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General Information

Salary
The national salary range is £58,511 - £65,329, London salary range is £63,343 - £70,725. Your salary will be dependent on your base location
Working Pattern
Full Time, Part Time/Job Share
Vacancy Approach
External
Location
National
Region
National
Closing Date
25-Sep-2025
Post Type
Fixed Term
Civil Service Grade
Grade 7
Number of jobs available
1
Reserve List
12 Months
Job ID
9815

Descriptions & requirements

Job description
Job Title/ Position Joint Head of Purchase to Pay Operations
Band/Grade Grade 7
Number of Vacancies 1
Business Group Chief Operating Officer Group 
Directorate Financial Management, Control, Risk and Governance
Location National
Hours 37
Duration  Fixed Term Appointment until 31st March 2026 with possibility of extension
Role Type/ Team Finance

Overview

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is a major government department at the heart of the justice system.  We serve the public by upholding the rule of law, and by delivering an efficient, fair, timely and effective justice system in which the public has confidence. We:

  • Enforce the decisions of the court: we punish offenders and work to reduce reoffending; we prevent victims by changing lives.
  • In partnership with an independent judiciary, run the courts and tribunals service, helping individuals, businesses and families resolve their disputes.
  • Protect vulnerable members of society and children and help to ensure victims of crime get justice.
  • Provide legal aid and advice for those cases where it is justified.
  • Develop policy on all aspects of law and justice, both domestically and internationally, helping to build a legal and rights framework that is clear and proportionate, and that commands confidence around the world.

The role sits within the Financial Reporting, Transactions and Governance team within the Ministry’s Financial Management Control Risk & Governance Directorate.  The Directorate brings together multiple teams from across the Ministry into consolidated teams and centres of excellence to deliver high quality financial management and reporting services for the Ministry.

Stakeholders and customers include the finance and commercial functions, senior leaders in MoJ, including the Chief Operating Officer, the Permanent Secretary and the Executive Committee, HM Treasury, and Parliament (the Justice Select Committee). 

Role Purpose

A Joint Head of Purchase to Pay (P2P) Operations is sought to support the substantive postholder in transforming and managing P2P processes in the Ministry of Justice, working with colleagues in Finance and Commercial teams.

The successful applicant will work closely with other P2P Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), practitioners and senior leaders to develop and implement transformed P2P processes, including how it will interface with existing teams.  They will liaise with senior stakeholders from across the business to understand users’ needs and obtain buy-in.  They will jointly lead and manage teams delivering these important services.

Responsibilities

  • The successful candidate will lead on implementing the policies, processes and the communications and engagement needed to transform and transact P2P processes.
  • They will have a key role in agreeing and implementing new policies working with other lead SMEs and ensuring understanding of and compliance with policies, backed by robust processes.
  • They will have joint responsibility for managing changes in processes, putting in place measures to ensure business readiness.
  • They will lead the department’s existing P2P Support team and the MoJ HQ Transaction team and further develop their capabilities to deliver an excellent service, with a focus on continuous improvement.
  • The post holder is required to work in a flexible way and undertake any other duties reasonably requested by line management which are commensurate with the grade and level of responsibility of the post

Key skills and knowledge

  • Experience of leading teams in a complex Purchase to Pay environment
  • A strong knowledge of best practice P2P policies and processes
  • Excellent communication, networking and negotiating skills
  • Ability to articulate and deliver complex change to a large, non-specialist audience
  • Ability to lead and motivate a team to deliver an excellent service
  • Reporting and analytical skills using a major ERP system and Intermediate/Advanced Excel (e,g. Oracle, SAP, Workday)

Success Profiles  

Success Profiles will enable a fairer and more inclusive method of recruitment by enabling us to assess the range of experiences, abilities, strengths, behaviours and technical/professional skills required for different roles. This flexible approach to recruitment focuses more on finding the right candidate for the specific role. To find out more about Success Profiles to support your application please click here for further guidance.

Civil Service Behaviours

The following Grade 7 Civil Service Behaviours are essential to this post and will be assessed upon application:

Specific Experience or Ability Skills Required

Ability

·        Ability to articulate and deliver complex change to a large, non-specialist audience. (Changing and Improving (lead behaviour))

·        Ability to lead and motivate a team to deliver an excellent service. (Managing a Quality Service and Delivering at Pace)

·        Excellent communication, networking and negotiating skills. (Communicating and Influencing)

Experience

·        Experience of leading teams in a complex Purchase to Pay environment.

·        Experience of creating training materials and process guidance (Managing a Quality Service and Delivering at Pace)

Desirable criteria: GCSE's/A levels

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. 

Travel

The team his dispersed geographically, regular travel will be required especially to Birmingham.

Application process

Applicants will be assessed using success profiles. To find out more about Success Profiles to support your application/interview please visit Success Profiles - GOV.UK

Sift

Behaviours – please provide an example of each of the below behaviours with reference to the above ‘Specific Experience or Ability Skills Required’

·       Changing and Improving (lead behaviour)

·       Managing a Quality Service

·       Communicating and Influencing

·       Delivering at Pace

Experience – ‘Experience of leading teams in a complex Purchase to Pay environment’. Please tell us your experience in leading teams within a Purchase to Pay (P2P) environment?

CV – please provide an anonymised copy 

If we receive a large number of applications, we will carry out an initial sift on the Experience question of ‘Experience of leading teams in a complex Purchase to Pay environment’.

Interview

Interview will be held remotely via MS Teams.

You will be assessed on the following:

Behaviours:

·       Changing and Improving (lead behaviour)

·       Managing a Quality Service

·       Communicating and Influencing

·       Delivering at Pace

Experience:

·       Leading a Purchase to Pay team

Technical:

·       P2P expertise for invoice holds

·       P2P expertise for Accruals

·       P2P expertise Performance

Strengths - will be assessed at interview but these are not shared in advance. These are to gauge your initial response.

For any queries about the role please contact Diane Rogers diane.rogers@justice.gov.uk

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 role: 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.

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.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.

For more information on applying for a role as a candidate with a disability or long-term condition, please watch our animated videos.

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.

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.

A Great Place to Work for Veterans

The "Making the Civil Service a Great Place to work for veterans" initiative includes a guaranteed interview scheme to those who meet the minimum criteria to provide eligible former members of the Armed Forces with opportunities to secure rewarding jobs. Allowing veterans to continue to serve their country, and to bring highly skilled individuals with a broad range of experience into the Civil Service in an environment, which recognises and values your previous service in the Armed Forces.
For further details about the initiative and eligibility requirements visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/making-the-civil-service-a-great-place-to-work-for-veterans

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:

  • UK nationals
  • nationals of the Republic of Ireland
  • nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
  • nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window) https://www.gov.uk/settled-status-eu-citizens-families
  • nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
  • individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
  • Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

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 9815

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

Application form stage assessments

Behaviours
Behaviours Application Form Question Word Limit
500
Changing and Improving
Managing a Quality Service
Delivering at Pace
Communicating and Influencing
Experience
We will assess your experience for this role via the following methods
CV or Work History, Experience Questions
Experience Questions Application Form Question Word Limit
500
Evidence of Experience
CV or Work History, Experience Questions

Interview stage assessments

Interview Dates
not expected before 20th October 2025
Behaviours
Changing and Improving
Managing a Quality Service
Delivering at Pace
Communicating and Influencing
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)