Ministry of Justice

Job Title & Grade: Head of Litigation and Investigation Strategy and Response, Grade 6

Contract Type: Permanent

Salary range (depending on location):

National - £71,381 to £80,419

London - £75,674 to £85,257

Please note that unless you are currently employed by the Civil Service and are earning more than the minimum above, if successful you will be offered the minimum for the grade depending on your location.

Location: National (any LAA office)

Please note that whilst this role is open to all Civil Service staff, you can only apply for London, Cambridge and Brighton offices if you are a current LAA staff member based in those offices. This is due to and in line with the LAA's Location Strategy and the Cabinet Office's Places for Growth Strategy.

Important information for candidates choosing the Liverpool office

If you are successful and choose to be based in our Liverpool office, you will be required to complete Counter Terrorist Check (CTC) clearance in addition to our standard pre-employment checks.

To obtain CTC clearance, you must meet the current National Security Vetting residency requirements. Under Central Government policy, applicants must normally have been resident in the UK for the last 3 years to be eligible for this level of clearance.

Please consider this requirement carefully when applying if Liverpool is your preferred location.

Minimum Working Pattern:

If you are applying for a part time role, please note that to meet business demands we need cover for a minimum of 30 hours and to cover 4 days of the week

To meet legal requirements, if you are between the ages 16-18 and you are a successful candidate, you will be required to complete an apprenticeship after your initial on the job training.

Security and Eligibility:

This role requires Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) clearance. Postholders may be required to undertake Security Clearance (SC) when in post.

The Legal Aid Agency

We are an executive agency of the Ministry of Justice (MoJ). We are responsible for operationally administering the legal aid fund to provide criminal and civil legal aid advice to people in England and Wales.

Our people are at the heart of achieving excellence. Employing around 1,200 colleagues across England and Wales, we feel proud to have some of the best People Survey results in the Civil Service.

Cyber-Attack Investigation and Litigation Team

The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) is leading the Ministry of Justice's response to the legal and regulatory consequences of the significant cyber-attack experienced in 2025. The incident presents one of the most complex operational, legal and reputational challenges faced by the department, requiring coordinated leadership across litigation, regulatory investigation, operational delivery and strategic governance.

Job Summary

We are seeking two exceptional Grade 6 leaders to act as Heads of Litigation Investigation Strategy and Response. Operating through a joint leadership model, postholders will collectively provide strategic leadership of the Government's response whilst individually leading defined portfolios across litigation, regulatory engagement, evidence and data, governance, and programme delivery.

The postholders will shape and deliver the department's litigation and investigation strategy, ensuring responses are legally robust, evidence-based, operationally deliverable and aligned with wider departmental objectives. Working in an environment of significant public, parliamentary and media scrutiny, they will exercise sound judgement in balancing legal, operational, financial and reputational risks while providing authoritative advice to senior leaders.

This is a rare opportunity to lead one of the most significant cross-government responses affecting the justice system, protecting vulnerable service users whilst helping strengthen future organisational resilience.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership

•             Provide strategic leadership for the Ministry of Justice's response to litigation and regulatory investigations arising from the cyber-attack.

•             Jointly develop and deliver a coherent litigation and investigation strategy, ensuring alignment across legal, operational, regulatory and communications activity.

•             Set strategic direction for the programme, adapting rapidly to changing evidence, legal advice, operational requirements and emerging risks.

•             Provide authoritative advice to senior leaders on complex, novel and high-risk issues with significant legal, financial and reputational implications.

Litigation and Regulatory Strategy

•             Lead development of litigation strategy covering individual and group claims, working closely with Government Legal Department and external legal advisers from pre-action through to resolution.

•             Lead strategic engagement with the Information Commissioner's Office, shaping regulatory response, evidence submissions, settlement considerations and investigation strategy.

•             Ensure litigation, regulatory activity and wider organisational responses remain aligned and mutually reinforcing.

•             Oversee external legal services contracts, ensuring high-quality delivery, effective contract management, value for money and appropriate governance of public expenditure.

Evidence, Data and Strategic Narrative

•             Establish and maintain a single authoritative evidence base supporting litigation, investigations and organisational decision-making.

•             Oversee development and quality assurance of complex datasets to support claimant identification, risk assessment and litigation strategy.

•             Lead development of a coherent strategic narrative that integrates operational response, recovery activity, investigations and assurance work into a consistent evidence base.

•             Ensure secure and proportionate handling of highly sensitive information, balancing operational effectiveness with legal and security requirements.

Governance, Risk and Assurance

•             Establish governance arrangements that support timely, evidence-based decision making across the programme.

•             Lead strategic assessment and management of litigation, regulatory, operational, financial and reputational risks.

•             Provide senior leaders with clear options, recommendations and assurance to support informed decision-making.

•             Maintain oversight of financial exposure, litigation costs and value for money across the programme.

Leadership and Cross-Government Collaboration

•             Lead complex multidisciplinary teams drawn from legal, operational, analytical, policy, technical and communications functions, delivering through influence as well as direct line management.

•             Build and maintain strong partnerships across the Ministry of Justice, wider government, law enforcement, regulators and external organisations.

•             Represent the programme at senior cross-government meetings, ensuring effective collaboration and sharing of learning from major cyber incidents.

•             Work closely with the National Crime Agency and other investigative bodies, coordinating departmental engagement and evidential requirements.

Stakeholder Management and Communications

•             Lead production of high-quality submissions, ministerial briefings, Parliamentary material, Select Committee evidence, correspondence and responses to statutory requests.

•             Build trusted relationships with Ministers, senior officials, regulators and external partners, providing clear and authoritative advice.

•             Translate highly complex legal, technical and operational issues into concise and accessible advice for a range of audiences.

•             Support the department in responding effectively to external scrutiny while maintaining public confidence.

People Leadership

•             Recruit, lead and develop a high-performing multidisciplinary team, including Grade 7 leaders.

•             Foster an inclusive, collaborative and high-performance culture focused on continuous improvement and professional development.

•             Promote wellbeing and resilience within a demanding operational environment, ensuring sustainable delivery over an extended period.

Essential Knowledge, Experience and skills

•             Experience leading complex, high-profile programmes or responses in legal, regulatory, investigative or similarly high-risk environments, setting strategic direction and delivering through uncertainty.

•             Excellent judgement and the ability to make and advise on complex, high-risk decisions, balancing legal, operational, financial and reputational considerations while working under significant scrutiny.

•             Proven ability to lead, influence and coordinate multidisciplinary teams and senior stakeholders across organisational boundaries, delivering outcomes through both direct leadership and collaboration.

•             Strong analytical capability, including interpreting complex data and evidence to inform strategic decisions, manage risk and develop innovative solutions to novel challenges.

•             Effective relationship management and influencing skills, with experience building credibility and securing agreement across senior leaders, legal advisers, regulators and external partners.

•             Effective written and verbal communication skills, with experience producing high-quality advice, submissions and briefings for Ministers, senior leaders or equivalent audiences, translating complex issues into clear, accessible messages.

•             Experience of delivering high-quality outcomes at pace while managing competing priorities.

Desirable Knowledge, Experience and skills

•             Knowledge of UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018 and wider information rights legislation.

•             Experience managing complex litigation, regulatory investigations or public law matters.

•             Experience responding to major incidents, cyber incidents or large-scale operational crises.

•             Experience managing significant commercial contracts or external professional service providers.

•             Knowledge of Ministry of Justice, Legal Aid Agency or wider Civil Service governance and decision-making processes.

Person Specification

•             A strategic and collaborative leader, able to provide clear direction, build consensus and deliver through others in a complex, high-profile and fast-paced environment.

•             An effective communicator and influencer, capable of building trusted relationships and communicating complex legal, technical and operational issues clearly to senior leaders, Ministers and external stakeholders.

•             A confident and resilient decision-maker, exercising sound judgement and remaining calm under pressure while navigating ambiguity, competing priorities and significant scrutiny.

•             An analytical and solutions-focused thinker, able to interpret complex information, manage strategic risks and develop practical, evidence-based approaches to challenging problems.

•             An inclusive and empowering leader, committed to developing high-performing teams, promoting wellbeing and fostering a culture of collaboration, continuous improvement and excellent public service.

Assessment approach

Application Process –

To apply please provide a statement of suitability showing how you meet the essential criteria in no more than 1250 words.

Your statement should demonstrate your ability to do all the essential criteria listed, using examples can help strengthen your application.

Please note we do not require a CV.

Please note that we only require a Statement of Suitability for your application. The wording on this advert may suggest that an Experience question is also required, however this is not necessary.

Interview / assessment Process

If you are successful through the application stage, you will be invited to an interview / assessment centre in person or via Microsoft Teams where you will be assessed against the following:

Strengths relevant to the role

The following Behaviours:

•             Seeing the Big Picture

•             Making Effective Decisions

•             Leadership

•             Working Together

Your Experience of implementing, promoting, or understanding diversity and inclusion policy - Diversity is the presence of difference, this can include one or more of the protected characteristics (Gender, Age, Race, Disability etc.) or it can be about working patterns, whether we like to jump into a task or reflect on it before acting. Inclusion is how we welcome, value, and celebrate diversity, giving everyone a voice, tapping into ideas, and enabling everyone to be themselves at work and achieve their potential.

For this grade/ role we would expect the candidate to demonstrate understanding of the terms Diversity and Inclusion and be able to explain why they are important in a work environment. We would also expect examples of action they have taken to embrace diversity (e.g., increasing understanding for self or others) or improve inclusion at a cross departmental or organisational level.

Shortlisting is planned for week commencing 31st August 2026.

Interviews are planned for week commencing 21st September 2026.

If you would like more information on this opportunity, please contact – Chris Owens, Christopher.Owens@Justice.gov.uk

Our LAA commitment to Diversity and 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. As a Disability Confident organisation, we will offer a guaranteed interview to candidates with a disability who meet the essential criteria for this role. Under the Equality Act 2010 a disability is defined as a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on your ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities which has lasted, or is expected to last, at least 12 months.

If you are responding to a role within the Legal Aid Agency and would like to be considered under the guaranteed interview, please indicate this in your application and let us know of any reasonable adjustments you may require during the sift or later selection processes.

The LAA’s goal is to build an organisation that is open and inclusive and truly values and celebrates the diversity of its workforce. One that reflects and understands the needs of the diverse society we serve. This is regardless of social background, gender, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, beliefs, disabilities or long-term illness or caring responsibilities.

Reasonable Adjustments

We are committed to ensuring our recruitment process is inclusive and accessible to all. If you have a disability or long-term condition (for example dyslexia, anxiety, autism, a mobility condition or hearing loss) and need us to make any reasonable adjustments to support you through the recruitment process, please let us know by adding the information to the applications system or emailing LAARecruitment@justice.gov.uk after you have applied so that we can discuss options with you.

Complaints procedure

If you have any complaints about this recruitment activity, please share your concerns by emailing LAARecruitment@justice.gov.uk initially. We aim to respond to any complaint within 10 working days.