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General Information

Salary
The national salary range is £29,303 - £31,061 London salary range is £33,551 - £35,564. Your salary will be dependent on your base location
Working Pattern
Full Time
Vacancy Approach
External
Location
Edinburgh, London
Region
London, Scotland
Closing Date
14-May-2026
Post Type
Permanent
Civil Service Grade
EO
Number of jobs available
1
Reserve List
12 Months
Job ID
17094

Descriptions & requirements

Job description

The Scotland Office supports the Secretary of State for Scotland in promoting the best interests of Scotland within a stronger United Kingdom. It ensures the people of Scotland are fully and effectively represented at the heart of the UK Government, and the UK Government’s work is seen and felt in Scotland.

The Role

The Correspondence Manager role is an excellent opportunity to work at the heart of Government and to manage correspondence on a wide range of issues concerning Scotland.  

The successful candidate will join a friendly, collaborative team of 12 within the Private Office. They will report directly to one of the Secretary of State’s private secretaries, providing the chance to work closely with ministers to achieve their objectives. 

Your primary focus will be on managing the Scotland Office’s correspondence caseload, ensuring that correspondence for ministers and the department is accurately logged, drafted, and issued according to cross-government deadlines. Correspondence is an important part of the democratic process, and underlines the accountability of ministers to Parliament and the public. As such, we have ambitious targets and high standards for the quality and timeliness of all replies to correspondence, and you will need to work flexibly across the department to ensure these standards are met.

You will also take responsibility for the management of write rounds and Freedom of Information (FOI) Requests for the Scotland Office. This includes managing the effective recording, compilation, and quality assurance of FOI responses, and developing a strong working understanding of the FOI Act to ensure that the department is fulfilling its statutory obligations in this area. 

Key Responsibilities:

  • Ensure that correspondence is accurately logged, processed, and tracked. Manage the progression of correspondence to ensure responses are sent within departmental timescales.
  • Manage the logging and processing of Freedom of Information requests to ensure responses fall within statutory deadlines. This includes drafting responses and providing high quality advice on the handling of FOI requests.
  • Manage the Scotland Office’s write round processes, working closely with private secretaries and officials to ensure that Scotland Office returns are correctly processed. 
  • Manage the Scotland Office’s general enquiries inbox, drafting written responses to correspondence from members of the public using departmental lines.
  • Monitor correspondence performance, providing regular statistics to ministers and proactively address challenges as they arise.
  • Play a leading role in the Scotland Office’s engagement with the cross-government correspondence network.
  • Support the continuous improvement of processes within your brief, working closely with the Scotland Office’s corporate team to integrate Artificial Intelligence into our ways of working. 

Person specification

Successful candidates should be:

  • Proactive and able to manage their time effectively;
  • Able to deliver at pace and manage multiple cases at once;
  • A confident writer with a keen eye for detail;
  • Confident in building positive working relationships with a wide range of teams and other Government departments.

Essential Skills:

  • Excellent written English and communication skills, including accurate grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
  • Ability to work at pace and deliver against multiple deadlines.
  • Proficiency in Google Workspace tools (or Microsoft Office), including Google Sheets and Google Docs.
  • Comfortable working independently. 
  • Willing to work creatively to build AI into their processes. 

Desirable Skills:

  • Existing understanding or training on the Freedom of Information Act. 
  • Confident and skilled in the use of IT and digital tools, including AI.

Additional Information

Security clearance

This role requires CTC-level clearance. Applicants for National Security Clearance

(CTC) must be resident in the UK for 3 years immediately prior to their application for Security Clearance. Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be

appointed. The level of security needed is counter-terrorist check.

Application Process

As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete:

  • A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements.
  • Three 250 word behaviours.

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

  • Managing a Quality Service (lead)
  • Delivering at Pace
  • Making Effective Decisions
  • Working Together

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be undertaken using CV and the lead behaviour, Managing a Quality Service. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview. 

The application process closes to applicants on 13 May.

Expected timeline (subject to change)

Expected sift date –  w/c 11 May

Expected interview date/s – w/c 18 May

Further Information

The role is at the Executive Officer (EO) level and will be based in the Scotland Office in our Edinburgh site, Queen Elizabeth House, or our London site, Dover House.

Please be aware that the Scotland Office is not an employer in its own right. Staff recruited to work at the Scotland Office will be employees of the Ministry of Justice who provide employment services on our behalf.

We strongly encourage applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that reflects the wider society that we serve. The Scotland Office is committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive community - a place where we can all be ourselves and succeed on merit. We offer a range of family-friendly, inclusive employment policies, flexible location-based working arrangements, people engagement forums, facilities, and services to support people from different backgrounds to have a rewarding career. The post holder will also have an active leadership role across the office and will support making it a fantastic and inclusive place to work.

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months, from which further appointments can be made.

Working Arrangements & Further Information

The MoJ offers Hybrid Working arrangements where business need allows. This is an informal, non-contractual form of flexible working that blends working from your base location, different MoJ sites and / or from home (please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas). All employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office, subject to local estate capacity.

Some roles will not be suitable for Hybrid Working. Similarly, Hybrid Working will not suit everyone’s circumstances. Arrangements will be discussed and agreed with the successful candidate(s) and subject to regular review.

For nationally advertised role: all successful candidates will be appointed to the nearest viable office nearest to their home postcode and on its respective pay scale.  This will be at either a HQ building (subject to desk allocation, a Justice Collaboration Centre (JCC) or a Justice Satellite Office (JSO) – See Map. All employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office, subject to local estate capacity). 

For current MoJ employees, your base location will need to be changed to the nearest viable office (to your home postcode), either at a HQ building, JCC or JSO within the National Office Network and moved its location’s respective pay scale (any legacy arrangements/locations will need to be amended).

Some of MoJ’s terms and conditions of service are changing as part of Civil Service reform. The changes will apply to staff joining MoJ who are new to the Civil Service. Staff joining MoJ from other civil service employers will transfer onto the new MoJ terms if they are already on 'modernised' terms in their current post or onto 'unmodernised' MoJ terms if they are on 'unmodernised' terms at their current post. Details will be available if an offer is made.

MoJ candidates who are on a specialist grade, will be able to retain their grade on lateral transfer.

All candidates who are currently in receipt of Mark Time / Pay Protection should ensure they are familiar with the new policy on permanent and temporary promotion which can be found on the employee intranet.

Flexible working hours

The Ministry of Justice offers a flexible working system in many offices. Standard full time working hours are 37 hours per week. MoJ welcomes part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns, where they meet the demands of the role and business needs. All applications for part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns will be considered in accordance with the MoJ’s Flexible Working policy.

Benefits

The MoJ offers a range of benefits:

Annual Leave

Annual leave is 25 days on appointment and will increase to 30 days after five years’ service.

There is also a scheme to allow qualifying staff to buy or sell up to three days leave each year. Additional paid time off for public holidays and 1 privilege day. Leave for part-time and job share posts will be calculated on a pro-rata basis.

Pension

The Civil Service offers a choice of pension schemes, giving you the flexibility to choose the pension that suits you best.

Training

The Ministry of Justice is committed to staff development and offers an extensive range of training and development opportunities.

Networks

The opportunity to join employee-run networks that have been established to provide advice and support and to enable the views of employees from minority groups to be expressed direct to senior management. There are currently networks for employees of minority ethnic origin, employees with disabilities, employees with caring responsibilities, women employees, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees.

Support

  • A range of ‘Family Friendly’ policies such as opportunities to work reduced hours or job share.
  • Access to flexible benefits such as voluntary benefits, retail vouchers and discounts on a range of goods and services.
  • For moves to or from another employer or moves across the Civil Service this can have implications on your eligibility to carry on claiming childcare vouchers. You may however be eligible for alternative government childcare support schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. More information can be found on www.GOV.UK or Childcare Choices. You can determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.
  • Paid paternity, adoption and maternity leave.
  • Free annual sight tests for employees who use computer screens.

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by 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 you are able to raise a formal complaint in the following order

As a Disability Confident employer, MoJ are committed to providing everyone with the opportunity to demonstrate their skills, talent and abilities, by making adjustments throughout all elements of the recruitment process and in the workplace. MoJ are able to offer an interview to disabled candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns.

For more information on applying for a role as a candidate with a disability or long-term condition, please watch our animated videos.

You will be able to request reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process within the application form. If you need additional help completing the application form, please contact the TBS Recruitment Enquiries Team.

Diversity & Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy.

A Great Place to Work for Veterans

The "Making the Civil Service a Great Place to work for veterans" initiative includes a guaranteed interview scheme to those who meet the minimum criteria to provide eligible former members of the Armed Forces with opportunities to secure rewarding jobs. Allowing veterans to continue to serve their country, and to bring highly skilled individuals with a broad range of experience into the Civil Service in an environment, which recognises and values your previous service in the Armed Forces.
For further details about the initiative and eligibility requirements visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/making-the-civil-service-a-great-place-to-work-for-veterans

Redeployment Interview Scheme

Civil Service departments are expected to explore redeployment opportunities before making an individual redundant. The MoJ is committed, as part of the Redeployment Interview Scheme, to providing opportunities to those who are 'at risk of redundancy'.

MoJ is able to offer an interview to eligible candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns. Candidates will not be eligible for the Redeployment Interview Scheme if they are applying on promotion.

Civil Service Nationality Rules

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

  • UK nationals
  • nationals of the Republic of Ireland
  • nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
  • nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window) https://www.gov.uk/settled-status-eu-citizens-families
  • nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
  • individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
  • Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-rules

Reserve list

A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made for the same or similar roles.
Contact Information

For more information about this role, please contact Max Joynson  – max.joynson@ukgovscotland.gov.uk.

MoJ:

If you require any assistance please call 0345 241 5359 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@resourcing.soprasteria.co.uk

Please quote the job reference 17094

HMPPS:

If you require any assistance please call 0345 241 5358 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@resourcing.soprasteria.co.uk

Please quote the job reference 17094

Application form stage assessments

Behaviours
A sift based on the lead behaviour, Managing a Quality Service, may be held if a large number of applications are received. If a large number of applications remain after the initial sift, your application will be progressed to a full sift, where all behaviours will then be considered.
Behaviours Application Form Question Word Limit
250
Managing a Quality Service
Delivering at Pace
Making Effective Decisions

Interview stage assessments

Interview Dates
Expected w/c 18 May
Behaviours
Managing a Quality Service
Delivering at Pace
Working Together
Strengths
Strengths will be assessed but these are not shared in advance. To learn more about Strengths and how they are assessed please click here.
Level of security checks required
Counter Terrorism Check (CTC)

Use of Artificial Intelligence (Al)

Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.  Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.