Electoral Commissioner (Scotland)

The Electoral Commission is the independent body that oversees elections and regulates political finance across the UK. It has a vital role in maintaining public confidence in our democratic processes. The Commission regulates the rules on political finance in the context of increasingly complex campaigning techniques, rapidly changing technology and fragile public trust in democratic processes.

Its vision is “a fair democracy fit for the future”, ensuring elections and referendums are trusted, accessible and secure. The Commission works across all four nations of the UK and is accountable to the UK Parliament, the Scottish Parliament and the Senedd. The Commission is currently in the second year of an ambitious five-year plan that covers the delivery of an important cycle of UK-wide polls and implementation of the forthcoming Representation of the People Bill.

The Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission is seeking an outstanding individual to join the Electoral Commission Board as the Electoral Commissioner with specific responsibility for Scotland. This role will help to shape the future of democracy in Scotland and across the UK.

This is a rare opportunity to play a leading role in protecting and strengthening democratic processes across Scotland and the UK. As a Commissioner, you will help guide the strategic direction of the independent body responsible for overseeing elections and regulating political finance, while helping to ensure the Commission’s work is informed by Scotland’s democratic, political and institutional context.

About the Role

As one of ten Electoral Commissioners, you will:

Provide strategic leadership and governance at Board level
Help shape the Commission’s future priorities and oversee delivery of its ambitious five-year plans
Oversee the delivery of the Commission’s first dedicated Scotland Corporate Plan
Support public confidence in elections, democratic participation and political finance regulation
Build relationships with senior political, parliamentary and public sector stakeholders across Scotland
Act as an independent, impartial and authoritative voice on issues affecting Scotland’s democratic landscape

Who We’re Looking For

We are seeking an accomplished and credible leader who can demonstrate:

Credibility and significant achievements within Scotland, gained through executive and/or non-executive leadership
Deep understanding of Scotland’s political, public sector and democratic environment
Experience influencing strategy and providing constructive challenge at Board or senior leadership level
Independence, integrity, sound judgement and political awareness
Strong relationship-building and ambassadorial skills
A commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion

Terms and Conditions of Appointment

Term: Four years (with potential reappointment up to a maximum of ten years)

Time commitment: 2–3 days per month

Remuneration: £500 per day plus reasonable expenses

Location: UK-wide role with significant engagement in Scotland

Nationality: Applicants must be able to prove that they are eligible to work in the UK.

Closing date: 5.00pm, Monday 21st September 2026

Eligibility, Political Impartiality and Financial Interests

To protect the Commission’s independence and impartiality, candidates cannot currently be members of a registered political party and must not have held specified political offices, party roles, or made significant political donations within the previous five years. Full conditions can be found in the candidate brochure, which is downloadable from the FWB Executive Search website here.

To Apply

The candidate information for this role and associated application forms can be found on the FWB Executive Search website.

To apply, please upload your application documents to the FWB Executive Search website by no later than 5pm on Monday 21st September 2026.

You should submit:

A CV (maximum two pages)
A supporting statement (maximum two pages) demonstrating how you meet the role requirements

(CV and Supporting Statement should be uploaded as 1 combined document)

You will then be sent a link to fill out the following forms:

Political Activity Form
Declaration of External Interests and/or Financial Interests Form

As part of the online application process, you will be asked to complete an equal opportunity monitoring page. The information on this page will be treated as confidential and used for statistical purposes only. This information will not be treated as part of your application.

We particularly welcome applications from candidates from a wide range of backgrounds, communities and regions across Scotland.

For further information and a confidential discussion, please contact Ailsa Sutherland at electoralcommissionATfwbltd.com.

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