Ministry of Justice

HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) is an executive agency of the Ministry of Justice. It operates based on a partnership between the Lord Chancellor, the Lord Chief Justice and the Senior President of Tribunals. It currently has around 18,500 staff, operating from around 350 locations with a gross annual budget of c£2.3bn, approximately £800 million of which is recovered in fees and income from service users. It handles over 2 million criminal cases, 1.8 million civil claims, more than 150,000 family law disputes and almost 800,000 tribunal cases annually. HMCTS is responsible for the administration of the criminal, civil and family courts and tribunals in England and Wales and non-devolved tribunals in Scotland and Northern Ireland. It supports a fair, efficient and effective justice system delivered by an independent judiciary. 

HMCTS Change Portfolio

We have delivered significant change through the HMCTS Reform programme creating new, user-friendly digital services and improving efficiency at the same time. There is still much to do, and expectations (of digitisation and efficiency) have increased significantly since we began our reform journey.

As HMCTS’ Portfolio Director, you will act as the senior leader accountable for the HMCT change portfolio. The role requires exceptional leadership and communication skills, proven problem-solving ability and broad portfolio, programme and project management and leadership experience, to ensure that change is successfully delivered across HMCTS. 

The Portfolio Director role will be essential in providing the leadership needed to deliver change and transformation and improve access to justice. The role will be ultimately accountable for the change portfolio and the funds attached to it.

The post holder will need to ensure we are investing in the best way to deliver the modernised and upgraded justice system that is required. In addition, the role is accountable for coherent and stable change management for the organisation – with multi-jurisdictional change happening concurrently and being delivered into an already overloaded operation.

As Portfolio Director, HMCTS, just some of your responsibilities will include:

• Setting the vision and strategy for change within the overall strategy agreed by the HMCTS Board working with the Executive Team.

• Leading, inspiring and shaping a multi-disciplinary team of c.165 civil servants and suppliers across the Portfolio of change.

• Driving collaboration across the portfolio, bringing together PDs and SROs across the organisation to ensure an organisational understanding of change demand, competing priorities.

• Ensuring that change and portfolio management practices are defined, maintained and kept up to date by securing investing in support systems and tools. Ensure that the portfolio plan evolves in response to changes in the operating environment, business priorities and emerging risks.

• Ensuring delivery of change programmes and projects within the Portfolio is to time, cost, and quality parameters.

• Delivering outstanding value from the programme investment and ensure delivery of lifetime benefits.

• Championing the organisation’s needs, ensuring a robust gateway for significant change initiatives and clear prioritisation to ensure effective balancing of BAU delivery, recovery, innovation and transformation.

• Building strategic, collaborative and constructive relationships across the change and PPM community, within HMCTS, wider MOJ, cross government and with the Infrastructure and Projects Authority.

• Driving cultural and behavioural change outside your direct sphere of influence and providing coaching, mentoring and development support to the wider team; and

• Acting as an active member of the HMCTS Senior Leadership Team, ensuring effective management and running of the organisation.

For full details about the Role, Key Responsibilities and Person Specification, please download and review the Candidate Information Pack attached to this advert and attend our Information Session, details for which can be found below.

Information Session

• For those interested in finding out more about the role, we encourage applicants to attend the information session on Wednesday 28 May at 11:00 AM.

• Strategy, Analysis & Change Director Annabel Burns and a Senior HR Lead will be present to discuss the position in more depth, as well as provide information about what you can expect while working in HM Courts and Tribunals.

• To attend the session please join using this link - HMCTS Portfolio Director - Information Session