Candidate Information Pack
Head of Justice System Modelling and Head of Agile, Analytical Improvements and Review
Ministry of Justice
SCS Pay Band 1
Closing Date: 23:55 on 6th July 2025
Introduction 2
Welcome to the Ministry of Justice 2
About the Ministry of Justice 3
About the MoJ’s Analytical Community 3
About the role 5
Person Specification 9
The Recruitment Process 11
Recruitment Process 11
Civil Service Behaviours 13
Guidance for Writing your Statement and CV 15
Expected Timeline 16
Benefits of working for the Ministry of Justice 17
Disability Support 18
FAQs 20
Data Sharing 22
Diversity & Inclusion 23
Contact us 24
“Thank you for your interest in this exciting role"
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is responsible for everything that goes into running the UK’s criminal and civil justice systems, creating the foundations for a safe, fair and prosperous society. We are one of the largest government departments based across England and Wales. We are responsible for 300 courts and hearing centres, over 100 prisons in England and Wales, the policies underpinning the system and much more
The MoJ combines a wide range and scale of operational, policy and major programme delivery challenges, and there has never been a more important time to join the team. We are working to ensure swifter justice for victims, punishment that cuts crime and to be a beacon for justice & the rule of law.
High quality analysis is crucial to our work, allowing us to take evidence-based policy and operational decisions across the justice system. We are looking to recruit senior analysts to lead two of our analytical teams. We are looking for people who can lead complex and wide-ranging programmes of analytical work, bringing strategic vision and the confidence and credibility to lead in a high-pressure, fast-moving environment. As part of the department’s analytical senior leadership team, you will help shape and build our analytical culture and capability.
We look forward to hearing from you,
Chris Drane
Director of Analysis
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) works to protect and advance the principles of justice. Our vision is to deliver a world-class justice system that works for everyone in society.
The justice system plays a crucial role in our success as a nation - keeping people safe, emphasising fairness, guaranteeing individual rights and giving businesses confidence to flourish.
The delivery of our three strategic outcomes are central to doing this:
Protect the public from serious offenders and improve the safety and security of our prisons. We will deliver better sentencing, more prison places, safer prisons and strong action on extremism.
Reduce reoffending. We will play a vital role in reducing crime through breaking the cycle of reoffending by focusing on proven interventions: a home, a job and access to treatment for substance-misuse.
Deliver swift access to justice. We will increase the throughput of volumes of cases by maximising capacity and make the courts and tribunals system stronger and smarter and work to support victims, tackling sexual and domestic violence and making sure the vulnerable are supported in the justice system.
For more information on who we are and what we do, please visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice.
The Ministry of Justice has around 600 analysts working in teams across the department. A number of Deputy Director led analytical teams sit within policy or operational directorates, and there is a central Analysis Directorate which leads on statistics and cross-cutting analysis and modelling. The Analysis Directorate also acts as a centre of expertise, setting frameworks and standards, and providing support for the wider analytical community. All our analytical teams are multi-disciplinary, and teams generally include a mix of Social Researchers, Economists, Operational Researchers, and Statisticians.
Across the analytical community, we provide high quality analysis to help ensure strategic, policy, finance, corporate and operational decisions are based on robust evidence. We are passionate about improving justice outcomes through innovative research and analysis.
We create a culture in which people are empowered with the information to make excellent decisions; using cutting edge tools, techniques and collaboration; putting evidence at the heart of the justice system.
We work in a dynamic and fast-paced environment and our skills are in heavy demand within the department. Our collaborations across and beyond government are seen as ground-breaking.
We want all our people to feel valued for who they are and for the work they do. We provide a supportive, inclusive place to work and offer a wide range of flexibilities and benefits as part of our people offer to reward our staff.
Head of Justice System Modelling
Head of Agile, Analytical Improvements and Review
This role is Leeds and London based
Please note the requirements for travel and level of flexibility available as set out in the FAQs section.
The salary for this role is set within the MoJ SCS PB1 range (£81,000 - £117,800)
External candidates should expect their salary upon appointment to be £81,000 per annum.
Existing Civil Servants will be appointed in line with the Civil Service pay rules in place on the date of their appointment.
This role is being offered on a permanent basis.
This role has a minimum assignment duration of 3 years - in line with the deliverables identified. Please note this is an expectation only, it is not something which is written into your terms and conditions or indeed which the employing organisation or you are bound by.
Please note that in submitting an application you will be considered for both advertised roles. Upon appointment applicants will be allocated to the role that we feel is best suited to each candidate. We do not guarantee a specific role so please be willing to undertake either of the advertised positions if successful.
Head of Justice System Modelling
The Role
This role reports to Chris Drane, the Director of Analysis, and sits in the Analysis Directorate. The role has direct line management of 4 x G6s with an overall leadership span of around 40 FTE. The The Role has direct line management of 4 x G6s with an overall leadership span of around 40 FTE. The postholder will be responsible for a programme of analysis that is business critical to the department. The team leads on analysis and modelling of the justice system as a whole. It provides the department with high quality modelling and analysis on future demand in the criminal justice system from courts to probation, as well as demand into civil and family courts and tribunals, and insightful analysis to support understanding of what is happening in the system. The work is crucial for departmental decision making on managing the demand in courts, prisons and probation, as well as decisions about policies related to courts.
Key Responsibilities
Lead the team to deliver a high-profile programme of analytical work on demand into courts, prisons and probation, and the drivers of that demand. This includes the department’s business critical projections of the prison population, court demand and income. The jobholder will deliver the analytical work to support the Independent Review of Criminal Courts and court-related policies. The work is business critical for the department’s decision-making on how to manage demand in the justice system based on robust analysis and evidence, while also building in operational and policy intelligence. The jobholder will also be responsible for leading the department’s liaison with Home Office, Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), No10 and HM Treasury (HMT) to ensure there is a shared cross government understanding of demand into the CJS.
Develop a new CJS insights function to enable rapid analysis and insight on what is currently happening in the criminal justice system.
Lead the team providing modelling and analysis on departmental income from court fees and fines to inform the department on likely future income.
Lead the team to provide modelling of demand into the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) from Lasting Power of Attorney applications as well as ad hoc analysis such as analysis of deputyships
Support and lead the team in maintaining effective relationships with senior stakeholders across the department, including Ministers and senior policy and operational leaders at board level. Ability to communicate complex modelling and forecasting clearly to a very senior audience of non-specialists is essential.
Foster an inclusive, supportive and high performing culture.
Head of Agile, Analytical Improvements and Review
The Role
This role reports to Chris Drane, the Director of Analysis, and sits in the Analysis Directorate. The role has direct line management of 6 x G6s with an overall leadership span of around 40 FTE. The team provide analytical support across the department through use of flexible resource providing an analytical quality assurance service and making innovative use of new data, tools and techniques to improve the quality of analysis. The team’s key focus is on the department’s most business-critical analysis. The post holder will play a crucial role in prioritising flexible resource to facilitate delivery of business-critical analysis, reviewing and challenging business-critical analysis and exploring better ways to undertake analysis. They will need to work in a multi-disciplinary manner, in close partnership with Policy Directors and the Director of Analysis to understand departmental priorities, and with data teams to exploit potential new services and data flows.
Key Responsibilities
Lead a team that provides support for teams undertaking business-critical analysis through the allocation of flexible resource, undertaking analytical assurance and innovating in the use of new data.
Lead in developing and delivering a team that provides flexible resource for projects currently not deliverable due to resource constraints within established analytical teams. The post holder will be responsible for ensuring the right projects are prioritised and resources are effectively allocated to facilitate analytical teams delivering their business-critical work.
Lead in developing and delivering a strategy that ensures the departments business-critical analysis is fit for purpose, through assurance of analysis that underpins the departments most important decisions. The post holder will be responsible for ensuring analysis is robust and the risks and uncertainties are understood and communicated effectively.
Lead in developing and delivering a strategy through which fundamental knowledge gaps are filled, improving the precision, consistency and understanding of our analytical estimates.
Create a way of working where departmental analytical needs are prioritised: the justice system is in a state of flux and in turn business priorities rapidly change with urgent analysis often needed to support this. The post holder will need to build a team that has the capability, expertise and knowledge to facilitate this flexible way of working.
Develop productive relationships with a range of stakeholders aimed at delivering more impactful analysis, including building close working relationships with Policy Directors to understand their needs and Service Transformation colleagues to ensure the right data underpins key decisions.
Foster an inclusive, supportive and high performing culture.
It is important through the recruitment process that you give evidence and examples of proven experience of each of the essential and desirable criteria.
Later on in the pack you will be told what is being assessed at which stage of the process.
Essential Experience:
A strong analytical background in either economics, statistics, operational research or social research, with experience of leading multidisciplinary teams.
An outstanding track record of leading large and complex analytical programmes to solve problems and drive change through delivering high impact analysis that directly influences strategic, policy and operational approaches and decision-making.
Strong communication skills with a proven ability to communicate clearly and work effectively with a range of stakeholders at all levels, including Ministers and other senior stakeholders in a fast moving and complex policy environment.
Experience of supporting, motivating and developing a diverse team of people to deliver a high-quality service, with a proven track record of building capability and developing people.
A high level of confidence and resilience, with an ability to work autonomously and manage ambiguity and change.
Proven experience in overseeing modelling and forecasting work
Technical:
You will need to be an analytical professional of the requisite experience and need to hold (or be capable of holding) a technical specialism in one of the analytical professions
(GES, GORS, GSR, GSS)
MoJ SCS Pay Band 1 Behaviours:
You will also be assessed against the following Behaviours during the Recruitment Process:
Leadership
Communicating and Influencing
Managing a Quality Service
Changing and Improving
Read more in the Civil Service Success Profiles Section.
Strengths
We are looking to understand what motivates and energises you. We want to see what your natural strengths are and what interests you.
Civil Service Leadership Statement
All leaders within Civil Service ae expected to demonstrate the qualities within the Civil Service Leadership Statement during their Staff Engagement Exercise.
The selection process will be chaired by Chris Drane, Director of Analysis. The other panel members TBC.
Support during the selection process
If you need any support or have any questions during any stage of the selection process, please contact the SCS Recruitment Team scsrecruitment@justice.gov.uk.
Stages of the selection process
Information Session
For those interested in finding out more about the role, we encourage applicants to attend the information session on Monday 23rd June 2025 at 3pm.
Chris Drane and an HR Lead will be present to discuss the position in more depth, as well as provide information about what you can expect while working in the Ministry of Justice.
The session will also give you the chance to ask any questions you may have before applying to the role.
To attend the session please join using this link -
Information Session
Application
You will need to complete the online application process accessed via the advertisement for this role.
This should be completed no later than 23:55 on Sunday 6th July 2025. As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete:
Responses to the eligibility questions to check you are eligible to apply for the role.
A response to whether you would like to request reasonable adjustments during the selection process. The Disability Support section explains how adjustments can be made to the selection process to accommodate a disability.
You will also need to complete a CV and Statement of Suitability. It is important that your CV and Statement of Suitability give evidence and examples of how you meet the essential experience and technical skills set out on page 9.
The Statement of Suitability is 1000 words.
Find out more information about our application process here.
After the Application Stage
You will be advised whether your application has been shortlisted for the next stage of the selection process. If you are shortlisted, we will contact you to arrange the next stage of the selection process.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Panel Interview and Presentation
You will be invited to attend an interview and presentation with the selection panel. You will be asked to prepare a verbal 5-minute presentation based on a topic that will be provided in advance. The interview and presentation will last for approximately 45 minutes.
What is being assessed?
Behaviours, as listed on page 9.
After the Panel Interview
Following the interview, the performance of all candidates will be reviewed, and the successful candidate identified. All candidates will be notified of the outcome as soon as possible after the conclusion of all interviews. If you are not the successful candidate but you meet the standard required, you may be invited to have your details retained on a merit list to be considered for future SCS roles.
The Civil Service recruits using Success Profiles and Behaviours are an element of Success Profiles used to see whether candidates are able demonstrate specific Behaviours associated with the role they are applying for during the selection process.
In this process the below Behaviours are most relevant to this role and will be assessed during the interview stage of the process. The definitions of Behaviours are set out below:
Leadership
You visibly demonstrate the organisation’s values in all your activity, leading authentically. You seek to engage staff in the aims of the organisation and communicate the organisation’s strategy in an inspiring way. You create an inclusive and fair culture which creates a sense of belonging by treating staff Success Profiles and Behaviours are an element of Success Profiles used to see whether candidates are able demonstrate specific Behaviours associated with the role they are applying for during the selection process.
In this process the below Behaviours are most relevant to this role and will be assessed during the interview stage of the process. The definitions of Behaviours are set out below:
Communicating and Influencing
You communicate clearly and with confidence, both verbally and in writing. You are open, honest and transparent in your communications. You communicate effectively with internal and external senior stakeholders to present information in a convincing and influential manner. You tailor your communication methods and content to the audience, simplifying strategic messages.
Managing a Quality Service
You understand the requirements of service users and are focussed on providing a service that offers the best outcomes for the public. You foster an environment where opportunities to improve service delivery are identified and adjust processes accordingly. You create plans and consider the resources needed to support implementation. You identify risks and barriers to service delivery and ensure they are removed.
Changing and Improving
You create an environment of continuous improvement and change. You see the benefit of change and promote this within your area of responsibility. You identify business needs, both current and future, and use this to identify opportunities for change, utilising innovative solutions that benefit the end user. You are able to embed change, managing risks. You evaluate the impact of change against the expected outcomes for service users and the public.
Please click here or more information on Behaviours and Success Profiles.
As part of the application process, you need to submit a Statement and CV. Both your Statement and CV should demonstrate how you meet the essential experience and technical skills outlined in the Person Specification section.
Ensure you read through the role information thoroughly and identify the essential criteria for each area. You should ensure you provide evidence for each of the essential experience and technical skills which are required for the role in your Statement and CV. You may not be progressed to the next stage of the assessment process if you do not provide this evidence.
When structuring your Statements try to:
Group evidence of the same experience and technical skills together by using subheadings and paragraphs. This will help to ensure you are writing about the experience that is directly relevant for the role you are applying for.
You should ensure that you detail recent and relevant examples of the essential experience and technical skills required for the role and describe the outcome that came from this.
Providing a name-blind CV and Success Profile Statements
In both your CV and Success Profile Statements please remove references to any personal information that could identify you. For example:
Name and title
Educational institution names
Age and gender
Email address
Postal address and telephone number
Nationality and immigration status.
This will help us to recruit based on your knowledge and skills, and not on your background, gender or ethnicity. Recruiting this way is called name-blind recruitment.
For more information on how to write your Statement and CV please visit the Civil Service Careers Website.
We will try and offer as much flexibility as we can, but it may not be possible to offer alternative dates for assessments or interviews. You are therefore asked to note the below timetable, exercising flexibility through the recruitment and selection process, in order to meet the dates given. Please note that these dates may be subject to change.
The anticipated timetable is as follows:
23:55 on Sunday 6th July 2025
SCS Stage 1: CV and Statement of Suitability
You will be invited to complete a CV and Statement of Suitability. You will have until 23:55 on Sunday 6th July 2025 to submit your CV and Success Profile Statement.
Outcome of CV and Statement of Suitability
Week commencing 21st July 2025
Panel Interview and Presentation
Week commencing 29th July and week commencing 4th August 2025
Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Wellbeing
Our departmental values - purpose, humanity, openness and together - are at the heart of our commitment to create a culture where all our people are able to thrive and flourish in the workplace.
We want to attract and retain the best talent from diverse backgrounds and perspectives We want everyone to be the best of themselves, to feel supported and have a strong sense of belonging in the workplace. Our commitment to creating a diverse and inclusive workforce is reflected in all of our people policies and strategies.
Benefits
As a Ministry of Justice employee, you’ll be entitled to a large range of benefits which include but are not limited to:
Pension
The Civil Service Pension Scheme is one of the best workplace pension schemes in the UK public sector. For SCS 1 roles, you will start with a base salary of £76,000. In addition, through automatic enrolment to the Civil Service Pension Scheme, we will contribute £22,000 to your pension, providing a total reward package of £98,000.
Generous Annual Leave and Bank Holiday Allowance
25 days annual leave on entry, increasing on a sliding scale to 30 days after 5 years’ service. This is in addition to 8 public holidays. This will be complemented by one further day paid privilege entitlement to mark the King’s Birthday.
Flexible Working
While not every type of flexible working will be suitable for every role and business area, flexible working can take many forms and The Ministry of Justice is committed to delivering its business effectively and sustainably by creating modern and inclusive workplaces that enable smart, flexible and hybrid working.
For more information on our amazing benefits including our Civil Service Pension Scheme, annual and special leave, and our Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Wellbeing schemes please visit our Senior Civil Service website.
What reasonable adjustments can be made if I have a disability?
We welcome and encourage applications from all candidates and are committed to supporting all candidates to take part in the recruitment process. This includes supporting individuals who have a disability by making reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process. We are also able to provide support to candidates who require adjustments to the assessment process due to more temporary difficulties (e.g. linked to a recent injury).
We will ask you within your application form if you would like to request reasonable adjustments. If you feel you require any kind of support and/or would like to discuss this with someone, please indicate ‘yes’ to requesting reasonable adjustments and ensure that you respond to the Reasonable Adjustments Scheme team by email.
There are a range of disabilities such as physical, neurological, intellectual or learning difficulties and mental health conditions which may underpin candidates’ requests for reasonable adjustments. We understand that the support requested will be unique to every candidate and we will work with you to help you to identify your individual requirements.
We make reasonable adjustments so that all candidates are given a fair opportunity to undertake the recruitment process. Therefore, disclosing information regarding your disability or access requirements will have no impact on the outcome of your application, regardless of your request or the role you have applied to.
How we can support you
There are many types of reasonable adjustments that can be made during assessment processes, and the type or combination you choose to request will depend on your individual requirements.
Examples of some types of adjustments include:
Extra time to complete assessments;
Providing a break within an assessment;
Providing interview questions in a written format at the interview as well as orally;
An interview at a certain time of day;
Coloured overlays or different fonts for assessment materials.
This is not intended to be an exhaustive list but rather some examples.
Whilst we aim to confirm all adjustments requested, there may be occasions where this isn’t possible. For example, if a candidate were to request that they are not assessed on a specific behaviour outlined in the job advert this would not be possible because the behaviour has been identified as important for the job role and all candidates are assessed against this criterion. If an adjustment cannot be provided, the reasons for this will be explained to you during your contact with the reasonable adjustment scheme team.
Help with your application
During the application process, we will ask you if you require reasonable adjustments. You will need to contact us by email to discuss this with a member of the team. It is important you tell us as early as possible if you would like to request reasonable adjustments so that the recruitment process runs smoothly for you.
If you do decide during the process that you do require adjustments and you have not completed all your assessments, please contact the SCS recruitment team in advance of your next assessment.
If you have any questions in advance of making your application regarding reasonable adjustments for the assessment process, please contact the SCS recruitment team at scsrecruitment@justice.gov.uk.
Do you offer a Disability Confident Scheme for Disabled Persons?
As a Disability Confident employer, the MoJ are able to offer an interview to disabled candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns. This could be in terms of the advertised essential skills and/or application form sift criteria. Within the application form, you will be asked if you would like to be considered for an interview under this scheme, so please make us aware of this when prompted.
Yes. This role is open to suitably qualified people in the external market and to existing civil servants and those in accredited Non-Departmental Bodies.
This role is available for part-time, full-time or flexible working arrangements (including job shares). To discuss your needs in more detail please get in touch with the SCS Recruitment Team.
Where will the role be based?
Leeds and London.
Relocation costs will not be reimbursed.
Can I claim back any expenses incurred during the recruitment process?
Unfortunately, we will not be able to reimburse you, except in exceptional circumstances.
Am I eligible to apply for this role?
For information on whether you are eligible to apply, please visit Gov.UK.
Is security clearance required?
Yes. If successful you must hold, or be willing to obtain, security clearance to SC level. More information about the vetting process can be found here.
Will this role be overseen by the Civil Service Commission?
No. However, the recruitment process will still be governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles.
What do I do if I want to make a complaint?
The law requires that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on 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 and you wish to make a complaint, you should contact scsrecruitment@justice.gov.uk in the first instance.
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department you are able to raise a formal complaint in the following order.
To Shared Service-Connected Ltd (0845 241 5358 (Monday to Friday 08.00 - 18.00) or e-mail Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com)
To Ministry of Justice Resourcing (resourcing-services@justice.gov.uk)
To the Civil Service Commission (https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/contact-us/)
What should I do if I think that I have a conflict of interest?
If you believe that you may have a conflict of interest you must declare it by contacting SCS Recruitment on scsrecruitment@justice.gov.uk before submitting your application.
We will ensure that we will treat all personal information in accordance with data protection legislation, including the General Data Protection Regulation and Data Protection Act 2018.
Data Sharing
To process your application your personal data will be shared with the Ministry of Justice SCS Recruitment Team, campaign Panel Members and anyone else necessary as part of the recruitment process.
The legal basis for processing your personal data is:
Processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest. Personal data are processed in the public interest because understanding civil servant experiences and feelings about working in the Civil Service can inform decision taken to improve these experiences, and ultimately organisation performance.
Sensitive personal data is personal data revealing racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, or trade union membership, and the processing of genetic data, biometric data for the purpose of uniquely identifying a natural person, data concerning health or data concerning a natural person's sex life or sexual orientation.
The legal basis for processing your sensitive personal data is:
Processing is necessary for reasons of substantial public interest for the exercise of a function of the Crown, a Minister of the Crown, or a government department: it is important to know if groups of staff with specific demographic characteristics have a better or worse experience of working for the Civil Service, so that appropriate action can be taken to level this experience;
Processing is of a specific category of personal data and it is necessary for the purposes of identifying or keeping under review the existence or absence of equality of opportunity or treatment between groups of people with a view to enabling such equality to be promoted or maintained.
Please note if you are successful in your application your sensitive personal data will be used as part of the on-boarding process to build your employee record.
For further information please see the GDPR Privacy Notice
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent where it is found. To learn more, please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service D&I Strategy
Should candidates like to discuss the role in more detail before submitting an application, please contact SCS Recruitment on scsrecruitment@justice.gov.uk.