27636 - Head of Leadership, Talent & Succession Planning

Overview of the job

This is an exciting, business critical role within HMPPS which shapes and nurtures our leaders, builds a healthy pipeline of talent and effectively assesses and plans for our future; supporting us to build a first class organisation which prevents victims and save lives.

The Head of Leadership, Talent & Succession Planning works with the organisation and wider MoJ to create and implement a robust leadership and talent strategy which delivers and develops a healthy pipeline of leaders across the whole organisation (operational and HQ). The postholder is responsible for understanding the needs of our organisation and our leaders to ensure effective delivery of high level leadership products and programmes. The postholder should be familiar with and actively research the latest thinking on good leadership development and use this insight to work closely with the business to embed a successful talent management framework.

The postholder leads both the design and implementation of all elements of the leadership, succession and talent management portfolio, driving the full cycle including retention, identification, assessment and development of our current and aspiring leaders. They are responsible for driving improvements within the promotional assessment area; ensuring that we are assessing the correct people at the right volumes and maximising the participant experience. They ensure that this robust portfolio increases accountability within our leadership community in the organisation.

The Head of Leadership, Talent and Succession Planning is responsible for actively promoting and driving career paths and opportunities, assessing the appropriateness of our current offers and looking for areas of continuous improvement. The postholder is responsible for acting as a critical friend to support Directors and other senior managers in implementing succession planning for the business, and assessing talent pipelines for appropriateness and in line with Lammy recommendations.

The postholder will be highly capable, flexible, driven, organised and able to see the bigger picture as well as having a high level of energy and attention to detail. As well as this it is key that the postholder is an inspirational leader with a curious mind who;

• Has high standards and expectation of the impact they will have on the business
• Delivers at pace and understands the pressure to maintain strong leadership in HMPPS
• Adopts a continuous improvement mind-set
• Develops strong stakeholder relationships and possesses influencing and negotiation skills
• Understands both the challenges and opportunities to grow and nurture talent in HMPPS

The Head of Leadership, Talent and Succession Planning reports directly to the Deputy Director for Professional Development & Capability within the HMPPS Performance Directorate. They have direct line management responsibility for specialists as well as overall management of the wider team.

Summary

• To think creatively and successfully create a leadership cadre within HMPPS that attracts, assesses, retains and develops our people in way that benefits them and the organisation as a whole
• Drive improvements across the business to better spot and nurture talent as well as working closely with the organisation to spot retention issues and proactively work a strategy to mitigate this

Responsibilities, Activities & Duties

The job holder will be required to carry out the following responsibilities, activities and duties:

• Responsibility for the delivery of a robust leadership strategy which understands the needs of our leaders
• Scoping and analysing the business to understand leadership needs in order to determine and provide an effective pipeline of future leaders in pan HMPPS
• Lead and work with the Head of Leadership to jointly deliver a high quality leadership portfolio which identifies and assesses leaders
• Deliver the HMPPS Leadership Review which aims to improve the current leadership offer and improve capability and leadership skills for leaders at all levels
• Oversee the delivery of all HMPPS leadership programmes for all levels of leader delivering this within a targeted budget which delivers value for money for the organisation
• Lead and drive improvements within the assessment space to provide a promotional assessment structure which is challenging and stimulating for participants and delivers high quality results for the business
• Accountable for strategic oversight of all talent management issues, including long term talent requirements, through application and review of the Talent Management Framework, and for provision of support and advice to Directors and other senior managers on succession planning.
• Have accountability for the development of talent pools and deliver of all fast track talent programmes including the Unlocked Graduates scheme
• Review all senior manager appointments and provide challenge to senior leaders as deemed appropriate. Provide assurance to the NOMS Board on the strength of leadership potential in the talent pipeline.
• Lead the work to bring a cohort of BAME staff into senior leadership roles as per Lammy recommendation 29
• Directly manage the risk of workforce stagnation and loss of talent and work with key stakeholders and MoJ colleagues on factors affecting the retention of senior managers. Work alongside private sector providers on talent management issues of mutual interest.
• Review the organisation to spot retention issues and proactively work on a strategy to mitigate this.
• Manage the development of talent pools for high potential managers across the organisation
• Be an inspirational leader who interacts well with people at all levels

The duties/responsibilities listed above describe the post as it is at present and is not intended to be exhaustive. The Job holder is expected to accept reasonable alterations and additional tasks of a similar level that may be necessary. Significant adjustments may require re-examination under the Job Evaluation scheme and shall be discussed in the first instance with the Job Holder.

Competencies

For the purpose of selection the following competencies will be measured:

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Delivering Value for Money
• Making Effective Decisions
• Leading and Communicating
• Collaborating and Partnering

Essential Skills, Qualifications, Accreditation & Registration

• CIPD and accredited coaching qualification, up to Level 7 Executive Coaching and Leadership Mentoring is desirable
• Previous experience at working with senior leaders is desired

Skills & Knowledge

• The role requires advanced theoretical knowledge of senior career planning and talent management in the public sector.
• The post holder requires a comprehensive understanding of executive coaching and experience of coaching practice at senior manager level, sufficient to manage a caseload of senior operational managers.
• The role requires strategic understanding of succession planning policy and practice, and associated risk management procedures.
• The role requires senior management experience
• The role requires comprehensive knowledge of senior post holders and potential candidates for senior vacancies to brief directors and other senior stakeholders, to develop a succession planning strategy and to reduce the risk of failing to fill business critical posts.

Accountability & Decision Making

• The post holder is responsible for providing authoritative advice to Directors, DDCs, DDPs and individual senior managers on succession planning for business-critical posts.
• Responsible for the joint management of NOMS Board Risk on quality and supply of leaders.
• The post holder has direct responsibility for managing the policy on senior manager appointments
• Directly accountable to the NOMS Board, through People Sub Committee, for undertaking management action to ensure Directors’ compliance with Internal Audit recommendations on the Talent Management Framework. Results reviewed quarterly by the Board.
• The post holder will operate with a high degree of autonomy

Problem Solving

• The post holder is required to solve challenging organisational problems relating to succession planning for business critical posts and the development and deployment of senior managers.
• Fast track programmes will be under constant review (with the Head of Leadership Development) and the post holder will need to find solutions to complex resourcing problems and develop a strategic plan to address identified deficits in the talent pipeline; demonstrating a high level of innovation in the development of new programmes for senior managers.
• The post holder is regularly required to find innovative solutions when there are insufficient suitable candidates for senior critical posts; acting as broker between directors and potential candidates to ensure that posts are filled; and thus providing assurance to the Board.
• The post holder is expected to monitor retention through natural wastage and departures to OGDs/private sector providers and develop a strategy for retention

Resource Management & Financial Impact

• The post holder will significantly reduce the cost to NOMS of direct entry programmes by effective strategic management of in-house talent and succession planning procedures.
• Shared responsibility for budgetary planning for fast track recruitment and associated salary costs; exercising discretion over expenditure across the range of fast track programmes.
• The post holder is continually required to generate efficiency savings against the budget allocations for assessments and fast track programmes, through regular review of budget profile against strategic priorities, as identified in the HRD Business Plan.

Organising & Planning

• The role involves developing short term and strategic plans for maintaining the quality of the senior manager cadre, improving the quality of leadership in the organisation and reducing the risk of not being able to fill business critical posts.
• Management oversight of a project and resource plan for the development of talent programmes, including curriculum design, to meet the strategic resourcing needs.
• The post holder is required to identify activities, benefits and outcomes against the HRD Business Plan and to report progress monthly on all areas of Talent and Succession

People Management

• The role has overall responsibility for leading and managing the Talent Team, Career Manager and Succession manager in their respective sites which could be geographically dispersed and providing strategic direction to the various functions undertaken by the Team.
• The post holder directly manages the Succession Manager, Talent Manager and Career Manager
• The post holder will act as first point of contact for all succession, talent and career issues
• The post holder will act as key point to work with the Ministry on all things succession, talent or career focussed.

Information Management

• The post holder is accountable for provision of management information to the Board, through the People Sub Committee.
• The role involves managing and validating complex data on talent management, succession planning, senior manager appointments and assessment accreditation to enable performance to be assessed against strategic objectives and inform the development of policy across the range of functional areas.
• The post holder is responsible for the management of highly sensitive information about individual senior managers’ personal profiles and career aspirations, and has lead responsibility for control of restricted People Files.
• The post holder is required to share sensitive information about succession planning and the career potential of individual senior managers with directors and deputy directors; e.g. by regular attendance at the DDCs’ meeting with the Director of PSPs.

Influencing & Interaction

• Role requires considerable personal integrity and professional credibility to establish trust with senior managers, directors and other key stakeholders on matters relating to succession planning and senior manager appointments.
• The post holder is the senior point of contact for filling business critical posts and provides assurance to the Board on the quality of the talent pipeline, through reports to People Sub Committee and bi-lateral meetings with senior stakeholders.
• The role involves negotiating with external stakeholders on senior manager interchange; HMCIP for team leaders; MoJ for Private Office appointments; WIG for external secondments.
• The post holder will negotiate with trades unions on policy developments relating to occupational assessments and fast track programmes.
• The post holder is required to provide professional leadership to enable effective moderation of Talent Assessment Matrix positions by directors and deputy directors.

Emotional Demand & Risk

None identified