Positive talks are understood to have taken place today in an Edinburgh hotel between the Dundee United manager and Scottish Football Association chief executive Gordon Smith, president George Peat and SFA board members Campbell Ogilvie and Alan McRae.

Levein, 45, could be paraded at Hampden before the end of the week.

The former Hearts and Leicester manager was immediately installed as front runner for the post following the departure of Burley in November in the wake of the 3-0 friendly defeat by Wales in Cardiff.

The SFA claimed they were in no rush to appoint Burley's successor, pointing to the European Championship qualifying draw on February 7, but when names like Graeme Souness and Gordon Strachan ruled themselves out, Levein was given a clear run.

He was given permission by Dundee United chairman Stephen Thompson last week to hold talks with the SFA following which Levein said: "I am 100% interested in being the Scotland manager. Whether that's right now or at another time, I don't know."

The former Scotland defender also revealed at the weekend that he would use the meeting to determine his exact job description.

"If it's just seven games, six games, five games a season, I don't know what I'm going to do for the rest of the time - if I get offered the job," he said.

Asked if taking an active role in youth development would be another issue, he added: "I think it's the wrong way round to talk about that now when I haven't really spoken about it with the SFA.

"I certainly wouldn't like them to be talking about what they're going to be discussing at the meeting with me."

However, it appears that any fears or concerns the former Hearts stopper had have been allayed.

Levein, who is also director of football at Tannadice, is under contract until May 2012 so the Tannadice club will be looking for significant compensation from the SFA.

The Fifer joined United in 2006 with the club bottom of the Clydesdale Bank Premier League but has since steered them to challenge for Europe and his side currently sit in fourth place in the table, 10 points behind leaders Rangers.