Descriptions & requirements

Job description

Head of Youth Justice Workstream

Location: National*

Closing Date: 21st August 2026

Interviews: week commencing 7th September 2026 (subject to change)

Grade: 6

Salary:
National: £71381 – £80419
London: £75674 – £85257

Contract Type: Permanent

Working pattern: full-time. 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.

We’re recruiting for a Head of Youth Justice Workstream here at Justice Digital, Data and Science to be part of our warm and collaborative team.

In May 2026, the vision for reforming the youth justice system was published. A key pillar of that reform is harnessing the untapped potential of data and technology to support earlier and more appropriate intervention. This includes exploring how machine learning and advanced analytics can be effectively and ethically utilised. This role

will lead that transformation as Head of Youth Justice Data.

The successful candidate will oversee fundamental transformation of the youth justice system, aiming to make better use of data and analytics to prevent crime, support children, and improve the productivity of front-line services. The successful candidate will lead teams of data scientists, analysts, and generalists to deliver this change programme. This is a wide-ranging role, which will give good opportunities for development for candidates looking to progress to Deputy Director grade in their next role.

The Organisation

This role sits within Justice Data which exists to ensure that high-quality data, and algorithms and tools built on that data, are available, trusted, and effectively used to improve decision making across the justice system. It plays a critical enabling role in delivering the department’s strategic, operational, and transformation priorities by turning complex and fragmented data into meaningful insight and practical tools.

The role sits within the Cross-Government Division of Justice Digital, Data, Science, which addresses complex justice challenges that cut across departmental boundaries. Working with partners across government, academia, and delivery systems, the Division focuses on improving data access, building evidence, and developing practical tools that support better decision-making, frontline delivery, and long-term system transformation.

The successful candidate will join approximately 50 talented, motivated, and caring individuals who currently work in the division, across professions including data scientists, data engineers, analysts, service designers, governance specialists, and generalists. The division has three priority areas it is focusing on: youth justice, mental health, and prevention. There is a strong culture of sharing best practice, developing cutting-edge capability, and celebrating achievements.

Key Responsibilities:

Define the strategic approach to transform youth justice services using data and analytics, taking account of the complex and fragmented stakeholder landscape.
Build support for said strategies across senior civil service leadership and ministers.
Oversee the development of data science solutions, ensuring they are feasible, ethical, legal, and effective.
Implement transformation programmes, maintaining progress by anticipating, identifying, and responding to blockers.
Motivate a team of approximately 20 to deliver excellent performance.

If this feels like an exciting opportunity, something you are enthusiastic about, and want to join our team please read on and apply!

Person Specification

Essential

Ability to understand a complex multi-organisation system and define approaches to solving fundamental issues.
Ability to build support and consensus for transformation proposals across varied stakeholders, including senior leaders and ministers.
Experience leading and motivating a team to achieve high performance.
Experience managing projects from inception to delivery, maintaining progress, and anticipating, identifying, and responding to blockers.
Technical: a strong background in analysis, research or data science, with a deep understanding of the theoretical and practical aspects of building products based on modelling and the ability to lead across disciplines.

Willingness to be assessed against the requirements for SC clearance

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 £71381 - £80419 (National), £75674 - £85257 (London)

Existing Civil Servants moving on a level transferwill 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 promotedwill either move to the bottom of the new grade’s pay band or receive a 10% uplift, whichever provides the greater increase.

Benefits

37 hours per week and flexible working options including working from home, working part-time, job sharing, or working compressed hours.
A £1k per person learning budget is in place to support all our people, with access to best in class conferences and seminars, accreditation with professional bodies, fully funded vocational programmes and e-learning platforms.
Staff have 10% time to dedicate to develop & grow.
Generous civil service pension based on defined benefit scheme, with employer contributions of 28.97% from April 1st 2024 (Contribution Rates).
25 days leave (plus bank holidays) and 1 privilege day usually taken around the Kings’ birthday. 5 additional days of leave once you have reached 5 years of service.
Compassionate maternity, adoption, and shared parental leave policies, with up to 26 weeks leave at full pay, 13 weeks with partial pay, and 13 weeks further leave. Also, maternity support/paternity leave at full pay for 2 weeks.
Wellbeing support including access to the Calm app.
Bike loans up to £2500 and secure bike parking (subject to availability and location)
Season ticket loans, childcare vouchers and eye-care vouchers.
5 days volunteering paid leave.
Free membership to BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT.
Some offices may have a subsidised onsite Gym.

How to Apply

We are recruiting using a combination of the Government Digital and Data Profession Capability, Analysis Function Profession capability, and Success Profiles Frameworks. We will assess your experience, technical skills and the following 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.

ACV 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.
Astatement 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.
Ability to understand a complex multi-organisation system and define approaches to solving fundamental issues with it.
Ability to build support and consensus for transformation proposals across varied stakeholders, including senior leaders and ministers
Experience leading and motivating a team to achieve high performance
Experience managing projects from inception to delivery, maintaining progress, and anticipating, identifying, and responding to blockers
Technical: a strong background in analysis, research or data science, with a deep understanding of the theoretical and practical aspects of building products based on modelling and the ability to lead across disciplines.

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 Personal Statement do not include your name or any other identifying details.

Should we receive a high volume of applications, a pre-sift based on
the below essential criteria will be conducted before the sift.

Ability to build support and consensus for transformation proposals across varied stakeholders, including senior leaders and ministers.
Technical: a strong background in analysis, research or data science, with a deep understanding of the theoretical and practical aspects of building products based on modelling and the ability to lead across disciplines.

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

Stage 2 - Interviews:

Successful candidates who meet the required standard will then be invited to a panel interview held via Microsoft Teams. At interview stage, you will be assessed against the following Success Profile elements - Experience, Technical and the following Behaviours:

Seeing the bigger picture
Communicating and Influencing

As part of your interview, you will be asked to deliver a 5-minute presentation that assesses your technical capability and experience. Further details will be provided if successful at sift.

Appointments are made strictly in merit order. If two or more candidates receive identical interview scores, ability to build support and consensus for transformation proposals across varied stakeholders, including senior leaders and ministers 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 & 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 datarecruitment@justice.gov.uk

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 roles: 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.

Eligibility

Staff on fixed term appointments must have been recruited through fair and open competition.

Vacancies advertised “cross-government” are only open to all Civil Service employees and employees of accredited non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) who were appointed on merit following a fair and open competition; or were appointed to a permanent post through an exception in the Civil Service Commissioners' rules.

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.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

To Transformative Business Services (0345 241 5359 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@resourcing.soprasteria.co.uk);
To Ministry of Justice Resourcing team (resourcing-management-office@justice.gov.uk);
To the Civil Service Commission (details available here)

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.

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.

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

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.

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 20904

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

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

Please provide a statement of suitability (750 words) which should outline your experience and skills, giving clear examples of work undertaken. It should specifically address the following criteria listed below.

o Ability to understand a complex multi-organisation system and define approaches to solving fundamental issues with it.

o Ability to build support and consensus for transformation proposals across varied stakeholders, including senior leaders and ministers

o Experience leading and motivating a team to achieve high performance

o Experience managing projects from inception to delivery, maintaining progress, and anticipating, identifying, and responding to blockers

o Technical: a strong background in analysis, research or data science, with a deep understanding of the theoretical and practical aspects of building products based on modelling and the ability to lead across disciplines.

Evidence of Experience

CV or Work History, Statement of Suitability

Ministry of Justice

20904 - Head of Youth Justice Workstream

General Information