JOB DESCRIPTION

Chief Operating Officer Group

The Ministry of Justice Chief Operating Officer Group sits at the centre of the department, delivering critical corporate functions and enabling the organisation to operate effectively at scale. Spanning finance, risk, governance, commercial, property, performance and public bodies oversight, the Group plays a vital role in ensuring the MoJ can meet its priorities and deliver a justice system that works for everyone. Operating across the full breadth of the organisation, it brings together expertise, insight and capability to drive performance, strengthen governance and support delivery in complex and high-profile environments.

Information about the MoJ and its priorities can be found at www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about

Overview

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) operates one of the most complex and high‑profile portfolios in government, delivering essential justice services through its Executive Agencies and a wide range of Arm’s Length Bodies (ALBs). Strong risk management is fundamental to maintaining public trust and ensuring the effective delivery of justice services.

We are seeking an exceptional senior risk leader to join the MoJ’s Risk Management Centre of Expertise as Deputy Chief Risk Officer. Located in HQ you will help to shape and embed a mature, forward‑looking and insight‑driven approach to risk across the MoJ. You will be at the centre of organisational decision‑making, working closely with senior leaders to support the Principal Accounting Officer (PAO), and wider governance forums, to strengthen capability, build a risk intelligent culture and generate the insight leaders need to make confident well-informed decisions that drive improved justice outcomes.

About the Role

The Deputy Chief Risk Officer provides senior leadership for the MoJ’s risk management approach across the whole department, including Executive Agencies and ALBs. The role leads the implementation, continuous improvement and embedding of the MoJ’s risk management framework - ensuring high‑quality risk insights, effective control of enterprise-wide risks, and alignment with HMT’s Orange Book, Managing Public Money and Government Functional Standards.

As deputy to the Chief Risk Officer, you will direct the work of the Risk Management Centre of Expertise ensuring delivery of high quality, consistent risk intelligence which flows into senior governance forums. You will shape capability and culture across the MoJ, act as a trusted adviser to senior leaders, and ensure that risk management is a core enabler of strategy and delivery.

The Team is largely London based. If you are not London based, you are likely to need to travel to London for face to face meetings and events at least monthly.

Main Activities / Responsibilities

The job holder will be required to undertake the following duties and responsibilities:

1. Leadership

• Lead the Risk Management Centre of Expertise, fostering an inclusive, high performing culture and a strong professional community of risk practitioners.

• Provide authoritative advice to senior leaders, strengthening risk management and decision making throughout the MoJ.

• Deputise for the Chief Risk Officer at senior governance forums, including Risk Advisory Group, Finance Performance & Risk Committee, Executive Committee, Audit and Risk Assurance Committee and Departmental Board.

2. MoJ risk management framework

• Lead the development, implementation and continuous improvement of the MoJ’s risk management framework, ensuring alignment with HMT’s Orange Book and other Standards.

• Translate the MoJ’s risk appetite into practical thresholds, indicators and escalation approaches, embedding these across the department.

• Oversee regular risk maturity assessments and deliver targeted improvement plans to strengthen capability and consistency.

3. MoJ wide oversight and assurance

• Provide oversight of risk management arrangements across Executive Agencies and ALBs, ensuring alignment with MoJ standards and PAO expectations.

• Ensure coherence between risk management, internal controls, assurance activities and the three lines of defence.

4. Risk reporting and insight

• Own the development and quality of risk reporting for senior governance forums, ensuring insightful, evidence based analysis.

• Identify emerging risks and provide strategic insight into significant cross cutting risks, synthesising information across the MoJ and identifying systemic issues.

5. Integration, collaboration and culture

• Strengthen integration between risk management, strategy, strategic finance, planning, performance, change, operations and functional experts.

• Promote an open, proactive and mature risk culture, ensuring leaders and practitioners are equipped with the skills and tools required to continuously improve risk management.

• Build strong relationships across government, representing the MoJ in cross government forums and contributing to the evolution of government risk standards.

Experience

• Significant experience leading enterprise‑wide risk management and assurance activities in a large, complex organisation.

• Strong understanding of HMT’s Orange Book, Managing Public Money, Government Functional Standards and their application across Government departments.

• Demonstrable experience working with senior leaders, providing high‑quality strategic advice and influencing decisions at a senior leadership level.

• Experience developing risk capability and operating in a multi‑entity governance environment, ideally with exposure to PAO/AO accountability.

• Proven ability to deliver organisational culture change in risk management and assurance maturity.

Essential Criteria

Qualifications: IRM Certificate in enterprise risk management or equivalent level enterprise risk management experience which should be set out in the statement of suitability.

Application process

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

Sift

Candidates will be shortlisted for interview based on their enterprise risk management experience set out in the statement of suitability and CV alongside evidence provided of relevant behaviours.

With reference to your enterprise risk management experience, please provide examples of how you have met each of the behaviours below:

• Leadership - Have a passion for risk management to inspire confidence, set clear direction and create a positive team and MoJ wide risk culture.

• Seeing the Big Picture - Understand the broader political, operational and cross government context, identifying trends and system level risks.

• Making Effective Decisions - Use evidence, judgement and professional curiosity to analyse issues, challenge assumptions and provide clear recommendations.

• Working Together - Build trusted relationships across the MoJ, ensuring collaboration, openness and strong partnerships.

Please refer to the CS Behaviours framework for more details, including by grade:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/success-profiles/success-profiles-civil-service-behaviours#why-we-assess-behaviours

If we receive a large number of applications, we will carry out an initial sift based on your enterprise risk management experience as set out in the statement of suitability.

Experience

You will be required to submit an anonymous copy of your CV and a statement of suitability (no more than 500 words) explaining your enterprise risk management experience and how you meet the key responsibilities of the role.

Candidates invited to interview

Please note that interviews will be carried out in person at 102 Petty France, Westminster, London SW1H 9AJ. During the interview:

• You will be asked to do a presentation, details of which will be shared with candidates who are successful at sift.

• You will also be assessed using strengths which aren’t shared in advance of interview.

• We will be assessing you on enterprise risk management experience using the behaviours set out below and detailed in the Success Profiles framework.

Behaviours

• Leadership - Have a passion for risk management to inspire confidence, set clear direction and create a positive team and MoJ wide risk culture.

• Seeing the Big Picture - Understand the broader political, operational and cross government context, identifying trends and system level risks.

• Communicating and Influencing - Communicate complex issues with clarity and impact, adapting messages for varied senior audiences.