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We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce and pride ourselves as being an employer of choice. To find out more about how we champion diversity and inclusion in the workplace, visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversity

Job title: Strategic Policy Advisers in the Priority Projects Team

Grade: Senior Executive Officer (Band B). The salary range for Senior Executive Officer roles is £36,798 - £47,591 in London and £30,989 - £41,095 outside London.

We will also be assessing people for Band C Higher Executive Officer roles through this recruitment. The salary range for HEOs is £30,845 - £38,373 in London and £24,002 - £31,973 outside London.

Duration of role: Permanent.

Number of posts: Up to nine posts

Ways of Working: The majority of our staff are currently working from home due to COVID-19. Our headquarter office is in London (102 Petty France, London SW1H 9AJ). We also have offices in Canary Wharf, Croydon and Leeds. At the Ministry of Justice, we believe in and promote flexible ways of working, this role is open to:

Full-time, part-time and job share opportunities

Flexible working: flexible working patterns, with the option to work from home or MoJ’s other offices.

Job description overview

The Priority Projects Team is a high-profile, friendly and supportive team at the heart of the Ministry of Justice’s strategy function. We provide flexible resource to deliver priority policy projects, playing a central role in the development and delivery of the Ministry of Justice’s priorities. Recently this has included: preparatory work for the Spending Review, the department’s approach to court fees and prison reform, and the response to COVID-19. Each posting is unique, with members of the team embedding in policy teams as an individual or as part of small project team for anywhere from a few weeks up to six months.

We are looking for motivated, resilient and adaptable individuals who are able to get to grips with new subject areas quickly, have strong analytical and problem-solving skills and are able to communicate complex ideas clearly. You will play a multifaceted role, leading on and supporting the delivery of projects across the Ministry of Justice’s policy responsibilities. The role will give you the opportunity to work with senior stakeholders across the Ministry of Justice, as well as other government departments, and will usually involve engagement with the ministerial team and private offices. Experience of working in a project environment and/or strategy consulting experience would be an advantage, though not essential.

In return, we are committed to providing you with a positive team culture where you can thrive. People are our most valuable resource and through flexible working, our commitment to learning and development, network events and mentoring, we ensure our directorate is a positive environment to work in.

The team has a diverse range of experience, some who are new to the Civil Service from the private sector or the third sector; and others who have worked in different parts of MoJ and other central government departments. We want to maintain a diversity of background and experience. We are a friendly team and you will have a full induction into the team and with many training opportunities to enable your personal development.

You will also benefit from a range of other benefits including 25 days’ annual leave (rising to 30 after 5 years), plus public holidays and the Queen’s birthday and access to a generous Defined Benefit pension scheme.

Strategic Policy Advisor – the role

As a Strategic Policy Adviser in the Priority Projects Team you will:

-        Lead or support the delivery of numerous projects in priority areas of the department – the specific work area will be based on a regular allocations process.

-        Keep abreast of departmental priorities and external developments to inform your strategic approach to different projects.

-        Work collaboratively with project sponsors, analysts, lawyers and operational colleagues to develop robust and evidence-based solutions to policy problems. This will include working with quantitative and qualitative data to develop a robust evidence base.

-        Establish strong relationships with key stakeholders from across the MoJ and wider government to understand complex issues quickly, ensure links are made with the relevant policy and operational teams, and develop workable solutions/recommendations.

-        Produce high quality written and oral briefings to senior officials and Ministers.

-        Some posts will involve line management responsibility for one Band C/HEO.

Alongside your core role, you will have the opportunity to get involved in corporate projects across the wider team such as Wellbeing, Diversity & Inclusion, mentoring, recruitment, etc. to underpin how we work as a team and contribute to the MoJ as a whole.

In return, you will have access to many training opportunities on a range of topics, for example: leadership and coaching, effective writing, stakeholder engagement and partnership working.

Skills and Experience

-        You will be a self-starter, comfortable picking up new subject areas and able to master detail quickly.

-        You will be highly organised, ideally with experience of working in a project environment, with the proven ability to make plans and bring colleagues together to reach your end goal.

-        You will be able to write to a good standard and to interpret and analyse information clearly and concisely.

-        You will have strong communication and relationship-building skills, when working with a range of people both within and outside the civil service.

-        Previous experience in government is not essential, but you will need to have good political awareness and the ability to communicate effectively to a wide range of audiences and the ability to solve problems using structured problem-solving techniques.

Application Process

We recruit using Success Profiles and we’ll assess your application against the behaviours below. Please provide examples of how you have met each one of these behaviours. Click the link for more detail on the behaviours and experiences we would like you to demonstrate (see Level 3 – HEO and SEO or equivalent).

-        Changing and improving – able to work adaptably in a project-based environment, scoping, planning and delivering projects that create effective change.

-        Making effective decisions – able to interpret sometimes conflicting data, assess options and make recommendations which take account of the broader context you are working in.

-        Working together – the ability to form effective partnerships quickly with a diverse range of stakeholders, distributing information, resources and support.

Should we receive a large number of applications, we will sift primarily on the lead behaviour of Changing and Improving. Successful applicants will then be invited to an interview, testing both behaviours and strengths.

The MoJ is proud to be Level 3 Disability Confident, Disability Confident is the approach through which we offer guaranteed interviews for all people with disabilities meeting the minimum criteria for the advertised role as set out in the job description.

Due to government recommendations in light of COVID-19, interviews will be conducted via online video call. Full instructions for how to access this will be provided to those invited to interview.

Security Clearance

Before taking up the post, the successful applicant will need to pass security checks. Clearance will be dependent on strict criteria, including five years’ residency in the UK.

Location of Post

These roles are temporarily all based remotely (working from home). When we return to the office these posts can be based either in London (102 Petty France) or Leeds (5 Wellington Place).

New entrants to the Civil Service will be expected to join on the minimum of the relevant pay range. Existing Civil Servants will have their salary calculated in accordance with the Department’s pay on transfer/pay on promotion rules.