▁joined ▁the ▁Civil ▁Service , ▁working ▁in ▁the ▁Scottish ▁Office . ▁ ▁Civil ▁service ▁While ▁at ▁the ▁Scottish ▁Office , ▁El v idge ▁worked ▁particularly ▁in ▁the ▁fields ▁of ▁economic ▁development , ▁physical ▁infrastr ucture ▁and ▁European ▁Union ▁relations . ▁He ▁was ▁second ed ▁to ▁Scottish ▁Hom es , ▁from ▁ 1 9 8 8 ▁to ▁ 1 9 8 9 , ▁and ▁to ▁the ▁Cab inet ▁Office , ▁from ▁ 1 9 9 8 ▁to ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁where ▁he ▁was ▁involved ▁in ▁co - ord ination ▁of ▁the ▁Government ' s ▁legisl ative ▁programme ▁and ▁social ▁policies . ▁In ▁May ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁he ▁was ▁appointed ▁Head ▁of ▁the ▁Scottish ▁Government ▁Education ▁Department , ▁and ▁in ▁March ▁ 2 0 0 2 ▁became ▁Head ▁of ▁the ▁Fin ance ▁and ▁Central ▁Services ▁Department . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 3 , ▁he ▁became ▁P erman ent ▁Secretary ▁to ▁the ▁Scottish ▁Government , ▁succeed ing ▁Sir ▁Mu ir ▁Russell , ▁who ▁became ▁Princi pal ▁of ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Glasgow . ▁El v idge ▁was ▁created ▁a ▁Knight ▁Commander ▁of ▁the ▁Bath ▁( K CB ) ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 6 ▁B irth day ▁Hon ours . ▁ ▁He ▁announced ▁his ▁ret irement ▁on ▁ 2 1 ▁May ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁to ▁take ▁effect ▁in ▁June , ▁to ▁enable ▁his ▁successor ▁to ▁prepare ▁for ▁the ▁Scottish ▁Parliament ▁elections ▁in ▁May ▁ 2 0 1 1 . ▁ ▁App oint ment ▁as ▁chairman ▁of