The Role

The Deputy Director of Performance is a new role that will report directly to the Director of Planning, Performance & Risk. This is a rare opportunity to shape how one of Whitehall’s largest departments understands, challenges and improves performance across a complex justice system.

The Permanent Secretary has set a clear ambition – a step-change in how we manage performance to achieve better outcomes through greater transparency, stronger reporting and increased consistency. The department is committed to building a high-performance culture – setting high standards, supporting and challenging each other, and using innovation to raise our game. The role will also ensure the effective delivery of the Lord Chancellor’s priorities by leading and monitoring accurate and informative Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).

This is a high profile, critical area of work, which will face significant internal and external scrutiny, up to and including ministerial level.

The role requires a confident individual who will maintain strategic relationships across five executive agencies, four HQ groups and Arm's Length Bodies (ALBs).

Working across boundaries, the postholder will build strong and trusted relationships with stakeholders at all levels, ensuring a good level of understanding of the department’s strategy and its system wide outcomes.

The post holder will lead a team of approximately 15–20 people and work as part of a Directorate Leadership Team comprising five other Deputy Directors.

Key Responsibilities

Reporting into the Director of PPRD you will:

• Establish, lead and motivate a high-performing, diverse, inclusive and multidisciplinary team, setting a clear vision, purpose and operating model that strengthens delivery grip across MoJ.
• Conduct high-quality deep dives and evidence- based performance assessments on the department’s highest priority areas, identifying emerging risks, dependencies and good practice.
• Ensure performance data and insight are timely, to a high standard and used effectively to drive decision-making in forums including the Justice Performance Board, Departmental Board, Executive Committee and regular ministerial discussions.
• Effect positive changes to the way we work, delivering a combination of rapid and long-term projects focussed on a limited number of specific priorities, working with the department to drive improvements, linking outcomes, priorities, metrics and delivery plans.
• Use quantitative and qualitative insights to develop delivery improvement hypotheses, working constructively with senior leaders to understand, support and challenge areas that require improvement.
• Develop and maintain close working relationships within the department, across government and with key external stakeholders, using collaboration and diversity of thought to better enable the department to understand how it can improve performance priority areas.
• Drive effective governance, performance reporting and assurance across the department and wider justice system, ensuring clear oversight of delivery, identifying risks and dependencies, and providing constructive support and challenge to enable successful outcomes.
• Provide strong leadership, influence and direction; act as a trusted adviser to Ministerial and Executive teams on delivery challenges and performance improvement, building strong relationships with leaders across the justice system to track performance and guide action.
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement, curiosity and constructive challenge by building in a performance routine and a cycle of learning to facilitate high-quality decision-making.

Additional Responsibilities

• Form part of the leadership team of the department, supporting the Director to meet all corporate responsibilities.

The shape of the Directorate is changing and, as a result, the post holder's role and responsibilities may evolve over time to meet emerging business needs and priorities.

Throughout the selection process, you should provide clear evidence and examples that demonstrate how you meet the essential and desirable criteria for the role.

Essential Experience:

• Proven experience of using evidence, data and analysis to drive performance in a complex operational/delivery environment.
• Proven experience of working at pace, shaping effective and timely decisions through strong data literacy, data storytelling and data intelligence with the ability to interpret performance data, exercise sound judgement, and distil complex insight into clear messages.
• An excellent team player with the ability to work collaboratively across the department, build trust and establish credibility with a range of stakeholders to solve complex and systemic problems even when needing to deliver difficult messages or challenge established ways of working.
• Ability to build credibility and trust quickly in order to influence across organisational boundaries including with senior leaders, Ministers and Permanent-Secretaries or equivalent.
• Experience of building and leading high-performing, inclusive, multi-disciplinary teams and leading through change with a commitment to developing capability and talent.
• Strong strategic judgment, sound problem-solving skills with the ability to anticipate future trends, provide deep insight and identify ways to address challenges and support business outcomes.

Desirable Experience:

• Experience of working in or with operational delivery organisations, particularly in the justice system.
• Experience of developing or operating strong systems of performance reporting and governance.
• Understanding of cross-government planning, performance, delivery and assurance frameworks.