Ministry of Justice

Operational Data Lead

Location: National*

Interviews: week commencing 14th September 2026

Grade: G7

(MoJ candidates who are on a specialist grade, will be able to retain this grade on lateral transfer)

Salary**: London: £63,343 to £70,725

National: £58,511 to £65,329

Working pattern:  Full-time, Flexible working, Job share

Contract Type: Permanent

Number of vacancies: 1

*We offer a hybrid working model, allowing for a balance between remote work and time spent in your local office. Office locations can be found ON THIS MAP

Please note that unless you are an existing member of staff at Justice Digital, Data and Science, the only London location being recruited to is 10 South Colonnade, E14 4PU. We are no longer recruiting to 102 Petty France, SW1H 9AJ.

The Role

Please note this role requires you to pass Security Check clearance. Please click on the link for details.

We’re recruiting for a G7 Operational Data Lead here at Justice Digital, Data and Science to be part of our warm and collaborative Cross-Government Division within Justice Data.

The Cross-Government Division addresses complex justice challenges that cut across organisational boundaries. Working with partners across government, academia, and delivery systems, the division focuses on improving data access, building evidence and insight, and developing practical tools that support better decision-making, frontline delivery, and long-term system transformation.

The division administers the BOLD (Better Outcomes through Linked Data) Partnership which is a cross public sector partnership focussed on improving outcomes for society, particularly for vulnerable individuals and those with complex needs —such as those facing homelessness, poverty, health challenges, offending behaviour or substance misuse.

The division has three new priority areas it is focusing on: youth justice, health, and prevention working collaboratively with partners within the BOLD partnership. There is a strong culture of sharing best practice, developing cutting-edge capability, and celebrating achievements.

The BOLD Health workstream is focusing on linking data on health and the criminal justice system. We are mainly at discovery and early delivery stages. The key objectives are:

1. Establish a shared understanding of mental health identification, need and treatment for offenders and strengthen the evidence base for policy, commissioning, and service design in justice and health 
2. Support better frontline decision making in probation and health to improve prevention and reduce harm for vulnerable cohorts including monitoring the Mental Health Act 2025
3. Build the foundations for sustainable health and justice data sharing.  

This workstream involves linking heath and justice data for analytical purposes, developing operational frontline tools based on linked health-justice system data and understanding how mental health data flows through the criminal justice system.

The current team is small (4 people) and is expected to expand to around 16 people by the end of 2026. It is a multi-disciplinary team with analysts, data scientists, data engineers, service designers and policy/engagement leads. Whilst based in MOJ, there will be close working with HMPPS, DHSC and NHS England colleagues to design and deliver all projects.

This Post

This post is the G7 Data Analyst Lead focusing on using linked data for operational purposes. The year one programme is likely to cover:

• Development of a local level pilot to share health and probation data to improve health outcomes and reduce re-offending associated with health (particularly mental health) including developing working tools for frontline use of data for operational purposes
• Development of a dashboard for the monitoring of 28 day transfers between prison and NHS secured premises under the Mental Health Act 2025 using HMPPS and NHS England data

This work will also be supported by a service designers and data engineers as needed.

You can find more details of the Benefits we offer here.  To help picture your life at MoJ Justice Digital, Data and Science please take a look at our blog.

Key Responsibilities.

The core responsibilities of the head of the team are:

• Lead the work for the BOLD Health Operational Data team working closely with other senior members of the BOLD Health team.
• Lead discovery activities to identify data & system gaps & data flows to help form the future delivery of the programme - what is the data we need, where, how good is it/trusted and mechanisms for getting it that help support the outcomes of our partners.
• Develop operational tools for probation and health colleagues based on linked and shared health-probation data that improve offenders’ health and reduce reoffending associated with health and mental health needs. This includes:
  • Identify appropriate business needs and location of appropriate data
  • Work in partnership with specialist data sharing team to access legally data
  • Work with Data and Analytics Engineers to transfer data into operational data tools
  • Delivering operational tools (e.g. dashboards, automated emails etc).
• Develop these tools through a local level pilot with probation and health colleagues in a test and learn approach prior to wider roll-out.
• Development of a dashboard for monitoring of 28 day transfers between prison and NHS secured premises under the Mental Health Act 2025 using HMPPS and NHS England data.
• Line manage and support a team of 3-4 staff.

This is a new team, and you will have the opportunity to shape your role and the wider team approach and culture. If this feels like an exciting challenge, something you are enthusiastic about, and want to join our team please read on and apply!

Person Specification

Essential

• Experience working in Health and Justice areas in central or local government and demonstrated experience of leverage those experiences, knowledge and networks to progress discovery activities. (technical skills)
• Demonstrable experience in understanding data or systems level requirements, in health or justice subject domain to deliver specific project level outcomes. (technical skills)
• Strong experience in applying statistical and quantitative techniques and approaches including analysis, data preparation, linkage approaches and /or data visualisation to inform policy and/or operational decisions (technical skills)
• A strong understanding of customer needs and expectations, developing clear plans to meet these needs that make a significant difference to policy or operational colleagues and delivering them to time and quality. (managing a quality service)
• Strong written and oral communication and interpersonal skills and the ability to explain complex concepts and practices to non-technical stakeholders, including senior leaders (communicating and influencing)
• A self-starter, who can take a vision and goals and make them reality for themselves and a team, and can shape this role rather than waiting to be given instructions (leadership)

We welcome the unique contribution diverse applicants bring and do not discriminate based on culture, ethnicity, race, nationality or national origin, age, sex, gender identity or expression, religion or belief, disability status, sexual orientation, educational or social background or any other factor. 

Our values are Purpose, Humanity Openness and Together. Find out more here about how we celebrate diversity and an inclusive culture in our workplace.

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 D&I Strategy.

Salary Information**

Base salary for this role is from London: £63,343 to £70,725 or National: £58,511 to £65,329

• New entrants to the Civil Service joining the MoJ are expected to start at the minimum of the pay band.
• Existing Civil Servants moving on a level transfer will retain their current base salary or move to the minimum of the pay band for the role, whichever is higher.
• Existing Civil Servants who are promoted will either move to the bottom of the new grade’s pay band or receive a 10% uplift, whichever provides the greater increase.

The final offer will reflect the skills and experience you demonstrate during the assessment process.

How to Apply

In Justice Digital, Data and Science, we recruit using a combination of the Government Digital and Data Profession Capability or Government Analysis frameworks (GSR, GORS, GSS or GORS) and Success Profiles Frameworks. We shall assess a combination of your Experience, Technical skills and Behaviours during the assessment process.

Stage 1 - Application and sift:

To apply for this position, you must submit the following as part of your application:

• A CV detailing your career history (including any relevant qualifications). Your CV will be assessed against the essential criteria outlined within the Person Specification of this advert.
• A Statement of Suitability (no more than 750 words) which should outline your experience and skills, giving clear examples of work undertaken. It should specifically address the following criteria listed below.

• Previous experience working in Health and Justice areas in central or local government and demonstrated experience of leverage those experiences, knowledge and networks to progress discovery activities
• Demonstrable experience in understanding data or systems level requirements, in health or justice subject domain to deliver specific project level outcomes
• Strong experience in applying statistical and quantitative techniques and approaches including analysis, data preparation, linkage approaches and /or data visualisation to inform policy and/or operational decisions
• A strong understanding of customer needs and expectations, developing clear plans to meet these needs that make a significant difference to policy or operational colleagues and delivering them to time and quality.
• Strong written and oral communication and interpersonal skills and the ability to explain complex concepts and practices to non-technical stakeholders, including senior leaders
• A self-starter, who can take a vision and goals and make them reality for themselves and a team, and can shape this role rather than waiting to be given instructions

A diverse sift panel will review the information in your CV and Personal Statement to assess the sift criteria specified above.  We operate an anonymous shortlisting process. Please ensure your CV and statement of suitability do not include your name or any other identifying details.

Should we receive a high volume of applications, a pre-sift based on “previous experience working in Health and Justice areas in central or local government and demonstrated experience of leverage those experiences, knowledge and networks to progress discovery activities” as evidenced in the CV will be conducted. Following the pre-sift, a full sift will take place based on all the essential criteria in the person specification as evidenced in the CV and Statement of Suitability.

Please ensure your CV goes beyond job titles, civil service grades and timelines and clearly sets out the specific subject area and analytical activities you have undertaken and the outcomes delivered. Given that the pre sift will be based on the CV, candidates should ensure that evidence of meeting the essential criteria clearly demonstrated. Please include examples of datasets used, analytical methods applied, tools and languages, and the insights or products generated. Focus on what you did and the impact your work had, rather than general descriptions of your role.

Please access the following link for guidance on how to apply - Application Guidance

Stage 2 - Interviews:

If you pass the sift process, you'll be invited to a 70-minute interview. This will include a short technical exercise, followed by a panel interview with members of the hiring team.

At interview stage, you will be assessed against the following Success Profile elements:

• Technical Skills (including discovery, understanding data requirements, applying statistical and quantitative techniques) demonstrating technical competence at G7 level
• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing
• Managing a Quality Service

Please note this recruitment process will not meet the requirements for badging at the G7 grade within the analytical professions. Separate grading opportunities may be available to successful candidates.

Appointments are made strictly in merit order. In the event that two or more candidates receive identical interview scores, the experience working in Health and Justice areas in central or local government and demonstrated experience of leverage those experiences, knowledge and networks to progress discovery activities. will be applied as the primary lead criterion to determine the final merit order.

Should you be unsuccessful in the role that you have applied for but demonstrate the capability for a role at a lower level, we reserve the right to discuss this opportunity with you and offer you the position without needing a further application.

A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months, from which further appointments may be made.

Use of Artificial Intelligence

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.

Terms & Conditions

Please review our Terms and Conditions which set out how we recruit and provide further information related to the role and salary arrangements.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact digitalanddatarecruitment@justice.gov.uk