Role Profile

Role Title: Senior Executive Officer (SEO) Manager 

Grade: SEO

Role Purpose

The SEO Manager provides visible leadership across operational areas, driving service delivery and team productivity. They give clear direction and focus to their teams and align and co-ordinate activity to increase productivity and deliver a quality service across site(s). The role holder will ensure their presence supports engagement, accountability, and alignment with organisational goals. They will communicate, support, and deliver HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) strategic objectives by translating national priorities into local plans focused on consistency, quality, innovation, and continuous improvement.  

They will lead by example, championing change and fostering a culture of resilience and adaptability across diverse teams. They ensure managers within their hierarchy follow Civil Service Line Management Standards, support staff development, and build capability to meet business objectives. This role is part of the Operational Delivery Profession and will report into the Grade 7 (G7) Deputy Head of Operations/Senior Operations Manager. 

Key Accountabilities

• Provide visible leadership and maintain strong presence both virtually and in person to support staff and ensure smooth operations. Promote a culture of accountability by constructively challenging managers and teams on office presence and visibility.  

• Model and embed Civil Service values, behaviours and Line Management Standards, promoting wellbeing, challenging negative behaviours, and fostering an inclusive, diverse and high-performing culture.  

• Embed principles of diversity, equality, and inclusion, open and honest respectful communication, creating a workplace where individuals feel safe, supported, and motivated to perform at their best.  

• Lead diverse teams across sites, ensuring delivery of high-quality services that meet performance standards, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), and HMCTS strategic objectives. Implement plans to improve service delivery and team performance where necessary.  

• Collaborate with peers across the region and wider business areas to share knowledge, align priorities, and drive consistent, high-quality service delivery.  

• Hold teams accountable for delivering against agreed business objectives and standards, informing and equipping them to deliver high-impact outcomes. Provide strategic oversight to ensure performance is effectively monitored.  

• Address underperformance, attendance, or conduct issues in accordance with policies using insights to develop improvement plans and provide targeted coaching. Build leadership capability and confidence in independently managing performance and hold Higher Executive Officers (HEOs) accountable for leading difficult conversations with their teams.   

• Drive service improvements, develop and present data driven options and plans to senior leadership to align performance against targets.  

• Promote continuous learning, encouraging teams to pursue development through different methods. Model reflective practice and guide managers to make informed decisions. Use feedback to refine development approaches.  

• Translate staff experience, engagement and wellbeing insights into action, monitoring progress, to ensure improvements in staff experience and service delivery.   

• Build leadership capability, empowering HEOs to lead high-performing teams equipped with the skills, knowledge, and resources to meet operational targets and KPIs.  

• Commit to personal and professional development, seek feedback, and apply learning to improve team performance, service delivery, and their overall impact.  

• Foster innovation and continuous improvement. Support new ideas, and embed lessons learned and best practices, ensuring staff feel heard, valued, and trusted.  

• Support the delivery of complex change, translate strategic goals into clear plans. Guide, inspire and prepare teams for change and support them to build resilience and maintain service delivery.    

• Use feedback and complaints data to identify trends and develop options to improve services.  

• Ensure succession and workforce plans support efficient service delivery. Coordinate recruitment and share best practices to improve outcomes.  

• Oversee the effective and safe operation of the site(s), ensuring that HEOs manage day-to-day site operations. Make sure all necessary roles, processes, and safety measures are in place, escalating unresolved or high-impact issues.   

• Ensure compliance with all protocols and procedures, implement controls to ensure data accuracy. Manage operational risks and issues, and ensure incidents are resolved in line with assurance policies and governance procedures, promoting accountability and escalating where necessary.

• Lead and coordinate the creation and maintenance of business continuity plans ensuring they are regularly reviewed, tested and understood by all staff.  

• Carry out other duties to support business needs or to discharge statutory obligation as needed and appropriate to grade, including deputising as required. 

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

Essential   

• Strong people management skills with experience in leading, developing, and motivating. Proven ability to coach high-performing teams. Skilled in supporting managers to lead effectively and align with performance expectations.  

• Ability and confidence to make informed decisions within a service delivery environment. Knowledge of, or willingness to learn, Civil Service Line Management Standards and HMCTS policies.  

• Strategic planning skills to manage long-term resource planning, assess service delivery holistically and manage risks and dependencies.  

• Strong interpersonal skills to build relationships with senior stakeholders and influence decisions.  

• Strong communication skills to be able to convey strategic direction and key messages to varied audiences.  

• Data analysis skills and experience in using performance data and feedback to identify trends, diagnose issues, and develop action plans.  

• Coaching skills to be able to build managers’ confidence in using judgement and discretion to resolve people and business challenges.  

• Experience in leading complex change, especially in public-facing services, with a track record of using sound judgment to deliver consistent solutions across sites.  

• Proficiency in identifying, evaluating and mitigating risks using governance frameworks to maintain service continuity, escalating when required.  

• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills to resolve complex business challenges with practical, effective solutions.  

Desirable   

• Knowledge of business area, or a willingness to learn, in order to align their work area with corporate strategies, lead change and effectively deliver services.  

Problem Solving and Decision Making

• Set and uphold service delivery standards, ensuring data accuracy and compliance with protocols and procedures. Proactively identify and resolve business challenges/issues using data.  Implement practical solutions to problems, using strong negotiation and conflict resolution skills to resolve complex issues and balancing competing priorities.  

• Anticipate risks and changes, evaluate impact on business continuity and quality of service, and implement or escalate mitigation strategies following the appropriate governance. Use feedback to continuously improve and refine risk management.  

• Make confident, data-driven decisions, ensuring alignment to local, regional and national business plans and support the wider strategic objectives as well as weighing risks and benefits.  

• Interpret people policies with discretion, seeking peer input when needed to ensure fair and consistent decisions.  

• Anticipate priorities and support effective decision-making, offering guidance and deputising for senior managers. Exercise sound judgement and discretion to resolve significant issues, when required to maintain business continuity.  

• Escalate persistent challenges, providing evidence-based recommendations to support informed decision-making and drive improvements across the organisation. 

Management of Resources

• Directly manage a team of HEO managers and indirectly manage and lead teams across single or multiple jurisdictions and potentially multiple sites.   

• Take a strategic and user focused approach to resource allocation and planning, identifying gaps and inefficiencies to maximise operational capacity and maintain service resilience.  

• Review team performance and resource needs, adjusting allocation based on delivery requirements and team feedback to continuously improve efficiency.  

• Manage people budgets, ensuring financial controls are in place, spend is within limits, and value for money is achieved. 

Autonomy

• Use independent judgement and initiative to interpret changing business needs and manage performance to deliver quality outcomes on time.  

• Operate with autonomy, guided by policy and standards, and precedents, using judgement and discretion to interpret and respond to operational requirements. Make independent decisions that align with HMCTS priorities and protocols while managing reputational risks and escalating sensitive issues when needed.  

• Provide clear priorities, direction, and expectations to their team, ensuring alignment with HMCTS values and culture, leading confidently in fast-paced environments and supporting teams through high-pressure situations. 

Key Relationships and Contacts

The role holder will set a clear vision for collaborative working, aligning teams with HMCTS priorities and local objectives. Build and lead strategic partnerships with internal and external stakeholders to support delivery of justice. They will influence and negotiate to resolve complex issues, manage competing priorities, and represent HMCTS at local and regional forums, ensuring the organisation’s interests are effectively communicated and understood.   

Relationships and contact may include but are not limited to:  

Internal:  

• Judiciary - engage with Leadership Judges, resolve daily issues, and agree support needs.  

• Legal Operations - work with Legal Managers, ensuring administrative and in-hearing support is provided to maintain the smooth running of hearings.   

• Management network - share best practice, collectively solve problems and collaborate on business matters.  

• Senior leadership team - report performance, escalate delivery issues identifying causes and impacts and propose solutions.  

• Facilities Management & Regional Support Unit (RSU) teams - co-ordinate and liaise to address site / building issues to ensure continuity of services.   

• Human Resources (HR) - identify trends, escalate issues, and coordinate on complex cases.  

• Regional Change function - engage closely, and build and maintain relationships in order to embed Continuous Improvement as a culture

• Internal teams (e.g. Workforce management, Quality, People Development) - maintain strong relationships and engage closely to understand performance trends and create strategic plans to maintain and improve performance.

External:  

• Justice Partners - build relationships with professional court users, managing expectations and influencing and informing about HMCTS business objectives.   

• Third sector providers - manage relationships, collaborating to develop a strong offering for users, in liaison with their senior manager.  

• Contractors - oversee the management of support functions and negotiate to ensure efficient site operations.  

• Regional Trade Unions - engage on matters affecting the business.  

• Other Government Departments - coordinate initiatives and share information.