Purpose - overview of job role

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is the largest government department and serves 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 work across our agencies and wider government to bring the principles of justice to life for everyone in society: from our civil courts, tribunals and family law hearings to criminal justice, prison and probation services. We work to ensure that sentences are served and offenders are encouraged to turn their lives around and become law-abiding citizens. We believe the principles of justice are pivotal and we are steadfast in our shared commitment to uphold them.

The MoJ’s Service Transformation Group (STG), led by Megan Lee-Devlin, is responsible for leading the transformation of the services the MoJ and its agencies deliver to the public, making them better, faster and more focused on the end user. Its remit includes responsibility for the digital, data, AI and technology underpinning prisons, probation and other critical services across the justice system; as well as oversight of three agencies: the Legal Aid Agency (LAA), Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) and the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA). STG also includes the MoJ’s Project Delivery Function and Security and Information Group.

STG’s mission is twofold: to deliver world-class public services; supported by happy, thriving teams.

This role sits in the Service Transformation Policy & Priorities Unit (PPU). We work to the Director General for Service Transformation as part of a central unit which includes:

• STG DG private office;

• A strategic engagement team;

• A rapid response unit delivering technical solutions and;

• A strategy and performance team responsible for fiscal events and performance monitoring.

The PPU is responsible for:

• Supporting the Director General for Service Transformation to deliver their and the department’s priorities, including both short-term reactive and longer-term strategic work.

• Responding to and influencing internal (MoJ) and external (cross-government) priorities, aligning activity to the overall Service Transformation Group and departmental strategy, and setting the Service Transformation Group’s STG position on new policies including legislation and cross-governmental initiatives.

• Leading directly on projects which are of central importance to the DG for Service Transformation and the Department. This could be within the PPU or leading matrix teams formed of colleagues from across the central unit, Service Transformation DG group, and wider department.

• Working directly with the Service Transformation Group’s executive team, providing advice on key issues, and supporting on specific objectives in depth when needed.

• Engaging across the Ministry of Justice, its agencies and across Government to gain buy-in and support for our initiatives.

Job role – key responsibilities and accountabilities

As a Policy Lead in the PPU, your work will span both fast-paced, reactive priorities and longer-term strategic activity.

On reactive work, you will provide clear, strategic verbal and written briefings for Ministerial and SCS meetings and engagements; support an accurate and coherent account of the ST Group’s complex portfolio in core documents; and help directors respond effectively to urgent and emerging issues.

On longer-term work, you will help shape, influence and communicate the group strategy; use your analysis and problem-solving skills and networks to unblock issues and ensure delivery at all levels; and work to develop a cohesive, forward-looking policy plan.

You will be deployed directly into some of the most significant issues in the DG group, leading and contributing to matrix teams which huddle around an issue to deliver swift and high-quality outcomes.

You will regularly be providing expert support and advice to the Director General, our Executive Team and colleagues across the department on matters relating to Transformation.

You’ll be part of a busy and social team who enjoy collaborating and learning from each other, and who host regular team activities and away days.

As a Policy Lead you’ll:

• Use your analysis and problem-solving skills and networks to unblock issues and ensure delivery at all levels;

• Work directly with senior leadership to develop and iterate new ideas to support the transformation of MoJ’s services, turning them into concrete propositions and drafting content quickly and with confidence;

• Convene and lead meetings across MoJ and its agencies and promote STG interests through existing forums. You will have to build and maintain effective relationships to develop, iterate and drive the delivery of actions and to ensure projects delivering service transformation are working to achieve their objectives;

• Provide excellent qualitative and quantitative analysis of delivery and strategic issues, identifying and prioritising the most important findings drawing on a range of sources and leading development of solutions;

• Communicate strategic and highly complex recommendations clearly, both verbally and in visual presentation formats, and often at pace;

• Be a self-starter who is trusted to work flexibly to lead projects and quickly pick up new strategic priorities as they arise; and

• Actively maintain knowledge of cross-government and cross sector developments relevant to the DG group and department.

Key Relationships

DG STG, the Private Office, executive agency CEOs, Directors and their teams in the Group, Policy group, Operational colleagues in HMPPS and HMCTS, ExCo and their Private Offices, the Permanent Secretary and Ministerial Private Offices, Cabinet Office and DSIT.

Person specification:

We are looking for an ambitious individual who wants to sit at the heart of one of the most fast-evolving areas of the department, who is confident working frequently with SCS levels 1-3 as well as building strong relationships with colleagues at all grades across the group, wider department and Government. You have extensive experience creating high-quality documents for seniors and with a track record in making complex and sometimes contradictory information easier to digest and respond to. You are interested in and aware of our wider MoJ ‘system’, including both departmental and government-level priorities, and can communicate their relevance to our work. You excel in a fast-paced environment and want to play a part in driving the transformation of our justice system.

Essential criteria:

• Extensive experience of synthesising complex information accurately and at speed to support decision making for SCS and Ministers, being able to challenge the views of others when appropriate.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and ability to create high-impact products. Able to draft original content and edit the work of others at pace. Able to communicate complex ideas in a straightforward and engaging manner; and to facilitate conversations between different groups to enable shared understanding and collaboration.

• Experience leading complex workstreams and deliver tangible outcomes at pace.

• Proven ability to think systemically and factor in the influence of wider activity on specific programmes of work.

• Intellectual curiosity and confidence to challenge with well-formed evidence and argument.

• Track record of building effective working relationships across government, business groups, functions, and different grades to create channels of communication between STG’s diverse range of stakeholders.

• Able to effectively prioritise and balance reactive and strategic projects in daily work.

• Experience knowing how to effectively work as part of a high-performing team, showing leadership to those around you, being able escalate issues where appropriate and work together with others to deliver work to a high standard.

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 roles: 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.

Eligibility

Staff on fixed term appointments must have been recruited through fair and open competition.

Vacancies advertised “cross-government” are only open to all Civil Service employees and employees of accredited non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) who were appointed on merit following a fair and open competition; or were appointed to a permanent post through an exception in the Civil Service Commissioners' rules.

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.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

• To Transformative Business Services (0345 241 5359 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@resourcing.soprasteria.co.uk);
• To Ministry of Justice Resourcing team (resourcing-management-office@justice.gov.uk);
• To the Civil Service Commission (details available here)

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.

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.

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

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 Planand the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy

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.