OFFICIAL - SENSITIVE

JOB DESCRIPTION

Job Title	Director of Operations
Department	Operations	Team	Operations
Job Grade	Grade 6	Number of Posts	1
Reports to	Chief Operating Officer
Job Purpose	As the Director of Operations, your overarching responsibility is ensuring parole reviews are progressed effectively, in a timely manner and to oversee the implementation of a new end-to-end operating model over the next 12 - 18 months. You will be responsible for the Board’s operational case management and direct the casework of the Board’s 350 members, who make over 30,000 case management decisions each year, including 17,000 final decisions to decide if someone’s risk can be safely managed in the community. You will also oversee the team and systems responsible for paying member’s fees and expenses. You will manage two functions, Operations and Operations Development and support the Board’s 350 members in their decision making, working closely with the elected Member Representative Group (MRG). You will work closely with the Director of Legal and Head of Capability to ensure the Board’s decision making is effective and efficient. You will collaborate with a wide range of colleagues and stakeholders both internally and externally to continuously improve operational delivery and performance across the wider Parole system. You will lead the programme of change needed in Operations to implement new processes at the Board in standard determinate recall sentences, flowing from the Sentencing Bill. This will include new systems for member work allocation, increased use of delegated authority by case managers and changes to the way the Operations functions are structured and resourced. You will be responsible for digitalising processes across Operations, including member payment systems, and developing the use of AI within Operations. You will be responsible for the management of a budget of £15.9m, manage risks to operational delivery, forecast future workloads, and manage staff and member resources to set and deliver key performance measures.
Main Duties and Scope of Responsibilities:	Part of the Senior Leadership Team and deputy for the Chief Operating Officer. Ensure the COO is kept up to date with challenges, risks, and issues. Lead SLT meetings and attending formal Governance meetings including Management Committee, Audit and Risk, Standards and People. Set operational objectives and performance measures in the Parole Board business plan. Responsibility for leading the Operations and Operations Development Team to deliver business activities in line with the Parole Board business plan. Lead on change as required by the business need and engage staff across Operations in changes affecting them, ensuring HR policies are applied fairly. Line management of 2 Heads of Function, and up to 2 SEO members of staff. Develop positive relationships with Parole Board members and the Members Representative Group (MRG). Ensure all members are supported to make effective risk assessments that are rigorous, fair, and timely, whilst maintaining the prisoner’s right to a fair hearing. Manage panel sittings and workload allocation in line with budget allocations. Work with finance colleagues in the Board and Ministry of Justice to develop accurate finance plans in year and for the medium to long term. Review and set performance indicators for the timeliness and effectiveness of Parole Board reviews and lead Operations to achieve these. Ensure members fees are properly accounted for, tracked, and paid. Develop positive relationships with the Capability and Legal and Policy hubs to ensure that member learning and changes to member practice are implemented across Operations. Work with other hubs at the Parole Board to bring about business change that improves operational performance, expands digital working, and develops the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Operations. Work with senior stakeholders in HMPPS to improve performance across the system. Produce and share accurate data and information, to support the operation of the parole system oversight group. Attend and actively participate in internal and external stakeholder engagement activity, including prison governors, heads of public probation, heads of probation delivery units, regional probation directors and leads for regional psychology. Develop positive relationships with stakeholders to ensure that they are held to account for undertaking effective parole reviews. Have overall budget and performance management responsibility for the Operations function as a whole. Oversee resource planning, updating forecasts and managing risks to delivery. Undertake responsibilities in line with current legislation, local and national policies.
Primary Deliverables	To ensure Operations delivers: An effective secretariat to support the Parole Board membership for the purposes of paper reviews and oral hearings. To ensure cases are progressed to enable the Operations hub to meet the relevant Key Performance Indicators. To ensure changes to the operating model are properly implemented, tested and benefits realised. To work with stakeholders to improve performance across the wider parole system, reduce failure demand and reduce delay.
Person Specification	See below for a list of essential and desirable attributes and skills required to carry out this role.
Essential	Experience of successfully setting strategy and delivery in an operational setting. Evidence of leading teams to deliver change. Proven leadership skills with the ability to set direction aligned to business priorities and manage risks to delivery. Evidenced team management experience. Evidence of using data to drive continuous improvement activity and forecast future workloads and budgets. Experience in communicating and influencing internal and external colleagues at all levels. Proven ability to work at executive Board level. Resilience and ability to stay focused and positive in the face of complexity and uncertainty. Ability to deal with potentially difficult and challenging situations. Excellent IT skills and experience in using programmes, including Microsoft Excel, Teams, Word, and PowerPoint. Ability to follow processes, policies, and guidelines.
Desirable	Proven understanding of the Parole Process and Parole Board Decision Making Framework (DMF). Proficient knowledge of PPUD (Public Protection Unit Database) and its reporting functions. Experience of managing several geographically dispersed teams within a large operational department. Experienced in business change management or continuous improvement methodologies.

Main Duties:

As set out in the job description above.

Behaviours

We will assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

Leadership
Communicating and Influencing
Seeing the Bigger Picture
Changing and Improving
Working together

Accessibility

The Parole Board is a disability confident recruiter. Accessibility requests will be carefully considered and, where reasonable, actioned.

Whilst the Parole Board office is principally located in London, and, for the purposes of organisational management and administration, it is not required to conduct business in Welsh. However, the Parole Board welcomes applications from candidates who speak Welsh and English as part of its commitment to treat both languages on a basis of equality in the conduct of public business and administration of justice in Wales, as far as is both appropriate and reasonable, and to reflect the community it serves.

Office requirements

This role is hybrid. You will be required to spend 20% of your time in person contact. For some SLT meetings as well as Operations team away days, you will be required to attend in person in London.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles and will assess your Behaviours and Experience. At the interview stage you will be assessed against Behaviours, Strengths and Presentation.