Chief of Staff to the Chief Operating Officer (COO)

About the Role

The Chief Operating Officer (COO) Group helps the MoJ run well, bringing together the corporate functions, services and governance that enable the department to deliver. We are hiring a Chief of Staff to the COO.

This is a high-impact Grade 6 role at the centre of one of Whitehall’s largest and most complex departments. You will act as the COO’s principal adviser and lead a high-performing Private Office, ensuring the COO’s time, focus and leadership are directed to the most important priorities.

You will play a central role in shaping and driving delivery across COO Group, acting as a strategic integrator across functions and ensuring alignment with departmental strategy and Ministerial priorities. You will maintain a strong grip on performance, risks and delivery, ensuring senior leaders are focused on the issues that matter most and that cross-cutting challenges are identified and resolved at pace.

You will operate confidently at senior levels, building trusted relationships across the Department, including with Ministers’ offices, the Permanent Secretary’s Private Office, Director Generals and Heads of Function. You will represent the COO where appropriate, signalling priorities and ensuring coherence of approach across the organisation.

This is a fast-paced role requiring excellent judgement, strong leadership and the ability to operate through influence in a complex and politically sensitive environment.

Main Activities / Responsibilities

• Shape the COO’s priorities, provide confident advice and challenge, ensure decisions are focused on the most critical strategic and operational issues, and maintain the quality of advice and submissions.

• Act as the strategic integrator across COO Group, aligning functional priorities with departmental objectives, Ministerial priorities and formal governance.

• Ensure the COO and senior leaders are sighted on the right issues at the right time; anticipate risks, resolve cross-cutting issues without clear ownership, and unblock high-priority or sensitive delivery issues at pace.

• Represent the COO where appropriate, building trusted relationships with DGs, Directors, central functions, Ministers’ offices and the Permanent Secretary’s Private Office to support collective leadership and coherence.

• Exercise leadership across COO Group, influencing Directors and senior teams to build shared ownership of priorities, strengthen collective accountability, and drive a culture of grip, pace and high standards.

• Lead, coach and develop the Private Office team, setting direction, standards and ways of working, and building capability, resilience and strong performance.

Management of Resources

Leadership and line management of the COO Private Office c6FTE with potential for additional line management responsibilities.

Essential Criteria

• Strong strategic judgement, with the ability to operate with autonomy, pace and political sensitivity in a complex environment, including when working with senior officials and/or Ministers. (assessed via statement of suitability)

• Proven leadership of high-performing teams, setting clear direction, maintaining standards under pressure, and building capability, resilience and performance. (assessed via lead behaviour)

• Outstanding organisational grip, with the ability to prioritise competing demands, anticipate risks, and drive progress across complex and fast-moving portfolios. (assessed via statement of suitability)

• Ability to act as a trusted adviser to senior leaders, shaping decisions through confident challenge, clear recommendations and high-quality advice. (assessed via lead behaviour)

• Strong communication and influencing skills, with the ability to distil complex issues clearly, build credibility with senior stakeholders, and secure alignment across a complex system. (assessed via statement of suitability)

• Track record of delivering outcomes through others and across organisational boundaries, including confidence handling complex financial, commercial or governance issues. (assessed via statement of suitability)

Desirable Criteria

• Experience of working in, or leading, a Private Office or experience of supporting senior leaders in a high-profile, fast-paced environment.

• Understanding of departmental governance and Managing Public Money principles. 

• Knowledge of the MoJ’s strategy, priorities and operating context. 

We may consider any evidence within the application form that demonstrates meeting the desirable criteria as set out in the job description. This will only be after essential criteria is scored and where there is a need to differentiate between closely scored candidates.

Application process

You will be assessed against the Civil Service Success Profiles framework which will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience - Civil service success profiles framework.

Sift

Behaviours:

• Leadership (lead behaviour)

Experience: 

• Anonymised CV 

• Statement of Suitability (750 words)  - provide a statement of no more than 750 words outlining your suitability for the role and how you meet the essential criteria.

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 on the lead criteria of Leadership.

Interview

We’ll assess your experience and strengths in alignment with the following behaviours: 

• Leadership  (lead behaviour)

• Communicating and Influencing 

• Working together

• Seeing the Big Picture 

You will be assessed using Strengths which are not shared prior to interview.

You will be asked to do a presentation which will be shared with candidates who are invited to interview.