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General Information

Salary
The national salary range is £58,511 - £65,329, London salary range is £63,343 - £70,725 Your salary will be dependent on your base location
Working Pattern
Full Time, Flexible Working
Vacancy Approach
External
Location
National
Region
National
Closing Date
29-Jun-2026
Post Type
Permanent
Civil Service Grade
Grade 7
Number of jobs available
1
Reserve List
12 Months
Job ID
18842

Descriptions & requirements

Job description

Overview

The Head of Engagement will work to ensure the Justice AI Unit has the people and capability needed to deliver the AI Action Plan for Justice. The role combines strategic people enablement with practical delivery, ensuring recruitment, onboarding, learning and development and engagement activity are aligned to organisational priorities.

The Head of Engagement will lead delivery of major departmental engagement campaigns linked to the Justice AI Unit’s priorities, including One Big Thing where relevant. This will involve using communications, engagement, networks, events and performance insight to build awareness, participation and confidence in AI adoption across MoJ.

As the Justice AI Unit continues to grow in scale, complexity and profile, the postholder will lead the development of a consistent and scalable approach to people enablement. They will create an environment where colleagues understand the unit’s priorities, feel connected to its purpose, are supported to contribute effectively, and have access to the information, tools and development they need to deliver at pace.

The postholder does not need to be an AI specialist, but they will need to be confident working in an AI, digital or transformation context, translating technical or strategic priorities into accessible engagement activity for non-specialist audiences.

To learn more about the Justice AI Unit and our work, see the AI Action Plan for Justice, visit our website and follow us on LinkedIn for updates and insights. 

Key Responsibilities

  • Own and lead the Justice AI Unit's people enablement, engagement and communications strategy, ensuring it supports delivery of the AI Action Plan for Justice and aligns with the unit's operating model, governance and priorities.
  • Act as a senior adviser to the unit's leadership team on workforce planning, capability requirements, organisational readiness, engagement risks and people related trade-offs, providing clear recommendations in ambiguous or fast-moving circumstances.
  • Lead the unit’s end-to-end employee lifecycle approach, establishing scalable ways to recruit and onboard permanent employees and contractors, support wellbeing and development, strengthen retention and succession planning, and manage transitions and exits so the unit can grow sustainably and deliver at pace.
  • Develop practical tools, guidance and self-service resources that strengthen line management capability, support consistent people processes and improve team effectiveness.
  • Provide visible leadership for an inclusive, high-performing and learning-oriented culture, helping colleagues feel connected to the unit's mission and equipped to contribute effectively.
  • Lead the design, delivery and evaluation of major communications and engagement campaigns that build awareness, participation and confidence in AI adoption across MoJ.
  • Shape clear narratives, messages, events and engagement products that explain the unit's priorities, progress, changes and expectations for specialist and non-specialist audiences.
  • Use qualitative and quantitative insight, including staff feedback, survey results, participation data and performance metrics, to assess impact, identify gaps and drive continuous improvement.
  • Work closely with HR, communications, delivery, policy, and other teams to ensure departmental policy, professional standards and best practice are applied effectively in the unit's context.
  • Build and maintain senior stakeholder relationships across MoJ and wider government, sharing good practice and influencing cross-government approaches to capability, engagement and AI-enabled transformation.

Person Specification

Essential skills and experience

  • People lifecycle and organisational development: You have experience improving organisational capability, employee experience and team effectiveness, including workforce planning, recruitment, onboarding, wellbeing, retention and exits.
  • Communications, engagement and campaign delivery: You have experience leading communications, engagement or change campaigns from planning through to delivery and evaluation, working with multiple stakeholders to achieve measurable outcomes.
  • Strategic thinking and judgement: You can understand organisational priorities, identify risks and opportunities, and translate strategic objectives into practical people, engagement and communications activity.
  • Senior communication: You can create clear narratives, communicate confidently with a range of audiences, and produce high-quality advice, messages and engagement products for senior stakeholders.
  • Stakeholder management and influence: You have experience building trusted relationships with senior leaders, HR professionals, delivery teams, technical specialists and wider stakeholders to influence outcomes.
  • Delivery at pace: You can manage multiple priorities, adapt quickly and deliver through others in a fast-moving, ambiguous or high-profile environment.
  • Data and insight: You can interpret qualitative and quantitative data, including engagement insight, staff feedback and participation metrics, to understand impact and improve future activity.
  • AI, digital or transformation context: You have experience working in a digital, data, technology, transformation or AI-focused environment, and can translate technical or strategic priorities for non-specialist audiences.

Desirable skills and experience

  • Knowledge and application of Ministry of Justice HR policies, workforce planning and capability frameworks.

How to Apply

Candidates must submit a CV and Personal Statement.

Your Personal Statement, no more than 500 words, should outline your experience, using examples of work you have undertaken. It should address the following criteria from the Person Specification:

  • People and organisational development
  • Campaign and change delivery

A diverse panel will assess applications against these criteria.

Should we receive a high volume of applications, a pre-sift may be conducted based on People and organisational development.

Selection Process

Successful candidates who meet the required standard will be invited to a virtual panel interview.

As part of the interview, candidates may be asked to deliver a short presentation. Details will be provided in advance.

We will assess your experience and the following Civil Service Success Profiles behaviours:

  • Seeing the Big Picture
  • Communicating and Influencing
  • Delivering at Pace
Additional Information

Working Arrangements & Further Information

The MoJ offers Hybrid Working arrangements where business need allows. This is an informal, non-contractual form of flexible working that blends working from your base location, different MoJ sites and / or from home (please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas). All employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office, subject to local estate capacity.

Some roles will not be suitable for Hybrid Working. Similarly, Hybrid Working will not suit everyone’s circumstances. Arrangements will be discussed and agreed with the successful candidate(s) and subject to regular review.

For nationally advertised role: all successful candidates will be appointed to the nearest viable office nearest to their home postcode and on its respective pay scale.  This will be at either a HQ building (subject to desk allocation, a Justice Collaboration Centre (JCC) or a Justice Satellite Office (JSO) – See Map. All employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office, subject to local estate capacity). 

For current MoJ employees, your base location will need to be changed to the nearest viable office (to your home postcode), either at a HQ building, JCC or JSO within the National Office Network and moved its location’s respective pay scale (any legacy arrangements/locations will need to be amended).

Some of MoJ’s terms and conditions of service are changing as part of Civil Service reform. The changes will apply to staff joining MoJ who are new to the Civil Service. Staff joining MoJ from other civil service employers will transfer onto the new MoJ terms if they are already on 'modernised' terms in their current post or onto 'unmodernised' MoJ terms if they are on 'unmodernised' terms at their current post. Details will be available if an offer is made.

MoJ candidates who are on a specialist grade, will be able to retain their grade on lateral transfer.

All candidates who are currently in receipt of Mark Time / Pay Protection should ensure they are familiar with the new policy on permanent and temporary promotion which can be found on the employee intranet.

Flexible working hours

The Ministry of Justice offers a flexible working system in many offices. Standard full time working hours are 37 hours per week. MoJ welcomes part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns, where they meet the demands of the role and business needs. All applications for part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns will be considered in accordance with the MoJ’s Flexible Working policy.

Benefits

The MoJ offers a range of benefits:

Annual Leave

Annual leave is 25 days on appointment and will increase to 30 days after five years’ service.

There is also a scheme to allow qualifying staff to buy or sell up to three days leave each year. Additional paid time off for public holidays and 1 privilege day. Leave for part-time and job share posts will be calculated on a pro-rata basis.

Pension

The Civil Service offers a choice of pension schemes, giving you the flexibility to choose the pension that suits you best.

Training

The Ministry of Justice is committed to staff development and offers an extensive range of training and development opportunities.

Networks

The opportunity to join employee-run networks that have been established to provide advice and support and to enable the views of employees from minority groups to be expressed direct to senior management. There are currently networks for employees of minority ethnic origin, employees with disabilities, employees with caring responsibilities, women employees, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees.

Support

  • A range of ‘Family Friendly’ policies such as opportunities to work reduced hours or job share.
  • Access to flexible benefits such as voluntary benefits, retail vouchers and discounts on a range of goods and services.
  • For moves to or from another employer or moves across the Civil Service this can have implications on your eligibility to carry on claiming childcare vouchers. You may however be eligible for alternative government childcare support schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. More information can be found on www.GOV.UK or Childcare Choices. You can determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.
  • Paid paternity, adoption and maternity leave.
  • Free annual sight tests for employees who use computer screens.

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by 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 you are able to raise a formal complaint in the following order

As a Disability Confident employer, MoJ are committed to providing everyone with the opportunity to demonstrate their skills, talent and abilities, by making adjustments throughout all elements of the recruitment process and in the workplace. MoJ are able to offer an interview to disabled candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns.

For more information on applying for a role as a candidate with a disability or long-term condition, please watch our animated videos.

You will be able to request reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process within the application form. If you need additional help completing the application form, please contact the TBS Recruitment Enquiries Team.

Diversity & Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy.

A Great Place to Work for Veterans

The "Making the Civil Service a Great Place to work for veterans" initiative includes a guaranteed interview scheme to those who meet the minimum criteria to provide eligible former members of the Armed Forces with opportunities to secure rewarding jobs. Allowing veterans to continue to serve their country, and to bring highly skilled individuals with a broad range of experience into the Civil Service in an environment, which recognises and values your previous service in the Armed Forces.
For further details about the initiative and eligibility requirements visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/making-the-civil-service-a-great-place-to-work-for-veterans

Redeployment Interview Scheme

Civil Service departments are expected to explore redeployment opportunities before making an individual redundant. The MoJ is committed, as part of the Redeployment Interview Scheme, to providing opportunities to those who are 'at risk of redundancy'.

MoJ is able to offer an interview to eligible candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns. Candidates will not be eligible for the Redeployment Interview Scheme if they are applying on promotion.

Civil Service Nationality Rules

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

  • UK nationals
  • nationals of the Republic of Ireland
  • nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
  • nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window) https://www.gov.uk/settled-status-eu-citizens-families
  • nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
  • individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
  • Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-rules

Reserve list

A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made for the same or similar roles.
Contact Information

MoJ:

If you require any assistance please call 0345 241 5359 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@resourcing.soprasteria.co.uk

Please quote the job reference 18842

HMPPS

If you require any assistance please call 0345 241 5358 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@resourcing.soprasteria.co.uk

Please quote the job reference 18842

Application form stage assessments

Experience
We will assess your experience for this role via the following methods
CV or Work History, Statement of Suitability
Statement of Suitability
Guidance for the Statement of Suitability
Your Personal Statement, no more than 500 words, should outline your experience, using examples of work you have undertaken. It should address the following criteria from the Person Specification:
• People and organisational development
• Campaign and change delivery
A diverse panel will assess applications against these criteria.
Should we receive a high volume of applications, a pre-sift may be conducted based on People and organisational development.
Evidence of Experience
CV or Work History, Statement of Suitability

Interview stage assessments

Interview Dates
To Be Confirmed
Behaviours
Seeing the Big Picture
Communicating and Influencing
Delivering at Pace

Other Assessments

Which assessment methods will be used?
Presentation
Level of security checks required
DBS Standard

Use of Artificial Intelligence (Al)

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.