Thank you for your interest in this exciting role with the People Services directorate

The role of Deputy Director, Operational Learning, Delivery & Transformation is a key strategic leadership role with the People Services Group. This is an exciting role where you will be responsible for leading operational delivery of prison learning across the entire prison estate.

The role plays a critical part in shaping the training and development experience of frontline staff, embedding a culture of excellence, innovation, high standards, and inclusion. It also leads the transition of learning transformation initiatives within HMPPS into sustainable business-as-usual (BAU) operations.

The role is varied and interesting, and we are looking for someone who will be passionate about the Ministry of Justice’s ambition to embed a culture of excellence.

We encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds, both within and outside of the Civil Service.

If you believe you have the skills and qualities we are looking for, then I would be delighted to hear from you.

Best wishes,

Dave Mann

HR Director - People Services, People Services Directorate

The Ministry of Justice is a major government department at the heart of the justice system. We deliver some of the most fundamental public services including courts, tribunals, prisons, legal services, youth justice, probation services, and attendance centres.

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:

Punishment that cuts crime: to rebuild confidence in the criminal justice system by protecting the public and reducing reoffending with a sustainable and effective prison and probation service.
Swifter justice for victims: to rebuild confidence in the criminal justice system by ensuring timely, just outcomes for victims and defendants through a modern and efficient criminal courts system.
A beacon for justice and the rule of law: to uphold the rule of law at home and abroad; promote our world-leading legal services, which contribute to economic growth; and deliver accessible and timely civil, family and administrative justice.

For more information on who we are and what we do, please visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice.

The People Services Directorate is made up of over five hundred employees geographically spread and covers a range of frontline services including, Pay, Employee Relations, HR Services, HR Case Management, Shared Service Strategy, Resourcing, Prison Learning Delivery and Synergy Functional Transformation.

People Services focuses on making sure the HR services we provide to the business are meeting their needs through both internal delivery and via our third party partners. We continue to drive innovation and service improvement whilst ensuring we get the basics right.

The directorate has a strong focus on wellbeing and although we are a large directorate a ‘one team ethos’ underpins our teams. We encourage development opportunities to ensure our staff feel valued and are able to reach their full potential and do this by being a flexible workforce

Job Title

Deputy Director, Operational Learning, Delivery & Transformation

Location

National

(Include for National Roles): The MoJ is working to open more Justice Collaboration Centres and Justice Satellite Offices over time. Click here to learn more about where our currently open Justice Collaboration Centres and Justice Satellite Offices are, to identify where you may be based

Please note the requirements for travel and level of flexibility available as set out in the FAQs section.

Salary

The salary for this role is set at £81,000 per annum.

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.

Contract Type

This role is being offered on a 12-month Fixed Term Appointment.

The Role

This is a senior leadership position with responsibility for the operational delivery of prison learning across the entire prison estate. The role plays a critical part in shaping the training and development experience of frontline staff, embedding a culture of excellence, innovation, high standards, and inclusion.

It also leads the transition of learning transformation initiatives within HMPPS into sustainable business-as-usual (BAU) operations.

You will lead a geographically dispersed workforce of approximately 300 staff across 42 regional training centres, with strategic oversight of a staffing budget exceeding £16 million. Your leadership will ensure the delivery of high-quality, consistent, and operationally aligned training for prison officers and other operational staff.

Key Responsibilities

Reporting into the HR Director you will:

Providing direction and leadership to a large national team, shaping learning delivery across the estate and driving high performance, professional standards, and inclusive practice.

Aligning training provision with resourcing strategies, including new prison builds and expansions, while maintaining sufficient training capacity to support recruitment and mitigate attrition. You will ensure that the design and delivery of training remains current and responsive to operational demand.
Building strong and effective relationships with key stakeholders across HMPPS, the Ministry of Justice, and beyond. This includes engagement with ministers, senior leaders, and trade unions to ensure training delivery aligns with strategic goals and operational needs.
Overseeing the full lifecycle of learning design and delivery - from needs assessment to evaluation - to ensure the training offer remains of the highest quality and fit for purpose.

Ensuring training delivery supports key departmental and ministerial initiatives, including the Enable Programme, the Independent Review of Foundation Training, the Professional Standards Review, the Sentencing Review, and the Prison Build Programme.

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:

Proven experience in leading and managing large, and remote multidisciplinary teams within dynamic and complex operational environments and getting the most out of it.
Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with a track record of building, influencing, and sustaining strategic partnerships across a diverse range of stakeholders.
Demonstrates the ability to lead through change, champion innovation, and embed inclusive practices within teams and services and to inspire teams to deliver high-impact outcomes and deliver results.
Experience of leading in risk-based environments, with the ability to assess, interpret, and respond to complex strategic and operational risks. Capable of contributing to high-level discussions and decision-making on risk-related matters.

MoJ SCS Pay Band 1 Behaviours:

You will also be assessed against the following Behaviours during the Recruitment Process:

Communicating and Influencing
Leadership
Delivering at Pace
Making Effective Decisions

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.

Recruitment Process

selection process will be chaired by Dave Mann, Director of People Services.

The other panel members will be confirmed at a later date.

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

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 7^th September 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 in this pack 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 set out on page 9.

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.

Please note that 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 at interview?

Behaviours, as listed on page 9.

Strengths

You will be informed at interview which strengths you are being assessed against.

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.

What are Behaviours?

The Civil Service recruits using Success Profiles and Behaviours are an element of Success Profiles. They are used to see whether candidates are able demonstrate specific Behaviours associated with the role they are applying for during the selection process.

The Behaviours are most relevant to this role and will be assessed during the interview stage of the process 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.

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 as individuals and actively valuing diversity within the organisation. You empower teams and individuals to excel by creating a shared vision and objectives and demonstrate trust in staff by giving autonomy.

Delivering at Pace

You translate organisational strategy into clear objectives for activity within your area of responsibility. You promote this amongst staff and ensure teams take responsibility for delivering against objectives. You prioritise competing or conflicting demands, and are able to decisively adjust activity based on changing requirements. You manage resource effectively to enable those in your area of responsibility to deliver. You delegate effectively, managing any risks associated with doing so.

Making Effective Decisions

You make defensible, objective and fair high-impact decisions, considering the impact on the service user and wider organisation. You are willing to take ownership of your decisions, being transparent and open about the reasons for them. You effectively analyse data to make evidence-based decisions, whilst being comfortable taking considered risks based on the best evidence available. You consult with others to incorporate views and professional expertise, ensuring appropriate individuals are involved in the decision-making process.

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 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 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 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 required for the role and describe the outcome that came from this.

Providing a name-blind CV and Success Profile Statement

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.

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. Visit www.civilservicepensionscheme.org.uk for more details.

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 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.

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 in your application form and ensure that you respond to the Reasonable Adjustments Scheme team by email.

How we can support you

There are many types of reasonable adjustments that can be made during assessment processes.

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;

This is not an exhaustive list but rather some examples of how we can support you during the SCS Recruitment Process.

Whilst we aim to confirm all adjustments requested, there may be occasions where this isn’t possible. If an adjustment cannot be provided, the reasons for this will be explained to you.

Help with your application

It is important you contact us as early as possible by email 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 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 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.

Can I apply if I am not currently a civil servant?

Yes.

Is this role suitable for part-time working?

This role is available for 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?

If successful you will be based nationally. Relocation costs will not be reimbursed.

This role will also require travel to Newbold Revel, Rugby on a regular basis.

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

Advert Closing Date	7^th September
Outcome of CV and Statement of Suitability	Week Commencing 22^nd September
Panel Interview and Presentation	Week Commencing 6^th October