Transformation Lead

Grade 7

The Service, Strategy and Transformation Directorate is recruiting on a permanent basis for multiple Grade 7 Transformation Lead roles. This campaign is being run externally and so is open to all who consider themselves suitable for the roles and meet the eligibility criteria in the wider advert within Civil Service Jobs.

Location:

Successful candidates will have the option to be based at one of the following locations:

• 102 Petty France, London

• National

We offer a hybrid working model, allowing for a balance between remote work and time spent in your chosen base location.

Ways of Working

At the MoJ we believe and promote alternative ways of working, these roles are available as:

• Full-time, part-time or the option to job share

• Flexible working patterns

If we receive applications from more suitable candidates than we have vacancies for at this time, we may hold suitable applicants on a reserve list for 12 months, and future vacancies requiring the same skills and experience could be offered to candidates on the reserve list without a new competition.

We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce and pride ourselves as being an employer of choice. To find out more about how we champion diversity and inclusion in the workplace, visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversity

Salary

New entrants to the Civil Service will be expected to join on the minimum of the pay range. 

If you are already a civil servant and are successful in an external recruitment competition for a role with us, your starting pay will be the better of:

• promotion terms or transfer terms, as appropriate; or

• pay on appointment arrangements (minimum of pay range)

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ)

MoJ is the largest government department, employing over 90,000 people with a budget of approximately £10 billion. Each year, millions of people use our services across the UK - including at 500 courts and tribunals, and 133 prisons in England and Wales.

Further information can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice

This role sits within the Service Strategy & Transformation (SS&T) Directorate, within the Service Transformation Group (STG). STG, is responsible for leading the transformation of the services the MoJ and its agencies deliver to the public. Its mission is twofold: to provide the best justice services in the world, powered by the happiest team in government. The SS&T Directorate within STG is responsible for:

• Service Transformation Strategy: Working across Service Transformation Group, to understand and drive collaboration on current transformation and digital plans; bringing together all areas of STG to collectively create a clear and compelling strategy for delivery over the next 3-5 years; baselining and supporting performance and prioritisation across STG.

• Transformation Office: Managing the transformation portfolio, including through the Transformation Committee (Director General level); analysing portfolio performance; building transformation programme capabilities; identifying cross-cutting opportunities and issues that block progress towards user outcomes; and recommending rebalancing efforts where needed.

• Transformation Delivery: Providing end-to-end service transformation delivery support to embed best practice approaches; identifying, encouraging and delivering new ways of working; acting as a critical friend to delivery partners and collaborating with a wider range of stakeholders to improve user outcomes.

• Innovation Engine: Accelerating systems-wide transformation through high-value investments in digital development and product innovation; piloting initiatives to test new ways of working in cross-functional teams to unlock value through innovation and create cutting-edge solutions to challenges in the justice system.

Head of Transformation Delivery - the role

The Grade 7 Transformation Lead will play a central role in driving progress across MoJ’s highest priority transformation challenges.

You will operate in our Transformation Delivery or Transformation Office team, working on the department’s most complex and high-stakes transformation priorities.

Across all roles, you will:

• Diagnose and respond to complex delivery and system challenges

• Work across policy, operations, digital and data to drive progress and align perspectives

• Bring understanding of digital, data and AI-enabled transformation approaches, and apply these pragmatically to improve delivery and user outcomes

• Translate strategy into tangible outcomes

• Strengthen capability and ways of working in the teams you support

Depending on deployment, you will focus on one or more of the following:

• Transformation Delivery: Hands-on intervention and problem-solving in services to unblock delivery and embed outcome-led, multi-disciplinary ways of working

• Transformation Office: Portfolio-level problem-solving, removing systematic barriers to delivering MoJ transformation and building transformation capabilities across MoJ

These are roles for people who can move between strategy and delivery, operate effectively in ambiguity, and drive meaningful change in complex environments.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic problem-solving and delivery

Lead diagnosis of complex transformation challenges, identifying root causes and shaping practical, evidence-based interventions that drive progress across services, programmes or portfolios.

Driving delivery and impact

Work directly with teams, programmes or senior stakeholders to unblock progress, restore pace and ensure delivery is aligned to user outcomes and wider transformation priorities.

Insight generation and synthesis

Bring together data, stakeholder evidence and system understanding to generate clear insight into delivery performance, risks and opportunities, and translate these into compelling narrative and actionable recommendations.

Governance, performance and prioritisation

Support effective decision-making through high-quality analysis, clear communication and structured framing of issues, including input to governance forums and senior discussions.

Embedding transformation capabilities

Model and embed agile, outcome-led, digitally-enabled and cross-functional ways of working, strengthening capability and leaving teams better equipped to sustain progress.

Stakeholder engagement and influence

Build strong relationships across MoJ and its agencies, working with senior leaders, delivery teams and partners to align priorities and secure commitment to change.

Team leadership and development

Provide line management and coaching to junior colleagues, contributing to a high-performing, collaborative and learning-oriented culture.

Skills and Experience

The work of this team is highly dynamic and requires a proactive approach. The successful candidate must demonstrate:

• Exceptional flexibility and agility, with the ability to respond to new and changing strategic priorities.

• This includes the ability to create clarity in ambiguity by working iteratively on proposals and solutions, often employing an agile approach.

• Strategic problem-solving skills, able to operate effectively in complex, cross-cutting delivery environments where issues span, policy, operations, digital and wider organisational boundaries.

• A proven capability to influence and deliver through others, with the credibility to work alongside senior leaders and subject matter experts alike.

• Diversity of thought - we value people who bring different lenses to leading wide-scale digitally-enabled transformation, whether from a central strategy function, a delivery unit or the private sector

Essential

• Problem-solving: Strong track record of using evidence to break down complex, ambiguous challenges, using qualitative and quantitative evidence to develop clear hypotheses, conclusions and recommended actions

• Strategy in action: Proven experience of translating analysis, strategy or stakeholder insight into clear synthesis and practical action that drives measurable progress across large organisations, programmes or services.

• Leading transformation across systems and boundaries: Experience leading or supporting digital, data or AI-enabled transformation, and using innovative approaches to improve delivery and user outcomes across teams, functions or organisations

• Capability-building: Experience building capabilities in strategy, delivery, digital transformation and agile ways of working through on-the-ground support and curated learning programmes for senior stakeholders.

• Stakeholder management and influence: Strong ability to build relationships, challenge constructively and work with senior stakeholders to drive progress.

• Communication: Ability to produce clear, high-impact written and verbal outputs, including briefings for senior audiences.

• Pace, adaptability and judgement: Comfortable operating in fast-paced, high-pressure environments, with the ability to prioritise effectively, adapt to changing demands and exercise sound judgement in ambiguity.

• Agile and outcome-led working: Familiarity with agile, iterative and outcome-focused approaches, applied pragmatically in complex environments.

Desirable

• Experience in government, public service reform or large-scale transformation

• Experience in delivery unit, strategy, consulting or insight roles

• Understanding of portfolio management, performance frameworks (KPIs/OKRs), or governance

• Experience generating or applying insight from data, research or operational evidence

• Justice system knowledge or ability to rapidly build domain credibility

Candidates applying from HMPPS should note that the Ministry of Justice does not have the same conditions of employment as HMPPS. It is the candidate’s responsibility to ensure they are aware of the terms and conditions they will adopt should they be successful.

The MoJ is proud to be Level 3 Disability Confident. Disability Confident is the approach through which we offer guaranteed interviews for all people with disabilities meeting the minimum criteria for the advertised role as set out in the job description.

Application process

You will be assessed against the Civil service success profiles framework.

You must ensure that any evidence submitted as part of your application, including your CV, statement of suitability and behaviour examples, are truthful and factually accurate. Please note that plagiarism can include presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own.

Selection process details

Experience

You will be asked to provide a CV during the application listing any experience, career history and achievements that are relevant to the role. This will not be assessed.

You will also be asked to upload a Statement of Suitability of no more than 750 words stating how you meet the following criteria:

• Problem-solving: Strong track record of using evidence to break down complex, ambiguous challenges, using qualitative and quantitative evidence to develop clear hypotheses, conclusions and recommended actions

• Strategy in action: Proven experience of translating analysis, strategy or stakeholder insight into clear synthesis and practical action that drives measurable progress across large organisations, programmes or services.

• Leading transformation across systems and boundaries: Experience leading or supporting digital, data or AI-enabled transformation, and using innovative approaches to improve delivery and user outcomes across teams, functions or organisations

• Capability-building: Experience building capabilities in strategy, delivery and transformation through on-the-ground support and curated learning programmes for senior stakeholders.

We know candidates can use AI tools to help them prepare, but you should use them carefully. We can usually tell when AI has been overused. The best presentations feel genuine, show reflection, and make clear what the candidate did, learned and contributed.

Candidates invited to Interview

Candidates who are successful at sift will be invited to interview 1.

Please note that interviews will be carried out remotely.

Interview 1 - We will invite candidates to a short (15 minutes) suitability conversation to understand more about your background and motivation at this stage. This will include strengths-based questions to explore what you enjoy, and your motivations relevant to the job role.

There is no expectation or requirement for you to prepare for the strengths-based questions in advance of the interview, though you may find it helpful to spend some time reflecting on what you enjoy doing and what you do well.

You can refer to the CS Strengths dictionary for more details: Success Profiles - Civil Service Strengths Dictionary (publishing.service.gov.uk)

Interview 2 - Short-listed candidates will be invited to a 30-minute interview which will cover in depth experience-based questions to explore in detail how you meet the essential experience criteria.

Interviews expected to take place June 2026.

Successful candidates will join either Transformation Delivery or Transformation Office based on candidate fit, and taking preference into account.