Role title:

Digital Instructional Design Lead (Magistrates)

Team/Directorate:

Change Management Team / Judicial College

Overview of the Judicial Office

The Judicial Office (JO) reports to, and is accountable, to the Lady Chief Justice (LCJ). It was established in 2006 to provide support to the LCJ and to the wider judiciary in upholding the rule of law and in delivering justice impartially, speedily and efficiently, following the Constitutional Reform Act 2005.

In addition, we support, and are accountable to, the Senior President of Tribunals, whose responsibilities extend to Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The JO is an interesting and unique place to work. Everything we do is in support of upholding the independence and impartiality of the judiciary. We work closely with HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS), the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and others across Government as well as with the legal professions.

We are an Arm’s Length Body sponsored by the Ministry of Justice. This creates an interesting and complex environment in which to work where we agree our priorities with the senior judiciary and receive our funding to deliver them from the Ministry of Justice. The Judicial Office has been through a period of significant growth resulting from an expansion of our remit and responsibilities.

See JO staff talk about working here: https://design102.wistia.com/medias/uhgtmbtnlv

Overview of the team

The Judicial College requires a digital instructional design lead (magistrates) to work collaboratively with existing teams involved in the design, delivery and evaluation of training for the magistracy. The demand for this role arises from current and forthcoming changes to the jurisdiction and powers of magistrates coupled with the projected increase in the size of the magistracy.

The successful applicant will join a newly formed change delivery team, supporting the delivery of a modernised programme of training for an expanding magistracy. The role will require close working and collaboration with a range of other College teams, including the Judicial Education and Digital Learning team and the Magistrates Training Delivery team. The Judicial Education and Digital Learning team, in particular, comprises a range of education professionals and subject matter experts supporting the design, delivery and evaluation of training to the contemporary judiciary. While that team supports the design and delivery of training across all courts and tribunals, the magistrates court and the coroners court, this new role will focus specifically on the College’s training provision for magistrates and legal advisers.

The successful applicant will work with subject matter experts to (1) adapt existing training resources for digital delivery (both synchronous and asynchronous) and (2) design and develop new digital training assets, as appropriate.

This is a judiciary-facing role, and the post-holder will be required to work collaboratively with judicial office holders, as well as colleagues from across the Judicial College and wider Judicial Office. The post-holder must accordingly be prepared to be flexible (to meet the evolving training demands of the magistracy in England and Wales) and to be confident in the application of relevant guidance and policies (to maintain the integrity of the Judicial College’s training activities).

The role will support the College in developing and delivering innovative and high-quality digital training interventions to consistently meet the diverse needs of the contemporary magistracy.

Eligibility

You must secure line manager approval in applying for this role. [Judicial Office staff applying will need Deputy Director approval.] This is essential because you will need to be released swiftly (no later than 4 weeks) with the expectation that you will return to your home department at the end of the fixed term.

Hybrid Working Requirement

This position is eligible for hybrid working (current minimum requirement for time spent at base location is 60%, which is subject to business requirements).

Summary of the role

This is a fixed term post of 2 years, with a possibility of a 1 year extension.

The Digital Instructional Design Lead (Magistrates) will work collaboratively with teams from across the College to create engaging and high-quality digital learning resources for use across the College’s training for magistrates.

Responsibilities,

Activities & Duties:

Key Responsibilities

• Work with subject matter experts (SMEs), stakeholders, and key College teams to define and refine training needs, course aims and learning outcomes based on robust data analysis and evidence.

• Apply instructional design methodologies to design, create, and test user-centred, effective, engaging and scalable digital learning solutions for magistrates (both synchronous and asynchronous resources including e-learning modules, online tutor-led training and blended learning solutions).

• Support SMEs to develop learning content through, for example, the creation of templates and written/video guidance.

• Evaluate and test learning materials to ensure effectiveness, making iterative improvements based on feedback data (quantitative and qualitative).

• Develop and maintain effective and engaging digital learning resources using appropriate software and platforms.

• Build and nurture engagement with the magistracy and (as relevant) the wider judiciary.

• Ensure all content meets the College’s accessibility standards in accordance with contemporary good / best practice.

• Manage multiple projects while delivering to demanding, tight and/or fixed deadlines.

• Travel as required between College offices and (as necessary) training venues. In this regard, magistrates training is delivered across seven areas, comprising six regions in England plus Wales.

Essential Knowledge, Experience and Skills

• Understanding of training methodology including the theory and practice of adult learning, particularly in an online/digital context.

• Experience in the facilitation of online and/or in-person training or presentations.

• The ability to apply well-established instructional design principles to create scalable, learner-centred training resources that address complex and diverse needs.

• The ability to effectively navigate the challenges of designing for large cohorts and across modular programmes, ensuring solutions are cohesive, engaging, and impactful.

• Ability to work collaboratively and proactively with others across teams to ensure that stakeholders engage effectively with training development and delivery.

• Experience in communicating effectively with a diverse range of internal and external stakeholders at all seniority levels.

• Confident engagement with senior stakeholders and effective influencing skills to maintain the quality and integrity of training resources.

• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and to prioritise accordingly, adapting effectively to quickly evolving situations.

• Ability to handle and manage challenges and uncertainty with positivity, and to maintain high-quality digital training content and outputs when working to short-term and/or fixed deadlines.

• A flexible approach to work, with the ability to tailor innovative approaches to maximise learning and a willingness to learn how to work with new and evolving digital tools.

• Practical understanding of accessibility in digital learning content creation.

Desirable Knowledge, Experience and Skills

• Project management skills.

• Experience of working with judicial office holders and knowledge of the judiciary, or the justice and/or legal system in England and Wales.

• Experience of working in a law and/or policy-driven environment.

Behaviours (for Recruitment/Success Profiles):

Communicating and Influencing

Changing and Improving

Managing a Quality Service

Making Effective Decisions

Delivery at Pace

Assessment process at application

Statement of suitability (outlining how applicants meet the essential criteria for the role)

3 Behaviours (Communicating and Influencing, Changing and Improving; and Managing a Quality Service)

Assessment process at interview

In addition to Behaviour and Strength questions a Presentation on the following:

Given the nature, size, geographical spread and diversity of the magistracy, and appreciating the vital importance of the role they undertake in the contemporary justice system, how would you approach the design of effective digital learning resources as part of a magistrate’s overall training programme?

Security clearance required:

CTC

Please note:

Central Government policy dictates that applicants for National Security Clearance must be a resident in the UK for these minimum periods:

• CTC - 3 years

• SC - 5 years

• DV - 10 years