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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

Team Leader: Judicial Resourcing and Engagement Strategy

G7

Judicial and Legal Services Policy Directorate

Location: 102 Petty France, London SW1H 9AJ / 5 WELLINGTON PLACE LEEDS, LS1 4AP

Band: G7. 1 vacancy but as we expect vacancies to arise in 2021, suitable candidates will be placed on our reserve list.

Contact: Clare Wormald (clare.wormald@justice.gov.uk 0203 545 8886)

Ways of Working

At the MoJ we believe and promote alternative ways of working, these roles are available as:

• Full-time, part-time or the option to job share
• Flexible working patterns
• Flexible working arrangements between base locations, MoJ Hubs and home.

At the moment the majority of our staff are currently working from home due to Covid-19

If we receive applications from more suitable candidates than we have vacancies for at this time, we may hold suitable applicants on a reserve list for 12 months, and future vacancies requiring the same skills and experience could be offered to candidates on the reserve list without a new competition.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ)

MOJ is one of the largest government departments, employing around 70,000 people (including those in the Probation Service), with a budget of approximately £9 billion. Each year, millions of people use our services across the UK - including at 500 courts and tribunals, and 133 prisons in England and Wales. 

What we do

We work to protect the public and reduce reoffending, and to provide a more effective, transparent and responsive criminal justice system for victims and the public. We are also responsible for the following parts of the justice system:

• courts
• prisons
• probation services
• attendance centres

We also work in partnership with other government departments and agencies to reform the criminal justice system, to serve the public and support the victims of crime. We are also responsible for making new laws, strengthening democracy, and safeguarding human rights. 

Priorities

• A prison and probation service that reforms offenders
• A modern courts and justice system
• A Global Britain that promotes the rule of law
• A transformed department that is simpler, smarter and more unified 

Further information can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice 

Judicial Resourcing Policy

The Judicial Policy Engagement and Resourcing Division is recruiting a Grade 7 to lead on team with responsibility for judicial resourcing and the judicial engagement strategy. Our division is the hub which plays a key role in supporting the engagement between government and the senior judiciary to achieve shared objectives; including for policies to recruit and retain high quality and diverse judicial office holders. 

Reporting to the G6 for Judicial Resourcing, Diversity and Policy, the post holder will manage a team of five, including directly line managing two SEOs and a fast-streamer.

Main Activities / Responsibilities

The Judicial Resourcing and Engagement Strategy team leader will have responsibility for:

• Judicial Resourcing - Developing a comprehensive judicial resourcing strategy – linking closely with senior colleagues across the department and beyond to keep abreast of and build in the impacts of emerging policy and operational developments and demand forecasting to judicial resourcing plans; and in turn working closely with Judicial Office, HMCTS and the Judicial Appointments Commission, to develop and iterate the rolling three year plans for future judicial recruitment. Be responsible for drafting advice about the recruitment programme to the Lord Chancellor.  
• Review of Mandatory Retirement Age – Following the government’s consultation on options to increase the retire age of most judicial office holders, you will be responsible for ensuring that the legislative and operational changes are delivered, working with lawyers, bill teams in MoJ and across government, Judicial Office and HMCTS. 
• Judicial Engagement Strategy – Developing a strategy that maximises opportunities for constructive engagement between the Lord Chancellor, Ministers and senior officials with the judiciary; supported by provision of high quality briefing. You will develop the division’s capability to support the LC in his statutory role for defending judicial independence and to respect the rule of law.

We are looking for an individual with:

• Experience in leading evidence-based policy development, taking account of strategic priorities.
• Experience of policy delivery including through primary legislation.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and communication skills, with the ability to build and maintain relationships and influence with a range of partners.
• Experience of providing clear, evidenced briefing in both written and oral formats on complex policy areas to senior stakeholders and Ministers.
• Strong prioritisation skills using project and programme management tools to plan the work of your team to achieve both short and long-term objectives. 
• First-rate leadership skills, including the ability to manage and motivate your team to deliver complex policy objectives at pace.

You will need to be an active member of the Division’s senior management team, and MoJ’s Policy and Strategy Group’s G7 leadership cohort, ensuring you fully embrace and demonstrate the Ministry of Justice’s corporate leadership values. 

Application process

You will be assessed against the Civil service success profiles framework. 

Experience

You will be asked to provide a short statement of suitability as part of the application process in order to assess demonstrable experience of legislation and policy development. 

Behaviours

Please provide examples (detail the situation, your action and results) of how you have met each one of the behaviours listed below: 

• Seeing the bigger picture
• Leadership
• Communicating and influencing
• Making effective decisions
• Delivering at pace

Please also refer to the CS Behaviours framework for more details at this grade (Level 4 – Grade 6 and Grade 7 or equivalent):

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/717275/CS_Behaviours_2018.pdf 

Should we receive a large number of applications, we will sift primarily on the lead behaviour – Seeing the Bigger Picture. 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. 

Interviews are expected to take place in later January 2021. 

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.