Role Profile

Role Title: Higher Executive Officer (HEO) Manager

Grade: HEO

Role Purpose

This is a management role responsible for managing and co-ordinating areas of service delivery and day-to-day operations within a defined area, including the leadership of people and resources.  

The role holder will ensure Executive Officer (EO) managers lead their teams in line with Civil Service Line Management Standards and HM Court and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) policies, supporting staff to gain and develop the skills, knowledge and capabilities needed to successfully deliver business objectives.  

The HEO Manager will manage user support, facilities, and digital support activities, to ensure smooth site operations, act as deputy for senior managers, and address local performance and service issues. This role sits within the Operational Delivery profession and will report to the Senior Executive Officer (SEO) Manager. 

Key Accountabilities

• Role model Civil Service and Ministry of Justice (MoJ) values, manage performance and attendance through regular, open conversations. Address shortfalls, communicate priorities clearly and lead change and improvement in these areas by developing plans, reviewing outcomes, and measuring success.  

• Ensure EO managers use management information to monitor team performance against agreed objectives, standards and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), and brief their teams on how their work impacts on wider business objectives, and address performance, attendance, and conduct issues while recognising and rewarding good performance.  

• Promote a professional, inclusive and open team environment where people feel safe to speak up, encouraging open dialogue and constructive challenge, and ensuring managers do the same.  

• Use management information to assess capability gaps and development needs and coach managers to build confidence in handling people issues and having difficult conversations.  

• Support talent development, ensuring managers hold regular personal development and career discussions and provide access to learning opportunities. Carry out benchmarking of performance and development discussions to ensure consistency.  

• Manage conflict and uphold a zero-tolerance approach to bullying and harassment. Guide managers in resolving team issues.  

• Champion wellbeing, ensuring managers create a safe space for staff to raise concerns and request adjustments.  

• Translate data and feedback into practical steps and action, improving staff experience and service delivery. Monitor progress and escalate concerns as needed.  

• Empower managers to innovate, encouraging autonomy to identify, test and challenge ideas and implement more effective and efficient ways of working, driving improvements, celebrating and rewarding creativity and learning from successes and mistakes.  

• Support senior leaders in delivering complex changes and lead people through change, championing service improvements and fostering trust and openness. Ensure feedback about the introduction and embedding of change is acted on and communicated.   

• Oversee planning and allocation of resources to meet objectives and respond to changing business needs.  

• Drive continuous improvement, using data and feedback to identify trends and improve services. Share best practice across teams.  

• Lead workforce planning, managing recruitment, onboarding, and training for their part of the business. Work with wider management team to address retention challenges.  

• Maintain visibility both virtually and in person and be present on site to support daily operations and resolve issues.  

• Lead and co-ordinate service delivery, ensuring that services are delivered in a professional, safe and secure manner.    

• Invest in development, supporting coaching and mentoring for the role holder and their team. Actively seek feedback from SEO manager on own performance.  

• Monitor complaints, putting in place plans to reduce recurrence, and use insights to improve services.  

• Collaborate across teams and areas to ensure a consistent, user-focused experience.  

• Deputise for SEO managers when required.  

• Ensure your team adhere to all protocols and procedures and comply with assurance policies, checking accuracy and identifying trends in non-compliance. Resolve escalated issues and maintain consistent policy application.  

• Engage with estates and facilities teams, escalating service issues as needed to enable the full utilisation and successful operation of the site(s) to deliver services to all users.   

• Regularly review the coverage of roles and measures in place to maintain effective site operation, including Fire & Incident Control Officer (FICO), Health and Safety, first aid, fire marshals etc.    

• Maintain and test business continuity plans to ensure operational resilience and apply lessons learned to strengthen continuity planning.  

• Carry out other duties to support business needs or to discharge statutory obligation as needed and appropriate to grade 

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

Essential   

• People management skills to successfully manage and lead people in their hierarchy, ensuring managers and teams have the skills, knowledge and resources to succeed.  

• Understanding of, or willingness to learn, Civil Service Line Management Standards and HMCTS policies to support effective leadership.  

• Skills in planning, setting targets, delegating work, and reviewing progress to improve performance and manage risk.  

• Strong stakeholder management and interpersonal skills to build and maintain effective relationships with the judiciary and key stakeholders.  

• Ability to deliver and embed messages from senior leadership and national/regional operations, ensuring they are understood.  

• Data analysis skills and insight to analyse trends and workflows to solve complex problems and make confident decisions to improve services, and shape local priorities within regional and national strategies.  

• Effective negotiation skills to manage and reconcile competing priorities and resolve issues.  

• Coaching skills to support EO managers to build confidence and capability in handling business and people matters.  

• Understanding of change methodologies and an ability to lead teams through periods of change and to support senior leaders in complex change delivery.  

• Knowledge of risk and issue management approaches to identify, assess and mitigate risks affecting service delivery. 

Desirable   

• Knowledge of business area, or a willingness to learn, in order to understand the work and functions within their responsibility and how these link to other work areas.  

Problem Solving and Decision Making

• Empower managers to make fair, ethical and inclusive decisions aligned with Civil Service values, using sound evidence.  

• Use judgement and discretion to resolve short-term local issues and implement solutions, escalating complex or sensitive matters appropriately.  

• Make people-related decisions across service delivery areas, ensuring EOs manage their teams in line with HMCTS policies and deliver a quality service.  

• Identify and respond to significant issues, using creativity and initiative to re-prioritise workloads, resources and activities. Escalate when needed via the correct channels.  

• Evaluate risks impacting service delivery, develop practical options and solutions to support the leadership team in managing and mitigating those risks.  

• Resolve user complaints and issues, using judgement, negotiation and influencing skills to maintain effective site operations in a challenging operational environment.  

• Make operational decisions about the daily running of the site(s) in the absence of senior managers. For smaller sites, make decisions as senior person on site (SPOS) when required. 

• Investigate data issues (gaps, errors and irregularities), highlight risks, and escalate serious matters with clear options and supporting evidence.

Management of Resources

• Manage and coordinate day-to-day site operations and service delivery across large areas, ensuring resources are managed and deployed effectively to maximise building use and deliver a consistent user experience across jurisdictions. This will require the role holder to plan ahead and collaborate with other teams and functions to meet performance targets.  

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

• Monitor or manage a budget or exercise control over financial resources including for people, equipment, minor contracts and invoices, seeking approval from the official budget holder when required. Conduct financial and resource audits and following governance processes.  

• Coordinate with contractors to ensure sufficient local support and maintain business continuity. 

Autonomy

• Use independent judgement and initiative to resolve people-related matters within their authority.  

• Work independently, using judgement and initiative to manage the physical operation of the site, ensure effective service delivery and support the user experience.  

• Provide clear direction, respond quickly in high-pressure situations in a fast-paced environment. Manage risks, dealing with incidents quickly and escalate sensitive or high-impact issues to senior management where necessary. 

Key Relationships and Contacts

Build and manage strong relationships with a wide range of stakeholders to ensure smooth site operations and effective service delivery. Act as the first point of escalation to internal and external stakeholders, providing guidance and information to support a positive user experience.   

Relationships and contact may include but are not limited to:  

Internal:  

• Judiciary - engage with judges and resolve escalated issues to meet business needs.  

• Senior leadership - collaborate, escalate concerns, and share performance insights.  

• HEO peers - share best practice and work together across areas.  

• Human Resources (HR) - work closely on complex people matters.  

• Service providers and regional operations - provide clear advice and recommendations to support initiatives and resolve issues.  

• Other business areas / teams - manage workflow crossover and collaborate to support end-to-end service delivery and a consistent user experience.

• Other internal teams (e.g. Workforce Management, Quality, Development) - engage to forward plan, recognise and analyse trends in performance where necessary put in place measures to react and recover.

• Onsite support - liaise with security, property, estates, facilities management and Digital & Technology Services (DTS) to ensure site functionality.  

External:  

• Public and service users - handle and resolve complex complaints and issues escalated by EO managers.  

• Justice partners - build and maintain professional relationships and influencing and informing key stakeholders in relation to achieving HMCTS business objectives.  

• Third sector providers - collaborate to enhance local service offerings.  

• Contractors and suppliers- management of and engagement with to ensure efficient site operations.  

• Local Trade Unions - engage on site-related matters.