40282 - Project Support Officer

£24,002 - £38,373 (Salary will depend on location)
5
12 Months
National
National
NATIONAL
HEO
C
Fixed Term
Up to 24 months
Full Time, Flexible Working
Programme and Project Management, Property

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

Background

Her Majesty’s Court and Tribunals Service is an agency of the MoJ and provides the supporting administration for the judiciary across England and Wales. It delivers services to the public directly in court and tribunal buildings, remotely via business centres and some limited services via the internet.

There are high expectations of all staff regardless of the job they do and good performance is expected from everybody. The organisation is continuously adopting new or better ways of working to ensure that it focuses on just that which is essential.

HMCTS has a once in a generation opportunity to transform the entire Courts and Tribunals Service through the HMCTS Reform Programme, enhancing the provision of a world-class justice system, in a manner that provides an improved user experience at reduced cost to the taxpayer. This will contribute to consolidating the UK’s position at the forefront of an increasingly competitive international legal market as well as ensuring access to justice for all.

The programme includes modernising the court estate, updating and replacing its technology, speeding up and streamlining working practices, refurbishing buildings to reduce maintenance costs and provide much improved services for service users, especially vulnerable witnesses and victims. Effective staff engagement at this time of such significant change will be critical to success; maintaining a positive and lasting connection between HMCTS management and its staff.

An effective courts and tribunals service is fundamental to our democracy, underpinning the rule of law. This is an opportunity to work in a role that will support and enable a major transformation programme, designed not just to give our courts and tribunals a sustainable and affordable future, but improve how we deliver justice.

Overview

HMCTS is a continually changing organisation. The purpose of this role is to provide excellent project related support to a driven team, with a combination of both regular and varied pieces of work.

The Performance and Programme Management Office and the Capital Programme Team are both seeking Band C support.

The roles required in each team will are broadly similar. You will be responsible for maintaining central records and producing regular management reports and supporting the production of standard operating procedures. Whilst likely to be allocated to areas of work or projects, the post holder will be required to work flexibly, providing support as required across the team.

Upon completion of the interviews, HMCTS will decide which team best fits the skills of the successful candidates. A summary of the teams is detailed below.

Performance and Programme Management Office (PPMO)

The PPMO sits at the heart of the HMCTS Property Directorate. It is responsible for making sure that the activities, projects and risk management of the directorate are monitored and managed effectively. The PPMO provides a nexus between the work of the Facilities Management Team, delivering the day to day maintenance of court and tribunal buildings and the Project Team delivering larger capital maintenance projects. It maintains data regarding our properties and provides performance reporting to Property Directorate and HMCTS SMTs and the HMCTS Board. The Team is responsible for coordinating communication with senior stakeholders regarding maintenance and performance issues and managing recruitment into the directorate.

HMCTS Capital Programme Team

The Capital Programme Team plays a key role in the delivery of building improvements across the HMCTS estate. Sitting within the Property Directorate the team develops and maintains a prioritised, deliverable and affordable programmes of work that lead to visible and tangible improvements in the condition of court and tribunal buildings, ensuring that the estate is statutorily compliant and fit for purpose. The team is responsible for engagement with key stakeholders including MoJ Estates, HMCTS HQ and Regional colleagues, local and senior Judiciary and HMCTS & MoJ Finance to develop an evidence-based programme of capital works.

Key responsibilities for Project Support role

  • Support the Property Directorate by taking a prominent role in COVID Support activities, such as preparing agendas and circulating actions for key meetings.
  • Provide support on coordinating training for the team. This includes reviewing requirements such as certification and expiry dates, booking new courses and maintaining a register of training information.
  • Meet with project managers monthly, ensuring that reports are updated and accurate.
  • Provide assistance in managing risk and issues registers. Where required, reviewing risk registers, challenging mitigations, updating to ensure the latest position is captured.
  • Provide support to the teams within the Property Directorate, by interacting with Operations. Where required, setting up and planning meetings, obtaining information and potentially analysing results.
  • In readiness Board Meetings, ensure all commissioned information is present. This may include provider data updates and sourcing regional information from the FM team.
  • Take ownership in progressing actions related contracts managed by the Property Directorate.
  • Identify and resolve some problems, referring more complex and difficult issues upwards.
  • Provide ad hoc analysis and reports for senior management.
  • Support management in identifying suitable projects for inclusion in programmes
  • Respond to requests for information on individual projects/sites
  • Support management in monitoring and reporting on spend
  • Review and analyse information from regional Facilities Management teams, making reasoned recommendations.
  • Build positive relationships with colleagues to identify projects
  • Drive proactive communication to evidence progress and improvements in court buildings

Other Duties

The post holder is required to work in a flexible way and undertake any other duties reasonably requested by line management which are commensurate with the grade and level of responsibility of this post. The post holder will be required to work flexibly across the programme.

Essential Criteria:

  • Ability to work to tight timescales, managing your priorities and ensuring delivery of quality products.
  • Experience of building productive relationships with internal and external Stakeholders such as project managers and business owners; including the identification of strategic risks, issues and dependencies and seeking agreements/trade-offs to keep delivery on track.

Desirable Criteria:

  • Dependency identification and management so that accountabilities and responsibilities are clear and can be tracked.

Location of Post

The successful candidate will be required to travel to London, however base location can be flexible. Travel to other HMCTS sites may also be required as part of these working arrangements. In line with the department’s policies, travel and substance and where appropriate overnight accommodation will be available for other locations.

Application Process:

To apply for this position please complete the online application form, ensuring you include a 250-word statement of suitability against each of the following Success Profile Behaviours (Level 3):

  • Delivering at Pace
  • Working Together
  • Changing and Improving
  • Making Effective Decisions

Further information on Success Profiles and the required standards for this post (Level 3) can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/success-profiles        

Terms & Conditions:

Fixed Term Appointment

This appointment will be made on a fixed term basis, due to the time limited nature of the Reform Programme.

For existing civil servants, whilst the role itself is time limited, at the end of the fixed term period, you will retain your permanent status but will be placed on the re-deployment register. Successful appointment on promotion will secure this grade on a permanent substantive basis.

Secondments and loans will be considered on an individual basis.

Flexible working options

HMCTS offers a flexible working system in many of its offices.

Job sharing and reduced hours

All applications for job sharing or reduced hours will be treated fairly and on a case by case basis in accordance with the MoJ’s flexible working policy and equality policy.

Excess Fares and Relocation Allowances

This job is not eligible for relocation allowances but excess fares may be considered in accordance with MoJs excess fares allowance policy.

Working Arrangements & Further Information

Some of MoJ’s terms and conditions of service are changing as part of Civil Service reform. The changes will apply to staff joining MoJ who are new to the Civil Service. Staff joining MoJ from other civil service employers will transfer onto the new MoJ terms if they are already on 'modernised' terms in their current post or onto 'unmodernised' MoJ terms if they are on 'unmodernised' terms at their current post. Details will be available if an offer is made.

Flexible working hours

The Ministry of Justice offers a flexible working system in many offices.

Benefits

The MoJ offers a range of benefits:

Annual Leave

Annual leave is 25 days on appointment and will increase to 30 days after five years’ service.

There is also a scheme to allow qualifying staff to buy or sell up to three days leave each year. Additional paid time off for public holidays and 1 privilege day. Leave for part-time and job share posts will be calculated on a pro-rata basis.

Pension

The Civil Service offers a choice of pension schemes, giving you the flexibility to choose the pension that suits you best.

Training

The Ministry of Justice is committed to staff development and offers an extensive range of training and development opportunities.

Support

  • A range of ‘Family Friendly’ policies such as opportunities to work reduced hours or job share.
  • Access to flexible benefits such as voluntary benefits,retail vouchers and discounts on a range of goods and services.
  • For any moves across the Civil Service may have implications on your ability to carry on claiming childcare vouchers
  • Paid paternity, adoption and maternity leave.
  • Free annual sight tests for employees who use computer screens.

Networks

The opportunity to join employee-run networks that have been established to provide advice and support and to enable the views of employees from minority groups to be expressed direct to senior management. There are currently networks for employees of minority ethnic origin, employees with disabilities, employees with caring responsibilities, women employees, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees.

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles. Should you feel that the recruitment process has breached the recruitment principles you are able to raise a formal complaint in the following order

1-      To Shared Service Connected Ltd (0845 241 5358 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com);

2-      To Ministry of Justice Resourcing (resourcing-services@justice.gov.uk);

3-      To the Civil Service Commission (details available here)

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity.

There is a guaranteed interview scheme (GIS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

Grading Structure Review

The Ministry of Justice is currently undergoing a review of posts which are currently graded at Band A to realign our grading structure with the majority of the wider Civil Service.

Posts advertised at Band A may be graded at either Grade 6 or Grade 7 once the review has taken place.  

TBC

22/01/2021, 23:55 hours.

If you require any assistance please call 0845 241 5359 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com Please quote the job reference - 40282.
Counter-Terrorism Check (CTC)

To apply for roles in MOJ you will need to confirm your employment history for at least 3 years prior to the date of application so that pre-employment checks (BPSS) can be undertaken. If you have spent significant time abroad (a total of 6 months in the past 3 years) you would be required to give a reasonable account of the reasons why. 

For some roles you will be required to successfully complete National Security Vetting at Counter Terrorism (CTC), Security Clearance (SC) or Developed Vetting (DV) level as a condition of appointment. To meet CTC/SC/DV requirements you will normally need to have been resident in the UK for at least 3/5/10 years prior to the date of application (The level of checks that are required are stated in the advert).

If you do not meet the above requirements, you may still be considered if, for example:

  • You've been serving overseas with HM Forces or in some other official capacity as a representative of HM Government
  • You were studying abroad
  • You were living overseas with parents

In such cases you will need to be able to provide referee cover for the period(s) of residence overseas. The duration of overseas residence and the country of abode will also be taken into account.

Success Profiles will enable a fairer and more inclusive method of recruitment by enabling us to assess the range of experiences, abilities, strengths, behaviours and technical/professional skills required for different roles. This flexible approach to recruitment focuses more on finding the right candidate for the specific role. To find out more about Success Profiles to support your application please click here for further guidance.

In the event that we receive a large volume of applications we reserve the right to conduct the sift based on one lead behaviour. The chosen lead behaviour for this campaign is Delivering at Pace.
if you feel that your application has not been treated in line with the Civil Service Recruitment Principles, please contact SSCL (Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com) in the first instance

We have provided detail of the assessment stages and areas being assessed to help you prepare for completing your application form, and to advise of what will be assessed following this, if you successfully pass the application stage.


Application form stage assessments

Behaviours
Delivering at Pace - 250 word limit
Working Together - 250 word limit
Changing and Improving - 250 word limit
Making Effective Decisions - 250 word limit
A sift based on the lead behaviour, Delivering at Pace, may be held if a large number of applications are received. If a large number of applications remain after the initial sift, your application will be progressed to a full sift, where all behaviours will then be considered.

Interview stage assessments

There is 1 interview stage for this vacancy.
Behaviours
Delivering at Pace
Working Together
Changing and Improving
Making Effective Decisions

A Great Place to Work for Veterans

The "Making the Civil Service a Great Place to work for veterans" initiative includes a guaranteed interview scheme to those who meet the minimum criteria to provide eligible former members of the Armed Forces with opportunities to secure rewarding jobs. Allowing veterans to continue to serve their country, and to bring highly skilled individuals with a broad range of experience into the Civil Service in an environment, which recognises and values your previous service in the Armed Forces.
For further details about the initiative and eligibility requirements visit : https://www.gov.uk/government/news/making-the-civil-service-a-great-place-to-work-for-veterans

Redeployment Interview Scheme

Civil Service departments are expected to explore redeployment opportunities before making an individual redundant. The MoJ are committed, as part of the Redeployment Interview Scheme, to providing opportunities to those who are 'at risk of redundancy'.

MoJ are able to offer an interview to eligible candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns. Candidate's will not be eligible for the Redeployment Interview Scheme if they are applying on promotion.

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

· UK nationals

· nationals of the Republic of Ireland

· nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK

· nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window) https://www.gov.uk/settled-status-eu-citizens-families

· nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)

· individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020

· Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-rules

This Vacancy is closed to applications.