Public sector jobs in Dundee

Social Security Scotland, the agency that delivers Scotland’s devolved benefits, has its headquarters in Dundee and is one of the city’s biggest employers. NHS Tayside, which runs Ninewells Hospital, and Dundee City Council are the other main sources of public sector jobs, followed by schools and the national police, fire and ambulance services. Pay is on Scottish scales.

Social Security Scotland

The agency was set up to deliver benefits that were devolved to Scotland, such as Adult Disability Payment, Child Disability Payment and the Scottish Child Payment. It recruits client advisers, decision makers, case managers, local delivery staff who meet people face to face in their communities, and digital, policy and corporate staff. It is an executive agency of the Scottish Government, so its staff are civil servants paid on Scottish Government grades, and jobs are advertised through the Scottish Government’s recruitment channels.

Decision maker and client adviser roles need clear writing and careful reading of evidence, along with patience for people in difficult circumstances. The agency also has offices in Glasgow, and many posts offer hybrid working.

NHS Tayside

NHS Tayside runs Ninewells Hospital in Dundee, Perth Royal Infirmary and community and mental health services across Dundee, Angus and Perth and Kinross. Ninewells is a teaching hospital linked to the University of Dundee’s medical school, with a wide range of specialties, so it recruits across clinical, scientific and support roles.

Under the Scottish deal, Agenda for Change pay rose 3.75 per cent from 1 April 2026. Some common rates: band 2 from £26,658 to £28,947, band 4 from £31,492 to £34,254, band 5 at £34,494, £36,857 and £42,977, and band 6 at £43,169, £45,070 and £52,603. An inflation guarantee means a top-up will be paid in March 2027 if average CPI for 2026 is above 2.75 per cent. Jobs are on the NHS Scotland jobs site.

Dundee City Council

The council covers education, social work, housing, roads, waste and leisure in the city, and works with NHS Tayside on health and social care through an integration joint board. Its vacancies are on myjobscotland. Pay follows Scottish local government arrangements and the English NJC spine does not apply, so take the salary from the advert. Leisure and culture services are run through a council-linked trust, which advertises its own jobs.

Teachers in Dundee are on the SNCT scale: from 1 August 2026, £36,159 for a probationer, £43,383 to £54,453 on the main grade and £59,367 to £76,617 for a principal teacher. Teaching posts require registration with the General Teaching Council for Scotland.

Police, fire and ambulance

Police Scotland, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and the Scottish Ambulance Service are national organisations, and all three recruit in Tayside. Firefighters are on UK-wide NJC rates of £31,539 in development and £40,358 once competent, from 1 July 2026. Police officer pay in Scotland is set separately from England and Wales.

Checks you will need

Disclosure Scotland does criminal record checks in Scotland, and the DBS has no role. The levels and fees are different:

• Level 1 (basic) disclosure: £25
• Level 2 (standard or enhanced) disclosure: £25
• PVG scheme membership, needed for regulated work with children or protected adults: £59 to join, £18 to renew, free for volunteers

A new five-year PVG membership model started on 1 April 2026, so membership now needs renewing rather than lasting indefinitely. An English DBS certificate does not replace PVG membership for a Scottish post. DBS checks: basic, standard and enhanced explains the English system for comparison.

Tax and moving to Dundee

Living in Scotland means paying Scottish income tax, with an S prefix on your tax code. For 2026/27 the bands are 19 per cent from £12,571, 20 per cent from £16,538, 21 per cent from £29,527 and 42 per cent from £43,663. Public sector jobs in Scotland covers pensions and the other differences. Edinburgh and Aberdeen are each just over an hour away by train, and you can read about them in public sector jobs in Edinburgh and public sector jobs in Aberdeen.