Job Specification

Grade SEO

Deputy Private Secretary to the Master of the Rolls

Private Offices Directorate, Judicial Office

Organisation:

The Judicial Office (JO) is a unique branch of the civil service, independent from the machinery which supports the Government and dedicated to supporting the judiciary as the third arm of the state. We promote and safeguard judicial independence to maintain confidence in the rule of law. We are answerable not to Ministers but instead, through our Chief Executive, to the Lady Chief Justice of England and Wales (LCJ) and the Senior President of Tribunals as we help them to fulfil their responsibilities to the judiciary.

We support c.22,000 judicial office holders, providing policy, legal and handling advice, and operational support. This includes advice on judicial leadership, support with relationships with Government and Parliament, assistance with justice sector reform, judicial education and training, communications, and HR.

Directorate:

The postholder will join the Judicial Private Offices directorate. The business units include operational private offices; jurisdiction and policy private offices; and the Judicial Executive Board Secretariat.

Overview:

A truly unique opportunity to work in a key role at the heart of Justice and the Rule of Law as part the team supporting the Master of the Rolls (MR) and Deputy Head of Civil Justice (DHCJ) in leading the Civil Justice System.

Civil Justice is wide-ranging and underpins many areas of life. The Civil Justice System provides for people to vindicate their rights and resolve disputes across almost every area of their lives. Examples include Anti-Social Behaviour, Contract breaches, Copyright, Personal Injury, Medical Negligence, and housing rights. This means our work interacts with work happening right across Government. We are an engine of economic growth.

This is an opportunity to do work which will have real and significant impact at the highest level and you will occupy a prominent position alongside judges at the heart of the civil justice system.

Role Summary:

Within the Master of the Rolls’ Private Office, you will primarily be responsible for maintaining oversight of operational performance and operational policy in the Civil County Court.

Your responsibilities and tasks will be varied but will include: the production of policy papers and briefing; representing the MR and DHCJ at meetings; and helping to shape the strategic direction of Civil Justice policy.

You will be directly responsible for critical governance boards and executive committees at the most senior level. You will engage across government and the judiciary, in particular with HMCTS, and will be expected to offer guidance, support and appropriate challenge on behalf of the judiciary, often to those at more senior grade than yourself.

You will work closely and directly with the DHCJ. You will be their primary point of contact and dedicated support within the Private Office team. Your work will be of critical importance in supporting them to effectively carry out their role.

You will be part of the Master of the Rolls’ Private Office Team. The team is small, friendly, and social and we prioritise and enjoy supporting each other.

We see development as a critical part of this role. It is an ideal jumping off point into wider management and leadership at a more senior level. The combination of private office functions and responsibilities with wider policy work provides significant levels of exposure as well as opportunities to expand your leadership skills and influence senior decision makers directly.

Main Activities / Responsibilities:

The main responsibilities of the posts include, but are not limited to:

• Providing Private Secretary support to the DHCJ role, including leading on the induction for the incoming DHCJ (due to take up post on 1 November).

• Supporting the MR and DHCJ in developing and delivering key operational policy to support the effective functioning of the civil justice system. This includes working collaboratively with other Private Offices, Judicial HR, HMCTS and MoJ to ensure that civil judicial leadership is properly resourced, authorised and deployed. You will also work closely with HMCTS operations to analyse civil system performance and support the implementation of pilots to improve performance.

• Providing support to the MR and DHCJ in their responsibilities for judicial appointments.

• Working with colleagues across Judicial Office to support the MR and DHCJ in relation to other judicial priorities, such as the modernisation of civil justice and the development of the Online Procedure Rule Committee’s role in the Digital Justice System.

• Acting as secretariat for the Civil Executive Team, and Civil Leadership Group, respectively made up of senior and representative judges drawn from across the Civil Justice System. Ensuring that their work managing the operations of the Civil Justice System is supported and taken forward, and that they are linked in with others across the Judicial Office, or wider civil service as appropriate.

• Devising a strategic programme of court visits and judicial engagements for the Civil Leadership Group to ensure leadership judges are visible and understand local concerns.

• Line management responsibilities.

• Deputising where necessary for the Private Secretary.

Person specification: 
 

The successful candidate will be organised, strategic and be able to prioritise and handle multiple issues concurrently. They will have excellent and concise communication skills. The post holder must be able to perform independently at a high level.

Part of the enjoyment and challenge of working in a private office is that work is occasionally fast paced and unpredictable. It will be important that the job holder is willing and able to be flexible in the tasks they take on.

The strongest applicants are likely to have proven experience of drafting, committee work, IT skills, communication and influencing skills. Prior experience of working with the judiciary and knowledge of the Civil Justice System is desirable but not essential.

Location: 

Based in London within the Royal Courts of Justice. The support provided by judicial Private Offices necessarily involves working before and after court, in keeping with the judge’s diary commitments and sitting patterns. Some early mornings and late evenings can be expected, though every effort will be made to accommodate flexibility where necessary. This role is not suitable for reduced hours working. 

Whilst these posts are eligible for hybrid working and attract a minimum attendance of 60% of working hours to be spent in the office, there is a general expectation that the Deputy Private Secretary will be present when the MR is present. Visibility is important. There is greater opportunity for flexibility during judicial vacation.

How to apply 

This is a Success Profiles based recruitment and Civil Service Behaviours will be considered at application stage along with a candidate CV (not scored). 

Behaviours to be assessed at application stage:  

Seeing the Big Picture, Working Together, Communicating & Influencing, Delivering at Pace

In the event of a high volume of applications, we will sift on the lead behaviour of Communicating & Influencing. 

Candidates invited to interview will be assessed on these behaviours and on Civil Service Strengths. 

We anticipate that interviews for candidates successful at sift will be held during w/c 20^th & 27^th October 2025. 

If you wish to discuss the role before applying, please contact: Rachel Tocknell (Rachel.Tocknell@judiciary.uk/ 07549937251)