JOB DECSCRIPTION

People and Capability

People and Capability is here to support the organisation by enabling its people to be the best that they can be. We are continuously reviewing and enhancing the services we provide across the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) to ensure the delivery of high-quality services for our customers.

As a department, we are going through a period of significant transformation and our people services are at the forefront of enabling that change. MoJ People and Capability is a team of 1,400 committed and capable professionals delivering people services across the Justice family. At the heart of delivering these services, are our people.

Information about the MoJ and its priorities can be found at www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about

About the Role

The Synergy Programme

Synergy is a cross-government programme transforming the way we deliver HR, Finance and Commercial services in DWP, Defra, MoJ and the Home Office and is underpinned by the Shared Services Strategy for Government. It will simplify the way we do things, join up functions, and free up more of our time for the delivery of some of the UK's most crucial public services.

We are seeking a dynamic strategic engagement lead with the MoJ Synergy Programme, to lead engagement with departmental Arm’s length Bodies (ALBs) and Executive Agencies (EA). The job holder will primarily work to ensure alignment with the Synergy ALB Strategy and the wider Government Shared Services Strategy (GSS). This role will act as a central coordination point between the department and its Arm’s Length Bodies (ALBs), ensuring strategic alignment, effective engagement, and seamless delivery across multiple workstreams. 

Main Activities / Responsibilities

The job holder will be required to undertake the following duties and responsibilities:

Strategic Alignment & Engagement: 

• Represent the ALB at senior strategic discussions with the Synergy departments representing half of civil services and wider government acting as a key liaison for alignment and accountability  

• Work closely with senior representatives from ALB’s, to define and maintain alignment with the Government Shared Services Strategy, subsequent Synergy Strategy and the recently announced ALB Review.  

• Lead the development and implementation of a departmental strategy for onboarding and offboarding processes, ensuring consistency and compliance across all ALBs. 

• Coordinate and manage alignment engagement activities, including defining and supporting the ALB approach to Synergy. 

Stakeholder Management: 

• Serve as the Single Point of Contact (SPOC) for all ALB-related workstreams, ensuring clear communication and coordination ahead of any engagement. Acting as a central liaison between senior civil servants, and external stakeholders, facilitating effective communication, managing expectations, and ensuring timely resolution of complex issues.

• Facilitate senior-level engagement between ALBs and the Synergy programme, ensuring timely and effective collaboration. 

• Provide expert advice to senior leadership on stakeholder perspectives, risks, and opportunities, contributing to the shaping of programme delivery through evidence-based insights.

Planning & Risk Management: 

• Conduct horizon scanning to identify emerging risks and opportunities that may impact strategic delivery. 

• Develop, align, and maintain integrated delivery plans across ALBs and internal departments. 

• Monitor progress and escalate issues or risks to senior stakeholders as appropriate. 

Programme Coordination: 

• Support the Synergy Programme by coordinating inputs from ALBs, ensuring alignment with Programme timelines and objectives. 

• Provide regular updates, reports, and briefings to senior leadership and programme boards. 

Management of Resources

The candidate will be responsible for a team of mixed grades. There will also be matrix management responsibility.

Travel will be required on an ad hoc basis to attend meetings and related events linked to the role.

Essential Criteria

• Proven experience in strategy implementation, programme or project management within a public sector or complex stakeholder environment. 

• Strong understanding of Government Shared Services and ALB landscape.
  
  

• Excellent stakeholder engagement and communication skills, with experience working at senior levels.

• Ability to manage multiple priorities, workstreams, and deadlines in a fast-paced environment. 
  
  

• Strong analytical, planning, and risk management capabilities
  
  

Desirable Criteria

• PRINCE2, MSP, or equivalent project/programme management certification is preferable, or a willingness to work towards them.

• Familiarity with the Synergy programme or similar shared services initiatives

Please note that whilst we don’t assess or score ‘desirable’ criteria, we may consider evidence provided that demonstrates meeting the desirable elements of the role, only after essential criteria is assessed and where there is a need to differentiate between closely scored candidates. 

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Application process

You will be assessed against the Civil service success profiles framework.

Sift

Experience

Please provide an anonymous copy of your CV.

Please submit a 1000-word statement suitability, concentrating on how you meet the responsibilities and essential criteria of the role.

Behaviours

Please provide examples of how you have met each one of the behaviours listed below:

• Seeing the Big Picture (lead behaviour)

• Making Effective Decision

• Leadership

• Communicate and Influencing

Please refer to the CS Behaviours framework for more details at this grade:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/717275/CS_Behaviours_2018.pdf

If we receive a large number of applications, we will carry out an initial sift on the lead behaviour of Seeing the big picture.

Candidates invited to Interview

Please note that interviews will be carried out remotely via MS Teams. During the interview, we will be assessing you on Behaviours below and Strengths from the Success Profiles framework. You will also be asked two experience questions.

• Seeing the Big Picture (lead behaviour)

• Making Effective Decision

• Leadership

• Communicate and Influencing

Experience

You will be asked two experience questions, one will be based on your experience in strategy implementation and the other on stakeholder management.

If you have any questions about the role please contact - jason.tagoe@justice.gov.uk.