Ministry of Justice

About the role

The Deputy Director, MoJ HQ HR Business Partnering and SCS HR has dual responsibility – leading a team of geographically dispersed HR Business Partners who support MoJ HQ, as well as leading the SCS HR team which services the whole of MoJ. The role involves working strategically with senior business leaders to develop and oversee the delivery of people strategies and interventions with a focus on building capabilities and capacity, workforce, leadership development, attraction, talent and inclusion.

The HRBP teamwork alongside Directors, Chief Executives, and Director Generals to support them and their Senior Leadership Teams in designing and delivering tailored HR interventions to drive improvements in effective leadership, people management, organisational design and development, people change management and workforce strategy.

In addition to the HRBPs, the post holder is also responsible for leading an operational service that delivers an end-to-end HR service to c.350 SCS across the whole of MoJ. This includes resourcing, operational HR, workforce planning, talent and leadership services for the organisation’s cadre of senior civil servants.

The whole team also works closely with colleagues across People and Capability Group to provide business insight to improve HR processes, systems and the service provided to business areas. Both MoJ HQ HRBPs and the SCS HR team address medium and longer-term people challenges by working closely with MoJ's People and Capability Group teams across People Services, Expert Centres and all HR colleagues across MoJ and its agencies, as well as the wider Civil Service professions.

Key Responsibilities

• Accountability for strategic leadership, partnering and business delivery, and being part of the senior leadership team; in addition, providing visible wider People and Capability leadership and supporting wider engagement and capability building across the Group.
• Setting the direction for the people strategies for business areas, acting as a critical friend and enabling them to deliver effective outcomes in often sensitive, uncertain, complex and ambiguous environments.
• Coaching and capability building of both senior leaders and HR Business Partners to assess and improve capability and capacity.
• Leading or sponsoring change projects by providing expertise to senior leaders on behaviour, attitudes, culture, systems, practitioner level skills in organisation design and development / internal consultancy and change management to deliver complex change.
• Communicating with credibility and using excellent interpersonal skills to command the trust and confidence of senior officials and stakeholders, and translating complex data and information into meaningful, easily understood narrative.
• Building strong and effective relationships with senior internal and external stakeholders at all levels, through collaboration, professional credibility and emotional intelligence.
• Working successfully with senior stakeholders to drive change and improve performance through influencing and coaching business leaders to drive outcomes and delivery across the department.
• Delivering HR priorities by ensuring that HR strategies and agendas are being delivered in the business including workforce planning, recruitment, talent management, diversity and inclusion.
• Operational delivery of the HR employee lifecycle for Senior Civil Servants across the whole of the MoJ family. This includes, but is not limited to, delivery and continuous improvement of talent management; succession planning; recruitment / attraction; onboarding and induction; workforce planning / management; experience, including delivery of multiple SCS events per year; and offboarding.
• Leading a team of c.40 to deliver a strategic HR Business Partnering to MoJ HQ and its agencies; and an excellent end-to-end HR service to the c.350 SCS across MoJ, with budgetary responsibility of c.£3m.

Essential Criteria

• A track record and recent experience of successful business partnering with senior leaders, working collaboratively as part of a wider HR function and model.
• Evidence of successful delivery of activities leading to improved outcomes.
• Outstanding leadership of a team, demonstrating positive impact and role modelling required values and behaviours.
• The ability to build strong, trust-based professional relationships with a range of stakeholders, constructively challenging and providing appropriate feedback.
• Skilled in influencing, consulting, advising, facilitating, coaching and providing challenge at the most strategic level with key senior business leaders.
• Effectively using data and evidence to make decisions and drive performance.
• Sound judgement and the ability to think strategically and creatively, bringing innovation to recognise where improvements can be made and implementing them with confidence.
• Experience of undertaking strategic workforce planning, providing expert advice and challenge to business stakeholders on effective workforce management.

Desirable criteria:

• Fully Qualified member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) or an equivalent professional qualification or level of experience.

Terms of Appointment

This role is being offered on a temporary basis of up to 12 months. The role is available on lateral move or temporary promotion for current employees across the Civil Service.

You cannot apply if you were recruited via one of the following options:

• Via exceptions 1-4 of the CS Commission’s Recruitment Principles – this means you were not recruited via open and fair competition.
• If you are a Contractor or Agency worker – this is because you are not a substantive civil servant.
• If you are seconded into the MoJ from an outside (non-Civil Service) organisation.

If you are on Loan into MoJ (including Executive Agencies)

To be able to apply to this EOI, your home government department line manager and your MoJ line Manager must approve your application. You must obtain the agreement of your home department before applying, as any appointment will remain subject to the terms of your existing loan arrangement. You will be expected to return to your home business area and to your substantive grade at the end of the loan period.