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Civil Service jobs in Edinburgh

There are currently 95 Civil Service vacancies open in Edinburgh.

Edinburgh is the centre of devolved government in Scotland and the base for the Scottish Government and a number of Scottish public bodies, alongside a UK government presence. That mix gives the city a distinctly policy-weighted profile compared with Glasgow’s more operational one.

For applicants interested in policy, analysis or governance work, Edinburgh is one of the strongest locations outside London — a substantially higher proportion of its advertised roles are in those professions than the national average.

The distinction between employers matters here more than almost anywhere. Scottish Government posts, Scottish public body posts and UK department posts all appear together, with different pay scales, different terms and sometimes different application processes.

No London weighting applies. Edinburgh has higher living costs than Glasgow, so the pay-to-cost comparison is less generous, though still favourable against the South East.

Departments hiring in Edinburgh right now

Live vacancies

Search and filter all 95 vacancies

The full board also shows how many posts each campaign is filling, which the official results list does not.

Common questions

Is Edinburgh good for Civil Service policy roles?
Yes. As the centre of devolved government it carries a notably higher proportion of policy, analytical and governance roles than most locations outside London.
Who are the main public sector employers advertising in Edinburgh?
A mixture of the Scottish Government, Scottish public bodies and UK departments. The departments currently advertising are listed below, taken from live vacancies.
Do Scottish Government roles use Success Profiles?
The Scottish Government uses its own competency-based approach for many roles rather than the UK Success Profiles framework. Check the selection process section of the advert before preparing.