Head of Service Operations

Introduction 2

Welcome to His Majesty’s Court and Tribunals Service Development Directorate 3

About HMCTS 4

About the role 5

Key Responsibilities 6/7

Person Specification 8/9

MOJ SCS Pay Band 1/ Behaviours 9

The Recruitment Process 10/11

Application and CV & Success Profile Statement Assessment

Assessments

Panel interview

After the panel interview

Civil Service Behaviours 12/13

Expected Timeline 14

Working the Ministry of Justice and Benefits 15

Disability Support 16 & 17

FAQs 18 & 19

Data Sharing 20

Diversity & Inclusion 21

“Thank you for your interest in this exciting role with the Development Directorate"

The justice system is an essential public service, relied upon by millions of victims, families and businesses across our country.

The work we do at HMCTS has a direct impact on people’s everyday lives. Our justice system defends our fundamental rights and freedom and is respected throughout the world.

Our courts and tribunals underpin justice and affect the lives of millions every year. HMCTS has been reforming the services we offer to both the citizens who use them, and our partners in the justice system.

The Crime jurisdiction has a high public profile - and all the more so given the planned legislation to implement the Review of Criminal Courts. Turning the tide on the Crown Court caseload is a key priority for the Government and our Crime Service Team is central to delivering that.

You will be leading a team of specialists in the Crown and Magistrates’ Courts to deliver an improving service for those who use our courts. In your wider role as a senior leader of the HMCTS Development Directorate, you will play a key part in achieving the HMCTS vision of an efficient and effective courts and tribunals system which enables the rule of law to be upheld and provides access to justice for all. You will ensure that HMCTS provides a more accessible system which is modern and responsive, treats those who use our service with dignity and respect, and which provides better value for money for the taxpayer.

This role requires an outstanding leader, able to operate effectively in a highly challenging environment. You will need to balance competing priorities and to be able to deliver in a complex delivery environment.

You will be responsible for delivering change and working in partnership with senior professionals outside of your span of control, and you will be someone who is capable of gaining the trust, confidence and respect of the judiciary at all levels.

If you think you have the experience and energy to take on this stretching and challenging role, we would be very keen to hear from you.

The Ministry of Justice is a major government department at the heart of the justice system. We deliver some of the most fundamental public services including courts, tribunals, prisons, legal services, youth justice, probation services, and attendance centres.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) works to protect and advance the principles of justice. Our vision is to deliver a world-class justice system that works for everyone in society.

The justice system plays a crucial role in our success as a nation - keeping people safe, emphasising fairness, guaranteeing individual rights and giving businesses confidence to flourish.

Punishment that cuts crime: to rebuild confidence in the criminal justice system by protecting the public and reducing reoffending with a sustainable and effective prison and probation service.

Swifter justice for victims: to rebuild confidence in the criminal justice system by ensuring timely, just outcomes for victims and defendants through a modern and efficient criminal courts system.

A beacon for justice and the rule of law: to uphold the rule of law at home and abroad; promote our world-leading legal services, which contribute to economic growth; and deliver accessible and timely civil, family and administrative justice.

For more information on who we are and what we do, please visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice

HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) is an executive agency of the Ministry of Justice. It operates based on a partnership between the Lord Chancellor, the Lord Chief Justice and the Senior President of Tribunals. It currently has around 18,000 staff, operating from around 350 locations with a gross annual budget of c£2.3bn, approximately £800 million of which is recovered in fees and income from service users. It handles over 2 million criminal cases, 1.8 million civil claims, more than 150,000 family law disputes and almost 800,000 tribunal cases annually.

HMCTS is responsible for the administration of the criminal, civil and family courts and tribunals in England and Wales and non-devolved tribunals in Scotland and Northern Ireland. It supports a fair, efficient and effective justice system delivered by an independent judiciary.

HMCTS is governed by a Framework Document, which formally sets out the duties and responsibilities of the board of HMCTS and its Chief Executive. A copy can be seen on the HMCTS website: http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/publications/corporate-reports/hmcts/2014/hmcts-framework-document-2014.pdf

• providing the supporting administration for a fair, efficient and accessible courts and tribunal system

• driving improvements across all aspects of the administration of the courts and tribunals

• collaborating effectively with other justice organisations and agencies, including the legal professions, to improve access to justice

• working with government departments and agencies to improve the quality and timeliness of their decision-making, which will reduce the number of cases coming before courts and tribunals.

Our vision is to have an efficient and effective courts and tribunals system which enables the rule of law to be upheld and provides access to justice for all.

The MoJ is working to open more Justice Collaboration Centres and Justice Satellite Offices over time. Click here to learn more about where our currently open Justice Collaboration Centres and Justice Satellite Offices are, to identify where you may be based.

Please note the requirements for travel and level of flexibility available as set out in the FAQs section.

External candidates should expect their salary upon appointment to be £81,000 per annum.

Existing Civil Servants will be appointed in line with the Civil Service pay rules in place on the date of their appointment.

The Deputy Director, Crime role reports to the Director Development, Strategy and Change. The role holder will work to lead two Divisions responsible for oversight of Crime jurisdictional support for HMCTS, and for leading the development of the Crime element of the Service Model.

This role will lead Crime Change work, specifically the proposed policy changes arising from the Independent Review of the Criminal Courts.

Like all Service Owners at SCS1 level, in this role you will be a visible member of HMCTS’ wider senior leadership team, both across the Development Directorate and HMCTS, demonstrating your commitment to and understanding of HMCTS’ goals.

You will in particular work closely within HMCTS HQ with the other Deputy Director of Crime, and with other Directors, Deputy Directors, the Change Portfolio Team, and operational Delivery Directors. You will also lead continuous improvement of Crime across the organisation in a consistent and coherent manner.

You will work in partnership with the senior judiciary, establishing and maintaining key internal, external and cross justice sector relationships. You will actively seek to join up processes and ways of working and be responsible for improving operating models and the development and maintenance of standard operating procedures. You will have a significant representational role for the agency on key aspects of tribunals business and will be required to speak authoritatively for the organisation, both internally and externally, in this area, and occasionally more widely.

Provide day-to-day strategic leadership, motivating and developing a team of crime specialists, and taking a wider strategic leadership role as a member of the Development Directorate leadership team.

Building, maintaining and managing relationships with key stakeholders (internal and external), influencing and driving change, and continuous improvement.

Work in close collaboration with MoJ policy, and wider HMCTS to ensure HMCTS service and operational requirements are fully understood and considered in policy development and by ministers, and providing support and input into policy development.

Support the successful implementation of national changes, ensuring they are focused on improving criminal court service delivery and that they are aligned with changes across the criminal courts and criminal justice system.

Lead the team to oversee the implementation of all current and future service reforms arising from the agreed package of reforms that follow the Independent Review of Criminal Courts (Leveson Review) and ensure service requirements are developed and delivered across all aspects of reform project and programme work in HMCTS.

Coordinate and oversee HMCTS contributions to any requests required to support the development of legislation, and progression of bills throughout the entire legislative passage process.

Provide subject matter expertise to senior officials and ministers to support agency and departmental responses relating to criminal court services and reforms.

Act as Senior Responsible Owner (SRO) for key criminal court reform projects to ensure these meet their business case and any wider programme objectives.

The focus of any Service Owner role is dynamic, reflecting the continual evolution of operational business and policy implementation priorities.

It is important through the recruitment process that you give evidence and examples of proven experience of each of the essential and desirable criteria.

Later in the pack you will be told what is being assessed at which stage of the process.

A strong track record of leading and delivering at a strategic level in a complex organisation.

An excellent understanding/experience of developing, having responsibility for operating models or leading operational improvement.

Experience of successfully leading business transformation (preferably using digital solutions)

Strong leadership skills with the ability to motivate, inspire and develop a diverse and high performing team

Excellent stakeholder relationship skills with the ability to successfully influence, challenge and negotiate to gain the confidence of a diverse, complex and senior stakeholder group.

Ability to think and act in response to immediate needs as well as strategically identifying and working towards longer term outcomes

In addition, knowledge of criminal courts or experience of another court/tribunal jurisdiction, and experience of working with ministers, the judiciary and with policy functions to support the delivery of large-scale reform programmes at pace are desirable (but not essential) characteristics.

You will also be assessed against the following Behaviours during the Recruitment Process:

All leaders within the Civil Service are expected to demonstrate the qualities within the Civil Service Leadership Statement during their Staff Engagement Exercise.

The selection process will be chaired by Annabel Burns, Director, Strategy, Development and Change. The other panel members will be confirmed in due course.

If you need any support or have any questions during any stage of the selection process, please contact the SCS Recruitment Team scsrecruitment@justice.gov.uk.

For those interested in finding out more about the role, we encourage applicants to attend the information session on Friday 13^th March at 9:30am.

Annabel Burns will be present to discuss the position in more depth, as well as provide information about what you can expect while working in Development Directorate.

The session will also give you the chance to ask any questions you may have before applying to the role.

To attend the session please join using this link - Service Owner Information Session

You will need to complete the online application process accessed via the advertisement for this role.

This should be completed no later than 23:55 on Sunday 22^nd March 2026. As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete:

Responses to the eligibility questions to check you are eligible to apply for the role.

A response to whether you would like to request reasonable adjustments during the selection process. The Disability Support section explains how adjustments can be made to the selection process to accommodate a disability.

You will also need to complete a CV and Statement of Suitability. It is important that your CV and Statement of Suitability give evidence and examples of how you meet the essential experience set out on page 13.

You will be advised whether your application has been shortlisted for the next stage of the selection process. If you are shortlisted, we will contact you to arrange the next stage of the selection process.

The Staff Engagement Exercise or SEE is an opportunity to engage in a two-way discussion on a set topic area with a group of staff from the organisation. The topic area will be shared with you in advance. An Occupational Psychologist will brief you before the assessment, observe the assessment and debrief you. They will facilitate a discussion to seek feedback from the staff, which will be considered alongside their own observations

This assessment is not pass or fail, they are designed to provide you with greater insight into the role and organisation, and to highlight areas for the panel to explore further at interview.

You will be invited to attend an interview and presentation with the selection panel. You will be asked to prepare a verbal 5-minute presentation based on a topic that will be provided in advance. The interview and presentation will last for approximately 45 minutes.

Following the interview, the performance of all candidates will be reviewed, and the successful candidate identified. All candidates will be notified of the outcome as soon as possible after the conclusion of all interviews. If you are not the successful candidate but you meet the standard required, you may be invited to have your details retained on a merit list to be considered for future SCS roles.

The Civil Service recruits using Success Profiles and Behaviours are an element of Success Profiles used to see whether candidates are able demonstrate specific Behaviours associated with the role they are applying for during the selection process.

In this process the below Behaviours are most relevant to this role and will be assessed during the interview stage of the process. The definitions of Behaviours are set out below:

You visibly demonstrate the organisation’s values in all your activity, leading authentically. You seek to engage staff in the aims of the organisation and communicate the organisation’s strategy in an inspiring way. You create an inclusive and fair culture which creates a sense of belonging by treating staff as individuals and actively valuing diversity within the organisation. You empower teams and individuals to excel by creating a shared vision and objectives and demonstrate trust in staff by giving autonomy.

You communicate clearly and with confidence, both verbally and in writing. You are open, honest and transparent in your communications. You communicate effectively with internal and external senior stakeholders to present information in a convincing and influential manner. You tailor your communication methods and content to the audience, simplifying strategic messages.

You make defensible, objective and fair high-impact decisions, considering the impact on the service user and wider organisation. You are willing to take ownership of your decisions, being transparent and open about the reasons for them. You effectively analyse data to make evidence-based decisions, whilst being comfortable taking considered risks based on the best evidence available. You consult with others to incorporate views and professional expertise, ensuring appropriate individuals are involved in the decision-making process.

You work collaboratively to achieve outcomes both within your area of responsibility and across the organisation. You create a supportive working environment where all opinions are considered, and individuals are valued for their expertise and unique contribution.

You proactively maintain relationships with peers and external senior stakeholders and utilise these to achieve positive outcomes.

You create an environment of continuous improvement and change. You see the benefit of change and promote this within your area of responsibility. You identify business needs, both current and future, and use this to identify opportunities for change, utilising innovative solutions that benefit the end user. You are able to embed change, managing risks. You evaluate the impact of change against the expected outcomes for service users and the public.

As part of the application process, you need to submit a Statement and CV. Both your Statement and CV should demonstrate how you meet the essential experience outlined in the Person Specification section.

Ensure you read through the role information thoroughly and identify the essential criteria for each area. You should ensure you provide evidence for each of the essential experience which are required for the role in your Statement and CV. You may not be progressed to the next stage of the assessment process if you do not provide this evidence.

Evidence your experience by using subheadings and paragraphs. This will help to ensure you are writing about the experience that is directly relevant for the role you are applying for.

You should ensure that you detail recent and relevant examples of the essential experience required for the role and describe the outcome that came from this.

In both your CV and Success Profile Statements please remove references to any personal information that could identify you. For example:

This will help us to recruit based on your knowledge and skills, and not on your background, gender or ethnicity. Recruiting this way is called name-blind recruitment.

For more information on how to write your Statement and CV please visit the Civil Service Careers Website.

We will try and offer as much flexibility as we can, but it may not be possible to offer alternative dates for assessments or interviews. You are therefore asked to note the below timetable, exercising flexibility through the recruitment and selection process, in order to meet the dates given. Please note that these dates may be subject to change.

Our departmental values - purpose, humanity, openness and together - are at the heart of our commitment to create a culture where all our people are able to thrive and flourish in the workplace.

We want to attract and retain the best talent from diverse backgrounds and perspectives. We want everyone to be the best of themselves, to feel supported and have a strong sense of belonging in the workplace. Our commitment to creating a diverse and inclusive workforce is reflected in all of our people policies and strategies.

As a HMCTS employee, you’ll be entitled to a large range of benefits which include but are not limited to:

The Civil Service Pension Scheme is one of the best workplace pension schemes in the UK public sector. Visit www.civilservicepensionscheme.org.uk for more details.

25 days annual leave on entry, increasing on a sliding scale to 30 days after 5 years’ service. This is in addition to 8 public holidays. This will be complemented by one further day paid privilege entitlement to mark the King’s Birthday.

While not every type of flexible working will be suitable for every role and business area, flexible working can take many forms and The Ministry of Justice is committed to delivering its business effectively and sustainably by creating modern and inclusive workplaces that enable smart, flexible and hybrid working.

For more information on our amazing benefits including our Civil Service Pension Scheme, annual and special leave, and our Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Wellbeing schemes please visit our Senior Civil Service website.

We are committed to supporting all candidates to take part in the recruitment process. This includes supporting individuals who have a disability by making reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process.

If you feel you require any kind of support and/or would like to discuss this with someone, please indicate 'yes' to requesting reasonable adjustments in your application form and ensure that you respond to the Reasonable Adjustments Scheme team by email.

There are many types of reasonable adjustments that can be made during assessment processes.

Providing interview questions in a written format at the interview as well as orally;

This is not an exhaustive list but rather some examples of how we can support you during the SCS Recruitment Process.

Whilst we aim to confirm all adjustments requested, there may be occasions where this isn't possible. If an adjustment cannot be provided, the reasons for this will be explained to you.

It is important you contact us as early as possible by email if you would like to request reasonable adjustments so that the recruitment process runs smoothly for you.

If you do decide during the process that you do require adjustments and you have not completed all your assessments, please contact the SCS recruitment team in advance of your next assessment.

If you have any questions in advance of making your application regarding reasonable adjustments please contact the SCS recruitment team at scsrecruitment@justice.gov.uk

As a Disability Confident employer, the MoJ offer an interview to disabled candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns. This could be in terms of the advertised essential skills and/or application form sift criteria. Within the application form, you will be asked if you would like to be considered for an interview under this scheme, so please make us aware of this when prompted.

This role is available for full-time, part time or flexible working arrangements (including job shares). To discuss your needs in more detail please get in touch with the SCS Recruitment Team.

If successful you will be based National. Relocation costs will not be reimbursed.

This role will also require travel to London and other offices across the country.

Unfortunately, we will not be able to reimburse you, except in exceptional circumstances.

Yes. If successful you must hold, or be willing to obtain, security clearance to SC level. More information about the vetting process can be found here.

No. However, the recruitment process will still be governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles.

The law requires that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles.

Should you feel that the recruitment process has breached the recruitment principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should contact scsrecruitment@justice.gov.uk in the first instance.

If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department you are able to raise a formal complaint in the following order.

To Shared Service-Connected Ltd (0845 241 5358 (Monday to Friday 08.00 - 18.00) or e-mail Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com

To the Civil Service Commission https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/contact-us/

If you believe that you may have a conflict of interest you must declare it by contacting SCS Recruitment on scsrecruitment@justice.gov.uk before submitting your application.

We will ensure that we will treat all personal information in accordance with data protection legislation, including the General Data Protection Regulation and Data Protection Act 2018.

To process your application your personal data will be shared with the Ministry of Justice SCS Recruitment Team, campaign Panel Members and anyone else necessary as part of the recruitment process.

Processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest. Personal data are processed in the public interest because understanding civil servant experiences and feelings about working in the Civil Service can inform decision taken to improve these experiences, and ultimately organisation performance.

Sensitive personal data is personal data revealing racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, or trade union membership, and the processing of genetic data, biometric data for the purpose of uniquely identifying a natural person, data concerning health or data concerning a natural person's sex life or sexual orientation.

Processing is necessary for reasons of substantial public interest for the exercise of a function of the Crown, a Minister of the Crown, or a government department: it is important to know if groups of staff with specific demographic characteristics have a better or worse experience of working for the Civil Service, so that appropriate action can be taken to level this experience;

Processing is of a specific category of personal data and it is necessary for the purposes of identifying or keeping under review the existence or absence of equality of opportunity or treatment between groups of people with a view to enabling such equality to be promoted or maintained.

Please note if you are successful in your application your sensitive personal data will be used as part of the on-boarding process to build your employee record.

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent where it is found. To learn more, please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service D&I Strategy

Should candidates like to discuss the role in more detail before submitting an application, please contact SCS Recruitment on scsrecruitment@justice.gov.uk.

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