Director of Corporate Services

This position is based at the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA), 10 Clyde Place, Buchanan Wharf, Glasgow, G5 8AQ. We currently operate a hybrid working business model, whereby colleagues work 50% of their contracted hours in the office and the remainder at home.

The CICA is an executive agency of the Ministry of Justice (MoJ). As an organisation we compensate victims of violent crimes. We employ around 350 people and are based in Glasgow city centre with excellent transport links. We are a small, engaged, productive workforce with a real sense of corporate community. We are committed to delivering a fair, sensitive and efficient service to all applicants and work closely with stakeholders to ensure the victim is at the heart of everything we do. We want to keep improving our services and the way we work to best serve victims of violent crime, meet new challenges, deliver value for money and ensure CICA is a great place to work.

Job Description

This is a key senior leadership role with responsibility for Corporate Support, Governance, our Contact Centre and Complaints Resolution. Leading a wide portfolio of responsibilities, you will be a member of the CICA Executive Management Committee and participate in the strategic leadership and corporate management of CICA.

You will develop and implement strategies which enable our people; safeguard and protect our business; deliver valuable applicant support and provide corporate services which enhance delivery of our organisational objectives. As a senior leader you will be highly visible and build trust with colleagues across CICA and the wider MoJ. You must have strong inter-personal skills and be able to build mutually beneficial relationships at all levels. You will have a track record of high performance and show the capability and drive to develop in the role. A key influencer and contributor, you will be insightful, with a passion for continuous improvement and public service.

You will lead a team of around 60 providing key corporate functions, including secretariat for the Accounting Officer and our non-Executive Board members.

You will build an effective network with your corporate services peer group in the wider MoJ community, identifying synergies and efficiencies through partnership working.

Main Activities / Responsibilities

The job holder will be responsible for the following:

Senior Leadership

• Leadership of around 60 people in the CICA Corporate Services Directorate, who work on a variety of different areas including Governance, People Services and Applicant Experience.

• Provide a high level of personal visibility, role-modelling your personal commitment to delivery of the MoJ values, CICA strategic objectives and Business Plan commitments.

• Operate effective structures to report performance and service quality achievements.

• Set performance benchmarks and operate regular performance reviews at directorate, team and individual levels, alongside monitoring overall performance and taking prompt action to address emerging issues.

• Active contributions to the Executive Management Team, driving improved collaboration, role modelling senior management visibility and leading on cross CICA activities.

• Deliver on CICA Business Plan commitments.

Corporate Governance

• Ownership of CICA’s risk management framework, including oversight of the strategic risk register and presenting at appropriate Boards, ensuring alignment with wider MoJ risk management and Orange Book requirements.

• Senior accountability for CICA policy and processes on data protection and counter fraud in line with best practice and legislative requirements, including robust processes for incident management.

• Oversight and responsibility for CICA’s information management and assurance, including compliance with Data Protection Act 2018, UK General Data Protection Regulation and Freedom of Information Act 2000.

• Oversight and responsibility for CICA’s security, health and safety and business continuity processes, ensuring compliance with legislative requirements and adherence to best practice.

• Representation of CICA on relevant MoJ and cross Government Committees and Boards.

People Services

• Ownership of CICA’s People and Capability strategy, with responsibility as Chair of CICA’s People Committee for developing strategies to ensure people feel valued, supported and able to reach their full potential.

• Strategic oversight of key people services within CICA including recruitment, performance management, learning and development, internal communications and staff led wellbeing and inclusion initiatives.

• Oversight of strategic workforce planning to enable effective forecasting of capacity and ensure a clear pathway for development is in place.

Applicant Experience

• Provide strategic direction for CICA’s applicant contact services and complaints processes, ensuring applicants receive a compassionate and fair service.

• Champion opportunities for continuous improvement by analysing applicant feedback, identifying trends, and driving initiatives to enhance service delivery and applicant satisfaction.

• Strategic planning.

• Oversee the production and laying before Parliament of the Annual Report and Accounts.

• Provide strategic direction on annual business and strategic planning activity, facilitating workshops with senior stakeholders and ensuring alignment with the Justice Delivery Plan and delivery of the CICA Business Plan.

• Ensure the effective monitoring of performance and achievement of our strategic objectives, coordinating the production of all planning and performance reporting to the CICA Executive Management Committee (EMC) and MoJ.

Corporate Secretariat

• Ensure the provision of an effective and efficient secretariat function that supports the Accounting Officer and EMC in delivering CICA’s strategic objectives.

• Work with CICA’s Non-executive Board Chair to ensure an appropriate diet of Board meetings to drive performance and insights into areas of improvement.

Person Specification

Essential Criteria

• Extensive knowledge and leadership experience in one or more areas of risk management, corporate governance, information assurance or a related discipline.

• Experience of working and leading within a Corporate Services environment.

• Experience leading and managing diverse teams, including setting direction and managing performance.

• A confident and clear communicator, with strong relationship building, influencing and negotiation skills.

• Strong strategic thinking, including an ability to understand a wide range of complex corporate and often sensitive issues, and manage conflicting priorities.

• Ability to work with ambiguity, to offer innovative solutions and make sound, well-judged decisions.

Desirable Criteria

• Experience of leading board level secretariat functions.

• Qualification in or previous experience of managing governance, risk, information management and/or counter-fraud.

• Experience working in a front-line operational delivery function/ organisation.

Assessment Criteria

Stage 1

Applicants should provide a Curriculum Vitae (CV) and a statement of suitability which evidences the essential criteria and, where met, the desirable criteria.

The statement should be no more than 1000 words in length.

Stage 2

If successful at Stage 1, you will be invited to interview, which will incorporate a short presentation. You will be notified of the presentation topic in your invitation to interview. At the interview we will assess you against the behaviours listed below. You will also be asked a number of strengths-based questions.

• Working together

• Managing a Quality Service

• Leadership

• Communicating and Influencing

Interviews are expected to take place week commencing 27 October 2025. 

We will be conducting all interviews in person at Buchanan Wharf, 10 Clyde Place, Glasgow, G5 8AQ. 

If you have any queries about the role, or wish to discuss, please contact Lynne.Henderson@cica.gov.uk