Job Title: Deputy Private Secretary to the Director General People and Capability

Band: SEO

Business Group: People & Capability

Directorate: DG P&C Private Office

Team: DG P&C Private Office

Location: National

Last Updated: August 2026

Purpose

This is an exciting, challenging and high-profile opportunity to work at the heart of the Ministry of Justice as part of the private office of the Director General People & Capability and Chief People Officer. This role is advertised nationally, however there will be some expectation to occasionally travel to London and other locations to meet business needs.

The Deputy Private Secretary plays a key role in ensuring the Director General's priorities are clearly understood, effectively driven and communicated at the most senior levels across the department and wider Civil Service. The postholder will work closely with senior leaders across MoJ, Cabinet Office colleagues and stakeholders from across government, supporting the Director General in both their departmental responsibilities and their role co-leading the Civil Service HR Profession.

You will be part of a high-performing private office team supporting the Director General across a broad and complex portfolio of work. This includes supporting delivery of strategic priorities across the People & Capability Group, coordinating engagement with senior stakeholders, and helping to ensure effective connections between departmental and cross-government activity.

This role offers a unique opportunity to gain exposure to decision-making at the most senior levels of the Civil Service, working across a diverse portfolio spanning departmental priorities, cross-government engagement and leadership of a major Civil Service profession.

Responsibilities

• Support the G7 Private Secretary and wider Private Office team to maintain oversight of all key issues requiring the Director General's attention, ensuring emerging risks, opportunities and priorities are identified and managed effectively across both departmental and cross-government portfolios.
• Act as a key interface between the Director General, senior leaders within MoJ, and across government, building strong relationships and facilitating effective engagement on behalf of the Director General.
• Lead and manage portfolios of work, supporting delivery of the Director General's priorities, identifying emerging challenges and opportunities, and working with colleagues to develop plans and mitigate risks.
• Exercise sound judgement to prioritise information, escalate concerns where necessary and provide clear recommendations for action.
• Produce and commission high-quality briefing, correspondence, submissions and advice to support the Director General in delivering his responsibilities.
• Work flexibly across the Director General's full portfolio, providing support on a diverse range of issues spanning organisational leadership, strategic priorities, cross-government engagement and professional leadership responsibilities.

Essential criteria

• Strong judgement, with the ability to analyse complex information, prioritise competing demands and make sound recommendations in ambiguous or fast-moving situations (Lead Criteria)
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with experience of producing clear, high-quality advice, briefing or correspondence and the confidence to influence, challenge and manage upwards where required.
• Ability to quickly build credibility and establish effective working relationships with senior leaders and stakeholders, operating confidently in complex and sensitive environments.
• Experience of coordinating activity across multiple teams and stakeholders to drive progress, manage risks and deliver outcomes at pace, remaining calm under pressure and responding effectively to changing priorities in a dynamic environment.

Desirable criteria

• Experience of working in a private office, and/or a fast-paced environment, supporting senior leaders and managing competing priorities.

Application process:

You will be assessed against the Civil service success profiles framework at level for this post.

Sift

Experience:

• Please provide a CV.
• Statement of Suitability (750 words) - Please use your statement to tell us how your experience against the responsibilities and essential criteria listed in the job description.

Interview:

Please note that interviews will be held remotely.

During the interview, we will be assessing you through a combination of Experience and Strengths questions.

Experience questions will focus on the following areas:

• Judgement and Decision Making
• Communication and Influence
• Stakeholder Management
• Resilience and Adaptability

Contact callum.thompson@justice.gov.uk for information

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.