Candidate Information Pack

Deputy Director - PECS Generation 5 Programme (Senior Responsible Owner)

HMPPS Directorate of Contracted Operational Delivery

SCS Pay Band 1

Closing Date: 23:55 29 June 2026

Contents

About the Ministry of Justice

The Ministry of Justice is a major government department at the heart of the justice system. We deliver some of the most fundamental public services including courts, tribunals, prisons, legal services, youth justice, probation services, and attendance centres.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) works to protect and advance the principles of justice. Our vision is to deliver a world-class justice system that works for everyone in society.

The justice system plays a crucial role in our success as a nation - keeping people safe, emphasising fairness, guaranteeing individual rights and giving businesses confidence to flourish.

The delivery of our three strategic outcomes is central to doing this:

• Punishment that cuts crime: to rebuild confidence in the criminal justice system by protecting the public and reducing reoffending with a sustainable and effective prison and probation service.

• Swifter justice for victims: to rebuild confidence in the criminal justice system by ensuring timely, just outcomes for victims and defendants through a modern and efficient criminal courts system.

• A beacon for justice and the rule of law: to uphold the rule of law at home and abroad; promote our world-leading legal services, which contribute to economic growth; and deliver accessible and timely civil, family and administrative justice.

For more information on who we are and what we do, please visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice

About the Directorate of Contracted Operational Delivery.

The Directorate of Contracted Operational Delivery (DoCOD) sits within HMPPS and is responsible for overseeing a large and complex portfolio of contracted services on behalf of HMPPS, supporting front‑line operational delivery across the justice system.

These services are integral to the day‑to‑day operation of prisons, courts and probation, spanning areas such as Prisoner Escort and Custody Services (PECS), privately managed prisons, prison education, Commissioned Rehabilitative Services (CRS), and nationally delivered services including prison retail and prisoner food contracts.

DoCOD manages the full lifecycle of these contracts, working closely with providers to ensure services are delivered safely, securely and in line with operational and contractual requirements, with performance actively managed to drive effective delivery and value for money.

The Directorate provides senior leadership across its portfolio, bringing together operational, commercial and policy considerations to drive performance and ensure alignment with organisational priorities.

Within this portfolio, the Prisoner Escort and Custody Service (PECS) contract plays a critical role in the operation of the Criminal Justice System, providing for the safe, secure and timely movement of prisoners between establishments and courts, and the delivery of court custody services. The service is essential to ensuring that courts are able to operate effectively and that prisoners are produced where and when required across England and Wales, supporting the effective end-to-end operation of the justice system.

About the role

Job Title

Deputy Director - PECS Generation 5 Programme

Location

National: The MoJ is working to open more Justice Collaboration Centres and Justice Satellite Offices over time. Click here to learn more about where our currently open Justice Collaboration Centres and Justice Satellite Offices are, to identify where you may be based.

Please note the requirements for travel and level of flexibility available as set out in the FAQs section.

Salary

The salary for this role is set within the MoJ SCS PB1 range.

External candidates should expect their salary upon appointment to be £861,000 - £117,800 per annum (with scope for further progression within the SCS Pay Band 1 range).

Existing Civil Servants will be appointed in line with the Civil Service pay rules in place on the date of their appointment.

Contract Type

This role is being offered on a permanent basis.

Given the scale and expected lifecycle of the PECS Generation 5 programme, the intention is for the postholder to provide continuity of leadership across the programme. Candidates should therefore expect to remain in post for a minimum assignment duration of 3 years. This is an expectation only and is not written into your terms and conditions or otherwise binding.

This role has a minimum assignment duration of 3 years - in line with the deliverables identified. Please note this is an expectation only and is not something which is written into your terms and conditions or which the employing organisation or you are bound by.

The Role

This postholder will act as the Senior Responsible Owner (SRO) for the PECS Generation 5 programme, a major national initiative shaping the future delivery of prisoner escort and custody services.

PECS Generation 5 represents a once‑in‑a‑decade opportunity to re‑design a mission‑critical service underpinning the Criminal Justice System. It is a complex and high‑profile programme, involving early market engagement, service design, procurement and mobilisation.

The programme operates within a highly constrained and specialist supplier market, in a context of significant operational, financial and political scrutiny. It requires sustained senior leadership to ensure that future arrangements are deliverable, affordable and resilient.

The successful candidate will:

• Provide strategic leadership from early programme scoping through to procurement and mobilisation

• Shape the future PECS operating model in response to changing system demand and policy direction

• Establish and lead a programme capability of approximately 30 staff, supported by matrixed expertise across multiple functions

• Engage confidently with senior stakeholders across HMPPS, MoJ, HMCTS, policing and the supplier market

This is a role requiring strong leadership, sound judgement and the ability to operate effectively in conditions of uncertainty and complexity.

Key Responsibilities

Reporting to the Executive Director - Contracted Operational Delivery, you will:

• Act as Senior Responsible Owner for the PECS Generation 5 programme, setting strategic direction and ensuring delivery of a national, system‑critical service

• Lead the design and development of the future PECS operating model, balancing continuity of service with opportunities for transformation and improvement

• Establish and maintain programme governance, assurance and reporting arrangements, ensuring clear oversight of risk, affordability and deliverability

• Provide timely, evidence‑based advice to senior leaders, including Director Generals and Ministers, on programme progress and key decisions

• Build and lead a multidisciplinary programme team, setting expectations and fostering a strong delivery culture across a geographically dispersed workforce

• Engage effectively with stakeholders across the Criminal Justice System, including HMCTS, policing partners, judiciary and commercial providers

• Maintain market confidence through senior‑level engagement with suppliers and support the development of viable, sustainable delivery models

Additional Responsibilities

• Ensure effective integration across programme functions including commercial, finance, digital, legal and operational policy

• Maintain alignment between PECS Generation 5 and wider HMPPS and MoJ strategic priorities

• Promote a strong culture of accountability, inclusivity and continuous improvement across the programme

• Ensure robust risk management, including early identification and mitigation of delivery, commercial and reputational risks

• Represent the programme in internal and cross‑government governance forums as required

• In addition to leading the PECS Generation 5 programme, the postholder will be expected to contribute as a member of the Directorate Senior Leadership Team, the wider contract management community, and relevant organisational change leadership forums.

Person Specification

It is important through the recruitment process that you give evidence and examples of proven experience of each of the essential and desirable criteria.

Later on in the pack you will be told what is being assessed at which stage of the process.

Essential Experience:

• A strong track record of leading complex, high‑risk programmes or portfolios, delivering in environments characterised by ambiguity, scale and external scrutiny

• Experience of operating credibly at senior levels, including engagement with Director General and Ministerial stakeholders

• Demonstrable ability to shape and deliver strategic outcomes across organisational boundaries, including through matrix management and influence rather than direct control

• Experience of balancing competing priorities, including affordability, operational performance and risk, to inform defensible decision‑making

• Strong leadership capability, including building and leading multidisciplinary teams and establishing effective delivery cultures

Desirable Experience:

• Experience of commissioning, procurement or delivery of large‑scale contracted services

• Experience of operating within, or alongside, the Criminal Justice System or similarly complex public service environments

• Experience of engaging with supplier markets at a senior level to shape viable and sustainable delivery solutions

• Experience of engaging with supplier markets at a senior level to shape viable and sustainable delivery solutions

• Understanding of programme governance, assurance and delivery methodologies within a government context

MoJ SCS Pay Band 1 Behaviours:

You will also be assessed against the following Behaviours during the Recruitment Process:

• Seeing the Big Picture

• Leadership

• Communicating and Influencing

• Delivering at Pace

Read more in the Civil Service Success Profiles Section.

Strengths

We are looking to understand what motivates and energises you. We want to see what your natural strengths are and what interests you.

Strengths may be assessed at interview, but these are not shared in advance.

Civil Service Leadership Statement:

All leaders within the Civil Service are expected to demonstrate the qualities within the Civil Service Leadership Statement during their Staff Engagement Exercise

The Recruitment Process

Recruitment Process

The selection process will be chaired by Robin Seaton, the Executive Director - Contracted Operational Delivery. The other panel members will be:

• Matt Grey, Executive Director for HMPPS Rehabilitation and Change

• Mark Stewart, Director for HMCTS Courts and Tribunals

• TBC

Support during the selection process

If you need any support or have any questions during any stage of the selection process, please contact the SCS Recruitment Team scsrecruitment@justice.gov.uk.

Information Session

• For those interested in finding out more about the role, we encourage applicants to attend the information session on 17 June from 15:00-15:30hrs.

• Robin Seaton (Executive Director - Contracted Operational Delivery), Tim Coates (Head of PECS) and an HR Lead will be present to discuss the position in more depth, as well as provide information about what you can expect while working in the PECS Generation 5 Programme.

• The session will also give you the chance to ask any questions you may have before applying to the role.

To attend the session, please email ExecutiveDirectorDOCOD@justice.gov.uk to request an invite.

Internal Stakeholder Conversations

You are invited to arrange an informal discussion with Robin Seaton to learn more about the role and the organisation before applying. If you would like to request an invite, please email ExecutiveDirectorDOCOD@justice.gov.uk. This is not part of the assessed elements of the selection process.

Stages of the selection process

Application

You will need to complete the online application process accessed via the advertisement for this role.

This should be completed no later than 23:55 on 29 June 2026. As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete:

1. Responses to the eligibility questions to check you are eligible to apply for the role.

2. A response to whether you would like to request reasonable adjustments during the selection process. The Disability Support section explains how adjustments can be made to the selection process to accommodate a disability.  

3. You will also need to complete a CV and Statement of Suitability. It is important that your CV and Statement of Suitability give evidence and examples of how you meet the essential experience and any other requirements required for the role set out on page 8 and 9. The Statement of Suitability should be no more than 1,000 words.

Find out more information about our application process here.

After the Application Stage

You will be advised whether your application has been shortlisted for the next stage of the selection process. If you are shortlisted, we will contact you to arrange the next stage of the selection process.

Unfortunately, due to the anticipated number of applicants for this role, we are unable to provide feedback to those not successful at shortlist stage. Candidates who are shortlisted and attend an interview will be offered verbal feedback from a member of the interview panel.

Other Assessment[s]

Panel Interview and Presentation

You will be invited to attend an interview and presentation with the selection panel. You will be asked to prepare a short 10-minute verbal presentation based on a topic that will be provided in advance.
The interview and presentation will last approximately 70 minutes.

What is being assessed?

Behaviours, as listed on page 12.

Strengths

You will be informed at interview which strengths you are being assessed against.

After the Panel Interview

Following the interview, the performance of all candidates will be reviewed, and the successful candidate identified. All candidates will be notified of the outcome as soon as possible after the conclusion of all interviews. If you are not the successful candidate but you meet the standard required, you may be invited to have your details retained on a merit list to be considered for future SCS roles.

Civil Service Behaviours

What are Behaviours?

The Civil Service recruits using Success Profiles and Behaviours are an element of Success Profiles used to see whether candidates are able demonstrate specific Behaviours associated with the role they are applying for during the selection process.

In this process the below Behaviours are most relevant to this role and will be assessed during the interview stage of the process. The definitions of Behaviours are set out below:

Communicating and Influencing

You communicate clearly and with confidence, both verbally and in writing. You are open, honest and transparent in your communications. You communicate effectively with internal and external senior stakeholders to present information in a convincing and influential manner. You tailor your communication methods and content to the audience, simplifying strategic messages.

Leadership

You visibly demonstrate the organisation’s values in all your activity, leading authentically. You seek to engage staff in the aims of the organisation and communicate the organisation’s strategy in an inspiring way. You create an inclusive and fair culture which creates a sense of belonging by treating staff as individuals and actively valuing diversity within the organisation. You empower teams and individuals to excel by creating a shared vision and objectives and demonstrate trust in staff by giving autonomy.

Seeing the Big Picture

You understand the wider context of the organisation’s work, considering the political, social, economic, and technological environment both currently and in the future. You create and implement strategies to achieve the organisation’s aims and meet the needs of the public. You promote the organisation externally, advocating positive outcomes for the sector you operate within. You motivate staff by ensuring they understand how their work fits into the big picture.

Delivering at Pace

You translate organisational strategy into clear objectives for activity within your area of responsibility. You promote this amongst staff and ensure teams take responsibility for delivering against objectives. You prioritise competing or conflicting demands, and are able to decisively adjust activity based on changing requirements. You manage resource effectively to enable those in your area of responsibility to deliver. You delegate effectively, managing any risks associated with doing so.

Guidance for writing your Statement and CV

As part of the application process you need to submit a Statement and CV. Both your Statement and CV should demonstrate how you meet the essential experience and any other requirements outlined in the Person Specification section.

Ensure you read through the role information thoroughly and identify the essential criteria for each area. You should ensure you provide evidence for each of the essential experience and any other requirements which are required for the role in your Statement and CV. You may not be progressed to the next stage of the assessment process if you do not provide this evidence.

When structuring your Statements try to:

• Group evidence of the same experience and any other requirements together by using subheadings and paragraphs. This will help to ensure you are writing about the experience that is directly relevant for the role you are applying for.

• You should ensure that you detail recent and relevant examples of the essential experience and any other requirements required for the role and describe the outcome that came from this.

Using AI in your application

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

Providing a name-blind CV and Success Profile Statements

In both your CV and Success Profile Statements please remove references to any personal information that could identify you. For example:

• Name and title

• Educational institution names

• Age and gender

• Email address

• Postal address and telephone number

• Nationality and immigration status.

This will help us to recruit based on your knowledge and skills, and not on your background, gender or ethnicity. Recruiting this way is called name-blind recruitment.

For more information on how to write your Statement and CV please visit the Civil Service Careers Website

Expected Timeline

We will try and offer as much flexibility as we can, but it may not be possible to offer alternative dates for assessments or interviews. You are therefore asked to note the below timetable, exercising flexibility through the recruitment and selection process, in order to meet the dates given. Please note that these dates may be subject to change.

The anticipated timetable is as follows:

Advert Closing Date

23:55 on 29 June 2026

Outcome of CV and Statement of Suitability

Week commencing 13 July 2026

Panel Interview and Presentation

Week commencing 27 July 2026

Working for the Ministry of Justice

Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Wellbeing

Our departmental values - purpose, humanity, openness and together - are at the heart of our commitment to create a culture where all our people are able to thrive and flourish in the workplace.

We want to attract and retain the best talent from diverse backgrounds and perspectives. We want everyone to be the best of themselves, to feel supported and have a strong sense of belonging in the workplace. Our commitment to creating a diverse and inclusive workforce is reflected in all of our people policies and strategies.

Benefits

As a Ministry of Justice employee, you’ll be entitled to a large range of benefits which include but are not limited to:

• Pension

The Civil Service Pension Scheme is one of the best workplace pension schemes in the UK public sector. Visit www.civilservicepensionscheme.org.uk for more details.

• Generous Annual Leave and Bank Holiday Allowance

25 days annual leave on entry, increasing on a sliding scale to 30 days after 5 years’ service. This is in addition to 8 public holidays. This will be complemented by one further day paid privilege entitlement to mark the King’s Birthday.

• Flexible Working

While not every type of flexible working will be suitable for every role and business area, flexible working can take many forms and The Ministry of Justice is committed to delivering its business effectively and sustainably by creating modern and inclusive workplaces that enable smart, flexible and hybrid working.

For more information on our amazing benefits including our Civil Service Pension Scheme, annual and special leave, and our Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Wellbeing schemes please visit our Senior Civil Service website.

Disability Support

What reasonable adjustments can be made if I have a disability?

We are committed to supporting all candidates to take part in the recruitment process. This includes supporting individuals who have a disability by making reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process.

If you feel you require any kind of support and/or would like to discuss this with someone, please indicate 'yes' to requesting reasonable adjustments in your application form and ensure that you respond to the Reasonable Adjustments Scheme team by email.

How we can support you

There are many types of reasonable adjustments that can be made during assessment processes.

Examples of some types of adjustments include:

• Extra time to complete assessments;

• Providing a break within an assessment;

• Providing interview questions in a written format at the interview as well as orally;

• An interview at a certain time of day;

This is not an exhaustive list but rather some examples of how we can support you during the SCS Recruitment Process.

Whilst we aim to confirm all adjustments requested, there may be occasions where this is not possible. If an adjustment cannot be provided, the reasons for this will be explained to you.

Help with your application

It is important you contact us as early as possible by email if you would like to request reasonable adjustments so that the recruitment process runs smoothly for you.

If you do decide during the process that you do require adjustments and you have not completed all your assessments, please contact the SCS recruitment team in advance of your next assessment.

If you have any questions in advance of making your application regarding reasonable adjustments, please contact the SCS recruitment team at scsrecruitment@justice.gov.uk.

Do you offer a Disability Confident Scheme for Disabled Persons?

As a Disability Confident employer, the MoJ offer an interview to disabled candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns. This could be in terms of the advertised essential skills and/or application form sift criteria. Within the application form, you will be asked if you would like to be considered for an interview under this scheme, so please make us aware of this when prompted.

FAQs

Can I apply if I am not currently a civil servant?

Yes.

Is this role suitable for part-time working?

We are open to discussing flexible working arrangements, including part-time working and job share, subject to business needs. If you wish to discuss your requirements in more detail, please contact the named point of contact in this pack.

Where will the role be based?

This is a national role and can be based at a Ministry of Justice location, subject to agreement. The role will require travel to London and other locations across England and Wales, as required. Relocation costs will not be reimbursed.

Can I claim back any expenses incurred during the recruitment process?

Unfortunately, we will not be able to reimburse you, except in exceptional circumstances and only when agreed in advance.

Am I eligible to apply for this role?

For information on whether you are eligible to apply, please visit Gov.UK.

Is security clearance required?

Yes. If successful you must hold, or be willing to obtain, security clearance to SC level. More information about the vetting process can be found here.

Will this role be overseen by the Civil Service Commission?

No. However, the recruitment process will still be governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles.

What do I do if I want to make a complaint?

The law requires that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on 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 and you wish to make a complaint, you should contact scsrecruitment@justice.gov.uk in the first instance.

If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you are able to raise a formal complaint in the following order.

1. To Shared Service-Connected Ltd (0845 241 5358 (Monday to Friday 08.00 - 18.00) or e-mail Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com)

2. To Ministry of Justice Resourcing (resourcing-services@justice.gov.uk)

3. To the Civil Service Commission (https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/contact-us/)

What should I do if I think that I have a conflict of interest?

If you believe that you may have a conflict of interest you must declare it by contacting SCS Recruitment on scsrecruitment@justice.gov.uk before submitting your application

Data Sharing

We will ensure that we will treat all personal information in accordance with data protection legislation, including the General Data Protection Regulation and Data Protection Act 2018.

Data Sharing

To process your application, your personal data will be shared with the Ministry of Justice SCS Recruitment Team, campaign Panel Members and anyone else necessary as part of the recruitment process.

The legal basis for processing your personal data is:

Processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest. Personal data are processed in the public interest because understanding civil servant experiences and feelings about working in the Civil Service can inform decision taken to improve these experiences and, ultimately, organisational performance.

Sensitive personal data is personal data revealing racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, or trade union membership, and the processing of genetic data, biometric data for the purpose of uniquely identifying a natural person, data concerning health or data concerning a natural person's sex life or sexual orientation.

The legal basis for processing your sensitive personal data is:

1. Processing is necessary for reasons of substantial public interest for the exercise of a function of the Crown, a Minister of the Crown, or a government department: it is important to know if groups of staff with specific demographic characteristics have a better or worse experience of working for the Civil Service, so that appropriate action can be taken to level this experience;

1. Processing is of a specific category of personal data and it is necessary for the purposes of identifying or keeping under review the existence or absence of equality of opportunity or treatment between groups of people with a view to enabling such equality to be promoted or maintained.

2. Please note; if you are successful in your application, your sensitive personal data will be used as part of the on-boarding process to build your employee record.

For further information please see the GDPR Privacy Notice

Diversity & Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent where it is found. To learn more, please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service D&I Strategy.

Contact us

Should candidates like to discuss the role in more detail before submitting an application, please contact SCS Recruitment on scsrecruitment@justice.gov.uk.