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
Successful candidates will have the option to be based at one of the following locations:
- 102 Petty France, London
- 5 Wellington Place, Leeds.
Flexible working arrangements are available between MoJ Hubs and home. Most of our staff are temporarily working from home due to covid-19. This role is open to: full-time, part-time and job share opportunities and flexible working patterns
We will keep a merit list for a year for those who successfully pass the interview board but who are not offered a post.
Job Description Overview
The Access to Justice directorate is seeking a candidate with experience of working in a corporate planning and performance environment, with the ability to own, drive and continuously improve products and processes, and with a proven record of influencing senior stakeholders.
Access to Justice directorate (A2J) is recruiting a People and Business Support Lead to work within the Directorate Support senior management team. The role is responsible for: (i) leading the development and implementation of the A2J People Agenda work-strands across the directorate; (ii) leading a small team of staff to deliver an excellent Business Support service for the directorate; and (iii) working flexibly across the Directorate Support Team to support the wider needs of the directorate.
You will report directly into the Grade 7 Head of Directorate Support Team and into the A2J senior leadership team responsible for the strategic direction of the People Agenda. You will work closely with the A2J SEO Delivery Manager and directly manage 3 members of staff (3 Band C/HEO). Success in this role will require you to work across the directorate and wider Policy, Communications and Analysis Group as a trusted partner, building a strong network of relationships with internal and external stakeholders at all levels.
This is a permanent position and is open to Civil Service Band B (SEO) applicants on level transfer and other eligible staff on promotion.
The Ministry of Justice – who are we and what do we do?
The Ministry of Justice is a major government department, at the heart of the justice system. We work to protect and advance the principles of justice and our vision is to deliver a world-class justice system that works for everyone in society. We are committed to promoting equality and valuing diversity. Having a diverse team at the MoJ is important to us. We need people from different backgrounds with different perspectives. We are committed to ensuring that every talented, committed and hard-working person has the opportunity to rise to the top, whatever their background and whoever they are.
We are a values-led organisation with a significant policy department responsible for developing policy on all aspects of law and justice. Our span of influence is worldwide, and we hold and build policy frameworks that are fair, transparent and proportionate, commanding the confidence of the public both domestically and internationally.
We are one of the largest government departments, employing around 70,000 people, with a significant operational responsibility for critical frontline services.
The Policy, Communications and Analysis Group (PCAG)
PCAG is responsible for setting and advising on policy across the full range of the Department’s responsibilities, including criminal, civil, family and administrative justice; the criminal and civil law; the court system, legal aid and support and the legal services sector; the prison and probation systems, and offender policy; the youth justice system; the UK’s domestic human rights framework and international obligations; and MoJ’s interests in EU exit. It also supports the Lord Chancellor in his constitutional relationship with the judiciary. It houses the MoJ’s strategy function, the Private Office teams that directly support Ministers and the Department’s Parliamentary business team.
Access to Justice Directorate (A2J)
There are five core policy divisions within Access to Justice which cover the following areas: civil justice and law; death management, inquests and administrative law; legal aid; legal support and fees; and courts, tribunals and transparency. We are a very professional, diverse, friendly and inclusive bunch; our success is based on the people who work here, who’s user focus and desire to embrace everything that makes us unique creates new and better solutions and is the cornerstone which allows us to deliver our goals at the highest quality possible.
Directorate Support Team
The A2J directorate is supported by the central Directorate Support Team (DST) who provide secretariat, project management and finance support to the directorate’s policy teams and the people agenda workstreams. The team is driven by innovation and strives to embody the MoJ values of Purpose, Humanity, Openness and Together in the way we work.
A2J People and Business Support Lead - the role
As the People and Business Support Lead for the Access to Justice Directorate you will be responsible for providing strategic oversight of the A2J People Agenda so that the directorate attracts, retains and develops a talented, diverse and motivated workforce. You will have the opportunity to help shape the future design of the directorate and be confident in facilitating and challenging colleagues (both within A2J and PCAG) to drive improvements and help deliver the directorate’s strategic vision for People and Business Support. For example, current priorities include determining strategies for learning and development, diversity and inclusion, and resource and strategic workforce planning.
This post presents an excellent opportunity to support leaders and colleagues to connect and work collaboratively across the directorate and wider Policy, Communications and Analysis Group.
Responsibilities may include (but are not limited to):
- Maintaining strategic oversight of the A2J people agenda workstreams and other corporate projects using project delivery approaches to monitor progress and identify risks to delivery and mitigations. This includes ensuring corporate work is reflective of staff feedback, focused and delivered to time and quality.
- Collating, analysing and presenting data, producing reports and presentations. Preparing briefing and advice for senior officials; developing correspondence, reports, guidance and other materials as required; and producing key documentation.
- Leading on development and delivery of products and workstreams to support the A2J People Agenda and Business Support work-streams, driving forward work independently. This includes consulting and managing internal and external stakeholder.
- Leadership and line management responsibilities for a team, with a key responsibility for developing and coaching all staff and/ or matrix management of staff or volunteers and ensuring resource requirements within team are met/flexed so business goals can be delivered.
- Working flexibly across the wider DST to support delivery of various corporate support projects as required.
Skills and experience-
- You will be able to write to a good standard and be able to interpret and analyse information clearly and concisely in a way that enables effective decisions to be made. This includes having strong secretariat skills.
- You will have excellent attention to detail and strong organisational awareness. You will be able to get to grips with complex tasks quickly across a range of subject areas and embrace innovation and change to improve what we deliver and how we work together.
- You will be a strong collaborator with excellent communication and interpersonal skills; able to inspire confidence and build enthusiasm for change with a wide range of colleagues and stakeholders across the organisation.
- You will be confident to lead, develop and deliver projects independently with applied knowledge of project management approaches and deliver quality and timely outcomes according to agreed priorities.
- You will be confident using Microsoft programmes including – Teams, Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint and keen to consider new ways of working and technology as part of continuous improvement.
- You should have experience of comms and engagement; and have an understanding of policy.
Application Process
We recruit using Success Profiles and we’ll assess your application against the behaviours below. Please provide examples (detail the situation, your action and results) of how you have met each one of these behaviours. Each Behaviour should be no more than 250 words. Click the link for more detail on Success Profiles and the behaviours and experiences we would like for you to demonstrate (see Level 3-SEO page 5)
- Managing a Quality Service
- Communicating and Influencing
- Delivering at Pace
- Seeing the Bigger Picture
- Working Together
Should we receive a large number of applications, we will sift primarily on the lead behaviour of Managing a Quality Service. Successful applicants will then be invited to an interview.
Candidates invited to Interview
You will be required to give a 5-minute presentation at interview. Details of this will be sent to those candidates who are invited for interview. Please note that interviews will be carried out remotely. During the interview, we will be assessing you on Behaviours and Strengths from the success Profiles framework. Strengths are assessed blind (i.e. we will not tell you the specific strengths before or during the interview process.).
Interviews will take place in November 2020.
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.
Security Clearance
Before taking up the post, the successful applicant will need to pass security checks. Clearance will be dependent on strict criteria, including 5 years residency in the UK.
Point of Contact
Please do get in touch if you would like to know more about the role or what it is like working in our team. Email Matthew.Caswell@justice.gov.uk and leave your full name and telephone number and we will call you.
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