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

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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 -

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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:

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. Communication and Influence: excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to influence and manage upwards, speak confidently, and communicate clearly.