HQ Job Description (JD)
Band 11
Directorate: Reducing Reoffending, Partnerships &
Accommodation
Job Description: Chief Executive Officer, New Futures
Network
Document Ref.
HQ-JES-2565 Chief Executive Officer, New Futures Network v2.0
Document Type
Management
Version
2.0
Classification
Official
Date of Issue
19 January 2022
Status
Baselined
Produced by
Job Evaluation Assurance and Support Team
Authorised by
Reward Team
JD Evidence
HQ-JES-2565 Chief Executive Officer, New Futures Network v2.0
Job Description
Job Title
Chief Executive Officer, New Futures Network
Directorate
Reducing Reoffending, Partnerships & Accommodation
Band
11
Overview of the job
The Chief Executive will lead and set the strategic direction for the New Futures
Network (NFN), taking key decisions about its priorities and ways of working.
Encouraging innovation to satisfy the needs of employers and measurably improving
employment outcomes for prisoners on release in England and Wales.
The Chief Executive will be the externally facing ambassador for the NFN, attending
business functions, speaking at key events and engaging with employment sector
and industry bodies, large scale employers, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)
and Third Sector organisations.
The Chief Executive will hold ultimate accountability for the performance of NFN and
increasing employment of prisoners on release. The post holder will have line
management responsibility for the National NFN ‘hub’ (of around 25 people of
HMPPS Senior Manager and Manager bands) and management responsibility for the
NFN Employment Brokers. It also has line management responsibility for the
Creating Future Opportunities Team.
The post holder will report directly to the HMPPS Deputy Director, Employment,
Skills and Education who in turn reports directly to the HMPPS Executive Director,
Reducing Reoffending Partnerships & Change Directorate.
The post can be based out of MoJ Offices across England and Wales
This is a non-operational post that does not attract RHA.
Summary
The New Futures Network (NFN) is a national network, created to increase the
number of prisoners in employment on release and working productively while in
custody in England and Wales.
The Chief Executive will lead NFN to create and grow partnerships between
employers and prisons by:
• Targeting employment sector bodies and large and small employers to
promote the benefits of employing ex-prisoners on release.
• Building partnerships between employers and prisons, linking the work
prisoners do in custody with jobs on release.
• Identifying and feeding back messages from employers about the training
and development that prisoners will need.
The Chief Executive will set the strategic direction and strategy for NFN and will
identify and engage key sectors for prisons to work with, based on labour market
information and the ability of prisons to train prisoners to work in these industries.
They will also oversee communications and marketing of the NFN.
Responsibilities,
The job holder will be required to carry out the following responsibilities, activities
Activities and Duties
and duties:
The post holder will be accountable for the New Futures Network delivering real
employment opportunities for prisoners by:
• Leading NFN, including setting its strategic direction and its performance against
Key Performance Indicators including employment on release and work in
prisons.
HQ-JES-2565 Chief Executive Officer, New Futures Network v2.0
• Actively promoting the aims, work and initiatives of NFN by engaging with: key
sector bodies and influencers, large scale employers and businesses, Other
Government Departments and Third Sector organisations at the most senior
levels.
• Building and growing networks of stakeholders to support the core vision and
work of the NFN.
• Leading a geographically dispersed team performing diverse and specialist roles
from business development with the public and private sectors, to data analysis,
knowledge management, contract management, communications/marketing
and policy work.
• Being overall accountable for all NFN finances and budget management,
working with the funding arrangements agreed by HMPPS. This will include
liaising closely, where necessary, with colleagues in HMPPS finance to manage
significant resource and capital budget allocations.
• Assuring HMPPS that relationships and work performed is done so in line with
relevant policy and procedures.
• Working effectively with Senior Civil Servants and command the confidence of
Ministers.
• Contributing to the overall effectiveness of policy, through feeding back key
policy lessons emerging from the work of NFN.
• Leading effective governance structures including chairing the advisory board of
external commercial sector champions appointed to champion and steer NFN.
• Leading the operational relationship with DWP
• Leadership of the Creating Future Opportunities Team and related contract
mgt, strategy and contribution to employment actions.
The duties/responsibilities listed above describe the post as it is at present and is not
intended to be exhaustive. The job holder is expected to accept reasonable
alterations and additional tasks of a similar level that may be necessary. Significant
adjustments may require re-examination under the Job Evaluation Scheme and shall
be discussed in the first instance with the job holder.
Behaviours
• Changing and Improving
• Managing a Quality Service
• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing
Strengths
It is advised strengths are chosen locally, recommended 4-8.
Experience
• Essential experience of leading an organisation and setting and delivering against
strategy within a high profile context.
• Experience of leading change.
• Resilience and ability to manage significant levels of pressure.
• Desirable understanding of the way the Civil Service works.
• Essential requirement to be a proven excellent communicator, capable of
building productive personal relationships and communicating effectively to a
wider audience.
Technical
Requirements
Ability
• Expert written, verbal and non-verbal communication skills.
• Strong team building and networking skills.
• Essential ability to command the confidence of Ministers, Senior Officials, sector
bodies and employers.
HQ-JES-2565 Chief Executive Officer, New Futures Network v2.0
Minimum Eligibility
Please do not alter this box
• All candidates are subject to security and identity checks prior to taking up post.
• All external candidates are subject to 6 months’ probation. Internal candidates are
subject to probation if they have not already served a probationary period within
HMPPS.
• All staff are required to declare whether they are a member of a group or
organisation which HMPPS consider to be racist.
Hours of Work
Leave Blank
(Unsocial Hours)
Allowances
To be used by the JES Team only
HQ-JES-2565 Chief Executive Officer, New Futures Network v2.0
Success Profile
Strengths
Behaviours
It is advised strengths
Ability
Experience
Technical
are chosen locally,
recommended 4-8
Seeing the Big Picture
Expert written, verbal and non-
Essential experience of leading an
verbal communication skills.
organisation and setting and
delivering against strategy within a
high profile context.
Changing and Improving
Strong team building and
Experience of leading change.
networking skills.
Managing a Quality Service
Essential ability to command the
Resilience and ability to manage
confidence of Ministers, Senior
significant levels of pressure.
Officials, sector bodies and
employers.
Leadership
Desirable understanding of the way
the Civil Service works.
Communicating and Influencing
Essential requirement to be a
proven excellent communicator,
capable of building productive
personal relationships and
communicating effectively to a
wider audience.
Developing Self and Others
HQ-JES-2565 Chief Executive Officer, New Futures Network v2.0