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General Information

Salary
The national salary range is £41,463 - £45,276, London salary range is £47,657 - £52,040. Your salary will be dependent on your base location
Working Pattern
Full Time, Part Time, Part Time/Job Share, Flexible Working
Vacancy Approach
Cross Government
Location
National
Region
National
Closing Date
05-Jun-2025
Post Type
Permanent
Civil Service Grade
SEO
Number of jobs available
1
Reserve List
12 Months
Job ID
6004

Descriptions & requirements

Job description

Purpose

This is an exciting, challenging and high-profile opportunity to be a part of the private office of the Director General for People and Capability at MoJ. The postholder will be responsible for supporting People and Capability group (and wider MoJ) to think strategically about its performance and risks to ensure that milestones, KPIs and plans are being delivered. You will help hold the organisation to account and work to maintain effective relationships with a range of stakeholders.

The role will be a part of a collaborative and engaging private office team that supports the DG across his full portfolio to maintain, strengthen and lead the MoJ People and Capability Group of over 1,200 people. You will need to be well organised and adaptable, with excellent judgement and the ability to prioritise a busy workload with conflicting priorities, along with having a strategic and analytical mind. You must be able to influence and manage upwards, speak with confidence and authority when dealing with senior staff.

You will support to ensure that the Groups and MoJ’s people priorities are understood and driven forward, communicating these effectively at the very highest levels across the department, to the Senior Leadership Team. You will also engage with staff at all levels across MoJ and with stakeholders across the Civil Service to assist with ensuring there is strong governance, performance and risk management within People and Capability Group.

Responsibilities

  • Working closely with People and Capability Group colleagues, and the wider organisation; anticipating problems and actively resolving issues as they arise, providing the group with support and challenge where appropriate to help with delivery and performance.
  • Be a leader in within the Governance, Performance and Risk team (part of the DG PO), task managing members of the team and deputising for the head of the team when needed.
  • Develop and maintain strong stakeholder relationships across the Department, including secretariat, governance and risk teams, as well as with colleagues within the Group and senior leaders across the wider department.
  • Own and drive forward an interesting and high-profile portfolio of work and business plans for the Group, to support delivery of the Group’s and MoJs strategic priorities.
  • Own the Business Plan for the Groups business plan and ensuring we are joined up with other plans and colleagues across the MoJ including with other senior governance groups.
  • Support implementing performance metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) to track project progress and enable data-driven decision-making
  • Prepare briefings and support the DG in meetings to help them understand performance progress and risks as well as celebrating success.
  • Respond to commissions from across the MoJ and Civil Service on behalf of People and Capability Group ensuring accurate data and narrative is provided.

Note: The responsibilities of this role may evolve, and change based on reviewing of portfolios and work that is taking place across the Group and team.

Travel to London will be required on an ad hoc basis, but we will provide plenty of notice and work in line with any personal/caring responsibilities you may have. This travel will be included as part of your in-office days.

Essential criteria

  • Governance and Performance Management: experience in supporting delivery and working within governance processes and performance reporting and frameworks, including effectively managing risks across organisations and their agencies.
  • Improving processes and procedures: experience of thinking innovatively to implement new ways of working to make processes and procedures more efficient whilst having the ability to respond to changing demands.
  • Communication and Influence: excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to influence and manage upwards, speak confidently, and communicate clearly.

Desirable

  • Knowledge and experience of working in a private office
  • Knowledge and experience of using PowerBI


We may consider any evidence within your application and/or from interview 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.

Note: we expect the successful candidate to remain in post for a minimum of 12 months.

Application process:

You will be assessed against the Civil service success profiles framework at level for this post.

Sift

Experience:

  •  Please provide a CV.
You will be asked to write three answers in 250 words each based on the essential criteria below
  • Governance and Performance Management: experience in supporting delivery and working within governance processes and performance reporting and frameworks, including effectively managing risks across organisations and their agencies.
  • Improving processes and procedures: experience of thinking innovatively to implement new ways of working to make processes and procedures more efficient whilst having the ability to respond to changing demands.
  •  Communication and Influence: excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to influence and manage upwards, speak confidently, and communicate clearly.


In the event of a large volume of applications being received, an initial sift will carried out on the experience ‘Governance and Performance Management: experience in supporting delivery and working within governance processes and performance reporting and frameworks, including effectively managing risks across organisations and their agencies.’

Interview:

Please note that interviews will be held remotely.

During the interview, we will be assessing you on Experience and Strengths questions.

Experience topics will be:

  • Governance and Performance Management: experience in supporting delivery and working within governance processes and performance reporting and frameworks, including effectively managing risks across organisations and their agencies.
  • Improving processes and procedures: experience of thinking innovatively to implement new ways of working to make processes and procedures more efficient whilst having the ability to respond to changing demands.
  • Communication and Influence: excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to influence and manage upwards, speak confidently, and communicate clearly.

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

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:

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 6004

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, Experience Questions
Experience Questions Application Form Question Word Limit
250
Evidence of Experience
CV or Work History, Experience Questions

Interview stage assessments

Interview Dates
Expected to be in June.
Experience
Your Experience for this role will be assessed at interview. To learn more about Experience and how they are assessed please click here.
We will assess your experience for this role via the following methods
Experience Questions
Strengths
Strengths will be assessed but these are not shared in advance. To learn more about Strengths and how they are assessed please click here.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (Al)
You must ensure that any evidence submitted as part of your application, including your CV, statement of suitability and behaviour examples, are truthful and factually accurate. Please note that plagiarism can include presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own.
Level of security checks required
Baseline Personnal Security Standard (BPSS)