HM Courts and Tribunals Service

Job Title: Head of Business Continuity and Resilience

Grade: G7

Directorate: HQ Ops

Location: National

Contract Type: Permanent

Working Pattern: Full-time/ Flexible Working

Successful applicants will be expected to be office based 3 days per week in any HMCTS Office (subject to business availability).

Level of Clearance: To apply for this role, you will be required to successfully complete Security Clearance (SC) level as a condition of appointment. For further guidance click here

Introduction

HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) is responsible for the administration of criminal, civil and family courts and tribunals in England and Wales. Our roles support our service users and colleagues, where people and businesses access potentially life-changing justice.  We’re looking for individuals who are committed to public service and want to make a difference in people’s lives in delivering justice. If you’re interested in developing a career with a real purpose, please apply.

Job Description

The Head of Business Continuity and Resilience sits within the National Support Unit (NSU), reporting to the Head of Operational Incident Management and Resilience. This is a key national role, responsible for creating and implementing a strategy that will ensure robust, up to date, fit for purpose and flexible Business Continuity Management Systems (BCMS) are in place, and aligned across HMCTS.

The role holder provides assurance to the HMCTS Senior Management Team (SMT) that the organisation is compliant with Civil Contingencies Act 2004 - Part 6, International Standard ISO:22301 and BCI Good Practice Guide. They will ensure business continuity management arrangements are regularly tested and reviewed. They will be supported in this area of business by a team of competent staff allowing the role holder to maintain or as soon as possible resume the provision of key products and services in the event of disruption.

The role holder will build and maintain strong relationships across HMCTS and Ministry of Justice (MOJ), being an expert source of advice and guidance for senior stakeholders, senior managers, operational and HQ teams, enabling them to carry out appropriate business continuity activities and contingency planning.

The role holder will be expected to build and manage relationships with the following key contacts including collaborating, influencing, guiding, and supporting

1. Operational Performance team (to identify impact of business continuity events on performance)

2. MOJ Departmental Operating Centre including Corporate Business Continuity Team and cross Departmental Business Continuity Forum.

3. HMCTS Directorates - Communications, Digital and Technology Services, Property Directorate, HR, Finance Governance and Performance (Risk & Assurance).

4. Leading and influencing for HMCTS on national issues - MOJ Employee Relations Branch (preparation for the management of Industrial Action), MOJ HR (Pandemic Diseases Capability Board)

5. Leading Industrial Action Planning Group on behalf of Deputy Director (National Support Unit)

6. HMCTS Operational Directors and Delivery Directors

7. Network of contacts outside HMCTS notably within Crown Prosecution Service, Prison Escort and Custodial Services and HM Prison and Probation Service

8. Cabinet Office Civil Contingencies Secretariat/COBR Unit.

Key responsibilities:

• Responsible for shaping HMCTS policy and strategy on business continuity and resilience and obtaining SMT approval.

• Develop and co-ordinate production of HMCTS Business Continuity Plans and contingency plans for around 360 sites within a national framework, providing advice and assurance to SMT on organisational and operational resilience.

• Responsible for engagement on all Business Continuity Management System issues with internal and external stakeholders including MoJ and other government departments.

• Promote and champion business continuity best practice across HMCTS at all levels.

• Create and develop a Business Continuity Strategy including specific contingency plans to ensure the continuation of our services during and following any critical incident that results in disruption to the normal operational capability of HMCTS.

• Lead a team to develop and work collaboratively with senior operational managers on an approach to ensure standards are consistent and are continuously improved subsequently ensuring recovery of key business areas in the event of disruption or major incident.

• Support HMCTS through change including the work of major programmes and projects by providing advice and strategic direction to ensure delivery includes robust and relevant Business Continuity Management procedures.

• Lead and assure the delivery of HMCTS Gold Command Secretariat functions, maintaining strategic oversight of national incidents and emerging risks to ensure appropriate escalation, governance and decision-making support is always available to senior leaders.

• Facilitate the testing of both national and local business continuity/crisis management plans, using own judgement to anticipate and identify any potential risks; assist in the running of tests and acting as the senior liaison officer between the Departments Gold/Silver/Bronze response teams and senior business partners to ensure effective communication between business areas and key stakeholders.

• Provide SMT with an assurance that HMCTS is in the best possible position to respond to a critical incident, protecting and where possible enhancing the reputation and credibility of the organisation with a significant influence on the important external relationships with the scope to influence and enhance the organisation’s Reputation.

Essential skills

1. Comprehensive people management and leadership skills and experience, working with and through others to build capability and confidence

2. Experience of working with and influencing senior management and stakeholders.

3. Experience or knowledge of HMG Security Policy Framework and its overarching principles.

4. Experience of operational delivery environment and operational incident management at a local or national level.

5. Certificate of the Business Continuity Institute/Member of the Business Continuity Institute or a willingness to work towards it.

6. Strong communication skills, written and verbal, with the ability to draft and present papers at committees or boards.

7. Proficient with IT - MS products.

8. Experience or knowledge of a public policy environment.

9. Experience or knowledge of monitoring and evaluation.

Stage 1 - Sift:

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

• An anonymised CV, setting out your career history, key responsibilities and achievements. Your CV will be assessed against the essential criteria outlined within the Essential Skills section of this advert.

• A Statement of Suitability of 500 words which should give us real life examples of how your skills and experience match those needed for this role. We recommend following the STAR format.

• Behaviour, Leadership 250 words- examples illustrating the Civil Service Behaviours listed under the Application form stage assessments section.

Should we receive a high volume of applications, a pre-sift may be conducted on the behaviour question leadership. Candidates who pass the pre-sift will be fully assessed on all the sift criteria.

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

Stage 2 - Interviews:

Successful candidates who passed the sift will be invited to interview via Microsoft Teams at interview stage, you will be assessed against the following - Behaviours.

• Leadership

• Communicating and influencing

• Delivering at pace

You will be expected to deliver a presentation on your experience; the presentation brief will be sent to you in advance.

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.

For further guidance on the interview process please click here

Important information

Level of Clearance

To apply for this role, you will be required to successfully complete Security Clearance (SC) level as a condition of appointment. To meet these requirements, you will normally need to have been resident in the UK for at least:

• SC - 5 years

For further information please click here

Salary details

New recruits to the Civil Service joining MoJ are expected to join at the band minimum.

Existing Civil Servants applying on promotion, will usually be appointed on the salary minimum of the new pay band, or receive an increase of 10 percent on the current base salary, whichever is higher (This is restricted to the pay maximum of the new band).

Travel requirements

There will be a requirement to travel occasionally to any HMCTS site in line with business needs as well as overnight stays.

Proud to Serve. Proud to keep justice going.