The Care Inspectorate's role is to regulate and inspect care and support services, carry out scrutiny of social work services (including criminal justice social work services); and, conduct joint inspections with other scrutiny partners of services for adults and children. We have a significant role in providing assurance and protection for people who use services, their families and carers and the wider public as well as supporting delivery partners to improve the quality of care for people in Scotland.

This is an exciting and challenging time for the Care Inspectorate and, following a recent review of our senior management structure, we are looking for inspirational and dynamic leaders with the drive, understanding, vision, creativity and experience to make change happen.

We are seeking applications to the following new senior post:

You will lead on the delivery of all inspection activity, including strategic inspections, in respect of children, early years, criminal justice and young people's services, to ensure that the Care Inspectorate performs effectively and efficiently as an independent, scrutiny and improvement body, for the whole range of care, social work and child protection services for the benefit of the people of all ages who use them, working well in partnership with other bodies, in accordance with corporate aims and objectives.

You will support the Director of Inspection in ensuring that the Care Inspectorate meets its responsibilities, as defined by the Public Services Reform Act 2010 and other relevant legislation, in making major strategic decisions with significant emphasis on inspection and regulation.

As a member of the Executive Team, you will work with the Chief Executive and Directors on the development and implementation of the regulatory functions of the Care Inspectorate.

The Care Inspectorate has its headquarters in Dundee, but with offices throughout Scotland, the base location is negotiable.

You will be educated to degree level or equivalent, with an appropriate professional qualification, and will demonstrate significant experience in both leading and managing operational inspection and in social work practice and management in criminal justice or children's services. You will demonstrate evidence of embedding sustainable transformational change in an organisation, able to assist the Director to set, in consultation with others, the overall strategic agenda, long term objectives and performance standards for the organisation.

With the ability to apply strategic leadership and direction to a diverse, multi-disciplinary team of senior professional staff, you will possess significant knowledge of working with inspection/regulation of care in a children and/or criminal justice care practice setting, with involvement in the social and health care agenda.

An articulate and positive communicator, both in verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to engage, influence and lead the development of a wide range of key stakeholder relationships, both internally and externally; you will also possess excellent negotiation and influencing skills, with an ability to translate plans into action.

You will demonstrate understanding of, and involvement in, corporate social responsibility, whereby social and environmental concerns are voluntarily integrated to business operations and stakeholder interaction, being politically astute and knowledgeable of trends and changes in social care with an understanding of Equality and Diversity issues.

The Care Inspectorate has its headquarters in Dundee, but with offices throughout Scotland, the base location is negotiable.

Closing date for applications: 16 January 2013.

For more information on this role and how to apply, please visit this link.