality of healthcare across the nation. Independent of government and the NHS, the Office amplifies the voices of patients and families, identifying systemic risks and driving evidence-based improvements that make healthcare safer for all. Through rigorous, impartial investigations and constructive engagement with health bodies, regulators, and patient groups, the Office seeks to uncover and address the underlying causes of harm—ensuring that learning from adverse events leads to enduring improvements in policy, practice, and culture across Scotland’s health system.
The Executive Director of Patient Safety Investigations will provide senior strategic leadership and oversight of all investigative, reporting, and operational functions of the Office of the Patient Safety Commissioner (PSC). Reporting directly to the Commissioner, the post-holder will act as a principal advisor, ensuring the organisation’s investigative work, reports, and recommendations are rigorous, credible, and drive systemic learning and improvement in patient safety across Scotland’s health and social care system. The role carries corporate-level responsibility for strategy, resources, people leadership, and organisational readiness for change. It combines significant investigative authority with executive management responsibilities, ensuring the PSC’s Office delivers high-quality outputs to the Scottish Parliament, patients, families, and stakeholders.
To be successful in this role, you will have experience in a leadership capacity with responsibility for the following:
- Investigative Expertise: Proven experience leading complex investigations, inquiries, or policy reviews in healthcare, regulation, or public service.
- Strategic Leadership: Demonstrated ability to influence system-level change, develop strategic responses, and lead organisational improvement.
- Decision-Making: Experience exercising final decision-making authority with significant organisational impact over the longer term.
- Resource Management: Significant financial management experience at corporate or programme level, including accountability for budgets and people resources.
- Communication Skills: Exceptional influencing, negotiation, and presentation skills, with a track record of delivering high-profile outputs to senior stakeholders.
- Leadership Skills: Extensive people management experience, including setting organisational objectives, performance management, and culture-building.
Ideally you will have a background and knowledge in health policy, healthcare management, clinical medicine and nursing, or patient safety to be able to navigate complex health and social care systems, including governance, regulation, and patient safety frameworks.
Recruitment for the Patient Safety Commissioner is being managed by the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman’s office. If you are interested in in this vacancy, please download the application pack below.
For further information, please contact 0131 297 4876 or you can email [email protected]
Closing date: 10:00 on 12 November 2025
All applicants will be notified of the outcome of applications by 21 November 2025.
Interview and assessment: During the week of 1 to 5 December 2025
Equal Opportunities Statement:
We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and communities. We are committed to providing equal opportunities in employment and in the service provided to complainants. No job applicant, staff member or person receiving a service from us will receive less favourable treatment on the grounds of sex, gender, marital status, or racial grounds or on grounds of disability, age, sexual orientation, language or social origin, or of other personal attributes including beliefs or opinions, such as religious beliefs or political opinions.
We are totally opposed to discrimination. We are committed to conducting the business in a way that is fair to all sections of the community. This may mean taking positive steps to ensure equal opportunities for staff involved in staff selection, staff management and service delivery.