Location
Edinburgh

Hours
Full Time

Salary
£49,401 per annum

About the Role
Environmental Standards Scotland (ESS) is an independent non-ministerial office accountable to the Scottish Parliament, responsible for monitoring, investigating, and securing public authorities’ compliance with environmental law in Scotland. ESS also scrutinises the effectiveness of environmental law and policy and identifies gaps in environmental protection legislation. ESS is expanding its role to include scrutiny of the Scottish Government’s delivery against new statutory biodiversity and nature restoration targets under the Natural Environment (Scotland) Act 2026, as well as local authorities’ reporting on climate change duties under the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009.

We are recruiting a Senior Policy Analyst to join the Nature Recovery Team within the New Scrutiny Duties Development Department. This role will support the establishment and delivery of scrutiny functions related to biodiversity targets and the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy.

Key duties include:
- Undertaking and commissioning analysis of environmental policy, legislation, and regulatory frameworks to support ESS assessments on environmental targets and delivery of the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy
- Identifying, gathering, analysing, and communicating intelligence on relevant policy, regulatory, and legislative developments to diverse audiences
- Leading the coordination and drafting of ESS’ statutory response to Scottish Government progress on biodiversity delivery
- Engaging stakeholders to gather evidence, expertise, and insight on policy and regulatory implementation
- Building and maintaining effective relationships with partners across central and local government and the wider environmental sector
- Collaborating across ESS to ensure target-related developments are integrated into operational work streams
- Representing ESS internally and externally to promote understanding of ESS and its new duties
- Supporting the development of practice and operational approaches to ESS scrutiny of targets

Experience
Proven experience in environmental policy analysis, legislation, or regulatory frameworks is essential. Experience engaging with stakeholders and managing complex policy issues is highly desirable.

About you
You will be analytical, proactive, and able to communicate complex information clearly to a range of audiences. You should be confident in building and maintaining effective working relationships across multiple sectors and comfortable working collaboratively within a team. A strong commitment to environmental protection and public accountability is important.

Qualifications
A relevant degree or equivalent professional experience in environmental science, policy, law, or a related discipline is required.