Judicial Appointments Commission Job Description - Front of House Manager (HEO)

About the JAC 

The Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) is an independent public body, established in April 2006, to select judges in the courts and tribunals, and non-legal tribunal members. The JAC selects judicial candidates through fair and open competition, encouraging a wide range of quality candidates to apply for the posts that it advertises.

The JAC is responsible for designing, planning, and running recruitment campaigns to select judicial office holders up to and including High Court Judges. We have a statutory duty to select solely on merit, while keeping our selection processes open to the widest range of applicants. We launch a new campaign for judicial posts every one to two weeks. These range from high volume campaigns for ‘entry level’ posts, attracting upward of 2,000 applicants, to small campaigns for senior roles, attracting a handful of highly qualified people.

More information about the JAC is on our website: http://judicialappointments.gov.uk

The Role

We’re looking for an organised, proactive and collaborative Front of House Manager to help us deliver efficient and high-quality selection activity. This role is pivotal to the JAC, with responsibility for planning and coordinating interview activity, both remote and in-person, and supporting JAC interview panel members and staff. This includes troubleshooting and advice relating to the digital products used by panel members and staff, including Microsoft Teams and Google Workspace and its associated applications.

You will be part of the Programme Office, responsible for the day-to-day management of the Judicial Appointments Front of House activity. Key aspects of the role will include allocating staff to the Front of house schedule, identifying periods where additional resource might be required, and ensuring a high level of service is delivered to our candidates, panel members and other stakeholders.  

Main responsibilities

• Support the Head of Operational Delivery and the Senior Programme Manager by taking responsibility for the effective planning and management of all Front of House duties.   

• Allocate Operational Executive Officers (EOs) to the Front of House schedule, seeking confirmation of their availability and approval from Operational Senior Leaders and Managers. In allocating EO’s, ensure fairness, and account for workplace reasonable adjustments, annual leave and religious observations etc. Ensure there is additional cover in the event of an absence and escalate issues to the Senior Programme Manager and Head of Operational Delivery as necessary. 

• Plan ahead by checking the JAC Live Programme regularly and liaising closely with the Programme Manager and Selection Exercise Managers regarding forthcoming selection days, ensuring selection day activity is within JAC capacity, and timeline changes are reflected. Identify advance periods of peak activity which may require additional resource (e.g. agency staff) to deliver. If agency staff are required, liaise with HR to take forward recruitment (once authorised), and provide training, line management support and regular feedback. 

• Liaise with Selection Exercise Managers to review draft selection day timetables to ensure timings are feasible and include appropriate breaks for Front of House staff. 

• Ensure a high level of service is provided by Front of House to both candidates and panel members. If necessary, raise issues concerning Front of House conduct with line managers and senior managers as appropriate.  

• Build strong relationships and rapport with Selection Exercise Teams and the wider JAC to comply with the JAC’s collective endeavour to be a centre of excellence and provide a first-rate service.  

• Provide briefings to all Front of House staff ahead of selection days and following liaison with the Selection Exercise Manager.

• Carry out risk, accessibility and suitability assessments of new proposed venues, and venues that have not been utilised recently. Be available onsite on the first day of face-to-face selection days, ensuring facilities are set up accordingly, providing support as necessary to Front of House staff and helping to ensure smooth delivery.  

• Take administrator responsibility for the JAC’s Google Workspace, producing guidance for panel members and staff to assist in their use and understanding, ensuring protocols are followed and information is transferred and deleted frequently, file plans are logically maintained, relevant user permissions are applied, and helping to ensure user accounts are only prescribed when necessary and deleted when no longer required. Also providing guidance and assistance with MS Teams as necessary. 

The list above is not exhaustive, and the post holder will need to be amenable to variation and additional responsibilities. We welcome change being driven by the post holder to improve processes, create efficiencies and uphold a high standard of service.

Office Attendance

JAC staff are currently working in a hybrid way with a minimum of 2 days per week in the office, which is based in Westminster - London.

Please note - This is a busy operational role and during periods of selection activity or other business need, successful applicants will be required to attend the JAC office or JAC interview venue for up to 5 days a week. This could also mean early starts and longer days during these busy periods of selection activity. Candidates are asked to ensure that they fully understand this requirement before applying for the post.

Skills and Experience:

We are looking for people with the following skills and experience:

• Excellent organisational skills with an ability to prioritise and co-ordinate the team to achieve its goals.  

• Ability to confidently supervise and allocate work to operational executive officers to ensure the Front of House team delivers a quality service.

• Excellent IT skills (Word, Excel, Outlook, MS Teams and Google Workspace) and the ability to quickly learn to use unfamiliar software to a high standard. 

• Ability to work flexibly, and both proactively and reactively. 

• Excellent attention to detail. 

• Good communication skills (both written and oral) and the ability to share and disseminate information to colleagues and stakeholders taking into consideration the diversity of interests. 

• Working across teams, managing and maintaining effective working relationships.

• The ability to solve problems and work calmly under pressure.  

What we can offer you

We offer a range of benefits including an attractive pension scheme, competitive annual leave allowance, and flexible and hybrid working opportunities. We actively encourage all staff to undertake learning and development as part of their personal objectives and have a range of networks to support and promote inclusivity, wellbeing, and dignity at work among other things.

Recruitment process details

Behaviours

We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the recruitment process:

• Managing a Quality Service

• Working Together

• Delivering at Pace

In addition to these behaviours, your skills and experience will be assessed during the recruitment process. You can read more about the Civil Service behaviours on the GOV.UK website.

Application process

To apply for this role, you will need to provide:

• Your CV

• A statement of suitability detailing why you are interested in the role and how your skills and experience relate to the requirements of the post (500 words max)

• Written evidence of the following two behaviours: Managing a Quality Service and Working Together (250 words max for each)

Use of Artificial Intelligence (Al)

You must ensure that any evidence submitted as part of your application, including your CV, statement of suitability and behaviour examples, are truthful and factually accurate. Please note that plagiarism can include presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own.

Sift

Applications will be sifted based on the CV, statement of suitability and written evidence of two behaviours: Managing a Quality Service and Working Together.

Interview

Interviews are expected to take place late January/early February 2026. They will either be in person at 102 Petty France, London, SW1H 9GL, or undertaken remotely via MS Teams. Arrangements will be confirmed for all those shortlisted.

At interview, we will assess you against the three behaviours: Managing a Quality Service, Working Together and Delivering at Pace.

We will also ask you about your experience.

You can find out more about the Civil Service’s recruitment framework on the gov.uk website.

Reserve List

As well as appointing one candidate we may place other candidates on a reserve list for future vacancies for up to 12 months.

Further Information

If after reading this job description you require any further information about the role, please contact Gemma Montgomery, JAC Senior Programme Manager: gemma.montgomery@judicialappointments.gov.uk.

If you have any questions about the recruitment campaign, or any terms and conditions relating to the role, please contact the JAC recruitment team: recruitment@judicialappointments.gov.uk.