Job Description (JD)

Group/Directorate/Team: Private Offices Directorate

Role: Support Manager - Chamber Presidents Private Offices

Grade: EO



Role title:

Support Manager, Chamber Presidents Private Office



Team/Directorate:

Private Offices Directorate

Overview of the Judicial Office

This is standardised wording and cannot be amended.

The Judicial Office (JO) reports to, and is accountable, to the Lady Chief Justice (LCJ). It was established in 2006 to provide support to the LCJ and to the wider judiciary in upholding the rule of law and in delivering justice impartially, speedily and efficiently, following the Constitutional Reform Act 2005.

In addition, we support, and are accountable to, the Senior President of Tribunals, whose responsibilities extend to Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The JO is an interesting and unique place to work. Everything we do is in support of upholding the independence and impartiality of the judiciary. We work closely with HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS), the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and others across Government as well as with the legal professions.

We are an Arm’s Length Body sponsored by the Ministry of Justice. This creates an interesting and complex environment in which to work where we agree our priorities with the senior judiciary and receive our funding to deliver them from the Ministry of Justice. The Judicial Office has been through a period of significant growth resulting from an expansion of our remit and responsibilities.

See JO staff talk about working here: https://design102.wistia.com/medias/uhgtmbtnlv

Overview of the team

The postholder will join the Judicial Private Offices directorate. The business units include operational private offices; jurisdiction and policy private offices; and the Judicial Executive Board Secretariat.

This is an exciting opportunity to work with and support some of the most senior Tribunal’s judiciary in the country.

The Chamber Presidents’ Private Offices are a series of small jurisdictional teams focused on supporting each Chamber and Tribunal President across all their leadership functions. Each Private Office works collaboratively with expert teams across the Judicial Office and HMCTS to provide policy and legal advice, as well as general secretariat and administrative support, to the Chamber and Tribunal Presidents.

Hybrid Working Requirement

This is standardised wording and cannot be amended.

The role is based in London.

This position is eligible for hybrid working (current minimum requirement for time spent at base location is 60%, which is subject to business requirements).

The support provided by judicial Private Offices necessarily involves working before and after court, in keeping with the judge’s diary commitments and sitting patterns. Some early mornings and late evenings can be expected, though every effort will be made to accommodate flexibility where necessary. This role is not suitable for reduced hours working. 

Summary of the role

The postholder will be responsible for providing administrative support to the Presidents, designing and implementing systems and processes within the jurisdictional offices to deliver day to day business and looking across jurisdictions to share and implement best practice and realise efficiencies. Given close working with members of the judiciary, the post holder will be expected to be able to communicate exceptionally clearly, both orally and in writing and will need to manage conflicting demands, prioritising their own workload and that of their teams. The successful candidate must be able to be confident implementing and driving forward changes in ways of working and modernisation initiatives. Collaboration and flexibility will be essential in this role given the requirement to work with a variety of stakeholders. Building strong relationships with peers and stakeholders across the Justice system, primarily with His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service, but also with the Ministry of Justice, other government departments, and across the Private Offices Directorate in Judicial Office will be key to success in this role.

This post will likely attract line manager of 1 or 2 AO Grade Support Officers.

Responsibilities,

Activities & Duties:

The main responsibilities of the post include, but are not limited to:


  • Providing secretariat for set piece meetings, including jurisdictional quarterly and annual meetings, commissioning written and oral advice and noting and tracking action points.

  • Acting as a point of contact for judicial office holder expenses queries, liaising with HMCTS finance as appropriate.

  • Designing and developing systems including leading on filing systems (paper and electronic - supporting compliance with GDPR), reviewing processes and implementing new ways of working to deliver efficiencies and build resilience within the Private Office as we begin to align CPO with the established Private Offices structures across Judicial Office.

  • Signposting Chamber Presidents to professional support e.g. HR, Communications, Judicial Training, across the Judicial Office and HMCTS (capturing OH referrals for Judicial Office Holders, reasonable adjustments, Pension Enquiries, ill health retirements, resignations etc).

  • Leading on the administration associated with Judicial Mentoring and on the scheduling and recording of Judicial Appraisal - providing support to lead judges as required

  • Overseeing Judicial Office Holder Swearing in Ceremonies and the support provided to Presidents with valedictory activities


Essential Knowledge, Experience and Skills

The successful candidate must: 


  • be able to manage conflicting priorities and use their initiative to re-prioritise work at short notice.

  • be willing and able to support the team in other jurisdictions as/when required.

  • be able to communicate clearly, both in writing and orally.

  • have excellent interpersonal skills to build and maintain strong relationships with a range of peers and stakeholders working across the justice system.

  • be open to changes to ways of working and support the team in driving these changes forward.

  • embrace constructive feedback and be comfortable reflecting on how tasks could be done better.


Desirable Knowledge, Experience and Skills

Desirable Knowledge and Skills: 
 

  • experience of working closely with the judiciary, and an interest in the workings of the courts and tribunals more widely. 
     

Behaviours (for Recruitment/Success Profiles):

This is a Success Profiles based recruitment and Civil Service Behaviours will be considered at application stage along with a candidate CV (not scored). 


Behaviours to be assessed at application stage:  


Delivering at Pace, Communicating & Influencing, Working Together, Managing a Quality Service


In the event of a high volume of applications, we will sift on the lead behaviour of Communicating and Influencing. 

Assessment process at application


Assessment process at interview

Candidates invited to interview will be assessed on these behaviours and on Civil Service Strengths. 

Security clearance required:

Select one of the below.

(this will be determined by the location)

  • DBS

  • CTC

  • SC

  • DV

Please note:

Central Government policy dictates that applicants for National Security Clearance must be a resident in the UK for these minimum periods:

  • CTC - 3 years

  • SC - 5 years

  • DV - 10 years

CTC