Overview
This is an exciting opportunity to join a high-performing, close-knit team that sits at the centre of the Ministry of Justice (MoJ). The Strategy Unit is a small team based in MoJ HQ. It is our role to develop the department’s strategy and work closely with the department to make sure we are providing the best possible advice to ministers on a range of important policy and delivery issues. The Strategy Unit has two broad responsibilities:
- Prioritisation. We are responsible for setting strategic direction for the department in line with the Lord Chancellor’s priorities and ensuring our resources and policies are aligned with the Government’s agenda. Over the next six months a key focus in this area will be on the Spending Review.
- Long-term planning (particularly on supply and demand issues): We are responsible for looking further ahead and considering the challenges the justice system may face in the long term, and working with the department to develop plans for how we can best respond to those challenges. A key element of this work is to coordinate the department’s work on the growth in justice system demand over the next decade and our approach to addressing this.
Alongside both these areas we coordinate cross-government work and engagement: We are responsible for MoJ’s strategic relationship with other government departments. We maintain MoJ’s relationships across Whitehall and with external organisations; and bring fresh thinking and research into the department.
The Strategy Unit is part of the wider Strategy, Implementation and Priority Projects Team which sits within the Ministers, Parliament, Strategy and Implementation Directorate. We work closely with the other teams in the directorate.
The Role
The team is split into two branches, each of which leads on one of the areas outlined above. The successful candidate will lead one of these branches and manage a small team of colleagues working on the relevant issues.
You will need to be flexible in picking up new tasks and supporting your peers, as well as delivering at pace and managing your (and your branch’s) workload effectively. You will need to role model behaviours to the wider team – championing continuous improvement, team working, and a drive to find innovative, positive, solutions to difficult issues. You will need to be comfortable working in an ambiguous environment where priorities can change at short notice, and confident in creating processes to bring clarity to that ambiguity. You will also need to demonstrate leadership across the wider team and contribute to the management of the team and the directorate as a whole.
We anticipate that the post-holder will:
- Work with teams across the department and balance competing interests to define a ‘MoJ view’ on issues.
- Lead workshops with policy and operational teams across the department to agree future priorities for their work.
- Build relationships with a range of external stakeholders and use these to further MoJ interests, or bring in fresh thinking.
- Work closely with the Corporate Finance, Analytical Services and Performance and Planning teams to ensure that the work of the ‘centre’ of the department is coordinated effectively.
- Build strong relationships across the department and use these to ensure that advice to Ministers reflects the department’s agreed strategic direction.
- Play a leading role in developing and communicating the strategy for the department in line with ministers’ priorities.
- Lead your team effectively, demonstrating best practice in line management and matrix management, and oversee and provide strategic input into their work.
- Act as an advocate for the MoJ, and build effective relationships with critical partners across the department and externally.
Why come and work for the Strategy Unit?
This challenging, high-profile and fast-moving role will be ideal for high performing individuals. Your role will involve:
- The opportunity to work at the heart of the department and with the centre of government. There will be a high degree of independent work and close engagement with senior stakeholders across the MoJ and interaction with Ministers and Special Advisers.
- Work that brings together many different types of people and expertise across the department to understand different perspectives and create the best solutions
- Variety and flexibility as we will be covering the whole remit of the Department, with the chance to work with colleagues and get experience on a number of areas from operational prison capacity to conceptual issues about the future of the justice system
- An excellent team culture with colleagues who are passionate about their work justice and always willing to help each other out.
Skills and Application
We’ll assess your application against the behaviours below.
Seeing the big picture: you’re able to develop an understanding of how your work fits into the department’s priorities and provide strategic insight, and creative but practical solutions.
Making effective decisions: you have the quantitative and qualitative analytical skills needed to produce precise but creative solutions to complex problems that are rooted in sound evidence and will be comfortable in understanding and challenging numbers and analysis.
Delivering at pace: you will be comfortable juggling competing priorities, delivering high quality work to tight deadlines and striking the right balance between good process and flexibility. You will need to be a self-starter who is comfortable working with ambiguity and working with others to shape and mould work.
Working Together: you will be able to build and maintain a diverse network of contacts and have experience of coaching and challenging others to achieve their goals. You will be adept at management and able to constructively question and challenge the views and assumptions of those more senior than you when appropriate.
Desirable Skills
- Experience of policy and strategy development.
- Good analytical and problem-solving ability.
- Confidence in working with and influencing senior stakeholders.
- Confidence in communicating complicated information clearly orally and in writing.
- Experience of project management and performance management.
The Interview
The interview process will be in two parts:
- Presentation: candidates will be asked to prepare a short presentation of 5 minutes setting out what they view as the biggest strategic challenges facing the Ministry of Justice over the next 5 years.
- Interview: candidates will complete a behaviours based interview. In addition to the four behaviours required in the written application, we will also test the Leadership and Changing & Improving behaviours at interview.
Location of Post
102 Petty France London is our main office. However, there are opportunities for flexible working, such as working from home and condensed working hours.
Contact
Please do get in touch if you would like to know more about the role, previous projects or what it is like working in our team. Contact Veronica Trotman veronica.trotman@justice.gov.uk. We look forward to hearing from you.
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