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General Information

Salary
The national salary range is £29,303 - £31,061, London salary range is £33,551 - £35,564. Your salary will be dependent on your base location
Working Pattern
Full Time
Vacancy Approach
Cross Government
Location
National
Region
National
Closing Date
02-Sep-2025
Post Type
Permanent
Civil Service Grade
EO
Number of jobs available
1
Reserve List
12 Months
Job ID
9073

Descriptions & requirements

Job description

Job title: Contract Support Officer

Directorate: Chief Financial Officer, Contracted Services Division

Workstream:  Contracted Services Division

About us

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

The Contracted Services Division (CSD) is a fun, dynamic, fast-paced and rewarding place to work where no two days are the same. Staff have great opportunities to develop their knowledge and skills, particularly on operational contract management, service improvement, stakeholder engagement, working with senior officials/ministers as well as working with commercial partners.

The team is responsible for the day-to-day operational contract and supplier management for a range of contracted services that support court and tribunal business; as well as ensuring effective and efficient contract procurement cycles. We act as a primary stakeholder to represent the interests of HMCTS and the judiciary and engage with HMCTS and HM Prisons & Probation Service Reform programmes to understand the impact of reform implementation on contracted services and operations, ensuring all contracts are future proofed to support the changing landscape. We review and continuously improve operational processes to ensure contracts provide a quality of service.

About the role

Your role as Contract Support Manager encompasses several key aspects (but not limited to): 

  • Investigate and respond to complaints, ensuring root causes are identified and addressed. Escalating to the Contract Manager when required.
  • Complete checks to ensure contractual compliance, liaising with the contractor/supplier and court teams to ensure that procedures have been completed accurately or to identify areas of service failure.
  • Work in partnership with HMCTS operational teams and directorates to identify and report on operational issues, risks and opportunities in the delivery of contracted services, assessing the potential impact on HMCTS operation.
  • Build engagement between courts and tribunals, suppliers and stakeholders by providing support to arrange and facilitate meetings, workshops, problem solves, and road shows.
  • Responsibility for the Contracted Services intranet pages, ensuring they are kept up to date, making improvements where required.
  • Daily team inbox management, dealing with queries, prioritising requests and emails and distributing or escalating as appropriate. Ensuring that all communications to operational staff, stakeholders and suppliers are clear and concise.

Please see the attached role profile for the key responsibilities regarding the role and for a comprehensive overview of the position.

Who are we looking for? (Person Specification)

The ideal candidate for this position should demonstrate:

Essential skills 

  • Excellent communications skills (both spoken and written) with ability to work confidently with senior officials and stakeholders.
  • The ability to remain calm and reliable under pressure.
  • To be organised, assertive and confident with the ability to prioritise a busy workload.
  • A collaborative approach and the ability to build networks.
  • Track record of delivering at pace and under pressure.
  • Good working knowledge of MS Office, especially Teams, Excel, Word and PowerPoint.

 Desirable skills 

  • Knowledge of the day-to-day running of operations and/or contract management is highly beneficial, however, is not essential.

Further details

Working pattern

Full time only - This is a full-time position only due to the nature of the role.

Travel requirements

There will be a requirement to travel occasionally to any site in line with business needs.

Skilled Worker Sponsorship

From 22nd July 2025, the Government increased the salary threshold for Skilled Worker visas. The starting salary for this role falls below the general salary threshold for sponsorship.   

The Department cannot consider sponsoring you for this role unless you have held a Skilled Worker visa continuously since before 4 April 2024, you qualify for relevant tradeable points, or you meet other criteria where a lower salary can be considered. Therefore, if you believe you meet the eligibility criteria (in whatever way possible) and you have received a provisional job offer, please raise this during your vetting checks.   

If you are applying for this role and you do not meet the new eligibility criteria for sponsorship, you will need to consider your options for obtaining and/or maintaining your right to work in the UK in light of these changes. Successful applicants must ensure they have and maintain the legal right to live and work in the Civil Service and in the United Kingdom.  

The Department will continue to comply with UK Immigration Rules applied in the UK and Civil Service. You can read more about Skilled Worker visas and the eligibility criteria here. 

About our benefits

We reward our people for their hard work and commitment. We have a number of family

friendly and flexible working polices that will help you achieve a healthy work-life balance. In addition, we offer a range of employee benefits which include generous annual leave, a highly competitive contributory pension scheme, childcare benefits, season ticket and bicycle loans.

Proud to Serve. Proud to keep justice going.

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: 9073

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: 9073

Application form stage assessments

Behaviours
Behaviours Application Form Question Word Limit
250
Managing a Quality Service
Experience
We will assess your experience for this role via the following methods
Statement of Suitability
Statement of Suitability
Guidance for the Statement of Suitability
To apply for this role, please express your interest by submitting a statement of suitability of no more than 500 words setting out evidence and examples of how you meet the person specification in the job advert. Please ensure you cover both ‘what’ you do but also ‘how’ you do it. (i.e., the effective skills, knowledge & experience needed to undertake the role).
Evidence of Experience
Statement of Suitability

Interview stage assessments

Interview Dates
Earliest to interview: Tuesday 23rd September (subject to change)
Behaviours
Managing a Quality Service
Delivering at Pace
Changing and Improving
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)