Job title: Strategic Workforce Planning, Data & Insight Manager
Directorate: Human Resources
Workstream: Strategic Workforce Planning and Data & Insight Team
We have two exciting opportunities to join our team, with one permanent post, and one post is a 12-month Fixed Term Contract. Please note, if applying on promotion and appointed to the Fixed Term Contract role, you will be placed on temporary promotion and be expected to return to your substantive role at the conclusion of the secondment.
About us
HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) is responsible for the administration of criminal, civil and family courts and tribunals in England and Wales. Our roles support our service users and colleagues, where people and businesses access potentially life-changing justice. We’re looking for individuals who are committed to public service and want to make a difference in people’s lives in delivering justice. If you’re interested in developing a career with a real purpose, please apply.
About the role
We are seeking an experienced and focused individual to join our Strategic Workforce Planning, Data & Insight team, which provides high‑quality workforce insight and data to HR and senior leaders across the organisation.
As part of the HR Operations function, you will work alongside HR Business Partners, Resourcing, and Supplier Performance colleagues. The Strategic Workforce Planning, Data & Insight (SWP) team plays a pivotal role in delivering accurate, timely, and relevant workforce insight that supports operational decision‑making and helps shape the future workforce.
This role delivers strategic workforce planning insight and data for the HR Director, Senior Leadership Team, HMCTS Executive Team, and key senior stakeholders. You will collaborate with colleagues across HMCTS and MOJ to implement best practice, identify emerging trends, and support workforce and workplace transformation. You will help drive our ambition to be recognised as a centre of operational and insight excellence. You will oversee and manage a team of Data & Insight Officers and work closely with other SWP Managers to develop both in‑year operational and long‑term Strategic Workforce Plans for HMCTS.
Your role as the Strategic Workforce Planning, Data & Insight Manager encompasses several key aspects (but not limited to):
Working collaboratively with fellow SWP Managers to develop, deliver, and embed the HMCTS Strategic Workforce Plan.
Develop and maintain in‑year operational workforce planning tools to support HMCTS-wide workforce planning and provide workforce planning assurance to the Senior Leadership Team.
Providing in‑depth people data analysis, generating insight for stakeholders, and leading problem‑solving discussions across the organisation.
Understanding SWP best practice and workforce trends and initiating relevant HR strategies or plans.
Supporting the Head of SWP, Data and Insight to embed strategic workforce planning within the business planning cycle, ensuring ownership across HR and the wider organisation.
Working with the Head of SWP, Data and Insight to identify workforce planning risks and advising HR SLT on mitigation approaches.
Acting as line manager for HR Data & Insight Managers (HEO) when required, overseeing the work and outputs of the Data & Insight Team.
Please refer to the attached role profile for a comprehensive overview of the role.
Who are we looking for? (Person Specification)
The ideal candidate for this position should demonstrate:
Essential Skills
Proven experience producting large and complex data sets, using advanced analytical skills to draw meaningful conclusions and convert them into clear, actionable insights for non‑technical audiences.
Excellent communication and stakeholder‑engagement skills, with the ability to influence and advise senior leaders using data-driven insights.
Understanding of Strategic Workforce Planning principles, with the ability to apply them effectively to support organisational planning.
Proactive approach to identifying workforce risks and challenges, using data and insight to drive problem‑solving, propose solutions, and support informed decision‑making.
Experience using Power BI or similar data‑visualisation and reporting tools to present workforce insights effectively.
Demonstrated leadership capability, including managing teams, overseeing analytical outputs, and supporting a culture of high-quality insight and continuous improvement.
How to apply
Application Stage
Please submit:
An anonymised CV. Please ensure your CV is uploaded in a simple format to prevent any formatting issues when it's downloaded or reviewed.
Your CV should:
Be succinct and clear.
Be factually accurate - You must ensure that any evidence submitted as part of your application, is 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.
Include your qualifications, highlighting any modules or accreditation relevant to the role.
Include your relevant experience, providing dates.
Provide detail - we are interested in how your knowledge, skills, and experience demonstrate the capabilities we are looking for in this role.
Statement of suitability demonstrating how you meet the essential criteria (up to 500 words).
Your Statement of Suitability should be no more than 500 words and should give us real life examples of how your skills and experience match those needed for this role. Consider addressing particular points in the person specification requirements and key responsibilities. We recommend following the STAR format.
You must ensure that any evidence submitted as part of your application, 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.
Experience example - Describe a situation in which you produced and analysed large and complex data sets, including your responsibilities and the outcomes achieved.
We will aim to sift the CV, Statement of Suitability and the Experience example but, in the event of a large number of applicants, an initial short sift may be conducted on the Experience example only. Candidates who pass the initial sift will either:
progress to a full sift where all application assessment criteria is then assessed.
or progress straight to interview.
Interview Stage
If successful at sift, you will be invited to attend a remote interview, via Microsoft teams. During your interview, you will be assessed against the following Civil Service Success Profiles which will include:
Three technical questions in relation to the person specification
Questions in relation to the following Civil Service behaviours:
Working Together
Changing & Improving
Communicating and Influencing
Strengths will also be assessed however these are not shared in advance.
Travel requirements
There will be a requirement to travel occasionally to any HMCTS site in line with business needs.
Opportunities for development
HMCTS is committed to staff development and offers an extensive range of training and development opportunities including CIPD accredited learning.
About our benefits
We reward our people for their hard work and commitment. We have a number of family
friendly and flexible working polices that will help you achieve a healthy work-life balance. In addition, we offer a range of employee benefits which include generous annual leave, a highly competitive contributory pension scheme, childcare benefits, season ticket and bicycle loans.
Proud to Serve. Proud to keep justice going.