27637 - Assistant Private Secretary to the Senior Presiding Judge

Assistant Private Secretary to the Senior Presiding Judge

The Judicial Office is looking to recruit a high calibre candidate to fill the post of Assistant Private Secretary to the Senior Presiding Judge (SPJ). This is a business-critical post, working at the heart of the Judicial Office, where the post-holder will need to manage conflicting priorities and use their initiative on a daily basis. The role is demanding, fast paced and varied, offering significant scope for personal development and stretch. The post-holder will be required to advise the SPJ and other senior judges on sensitive issues confidently, and based on robust evidence. Discretion is important in this role given the focus on the operation of HMCTS, court and tribunal performance and high-profile policy and operational areas.

The Judicial Office was established in 2006 following the implementation of the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 which made the Lord Chief Justice (LCJ) the Head of the Judiciary. The LCJ’s specific responsibilities include representing the views of the judiciary of England and Wales to Parliament, the Lord Chancellor and ministers generally; maintaining arrangements for the welfare, training and guidance of the judiciary; and maintaining arrangements for the deployment of judges and the allocation of work within the courts. The role of the Judicial Office is to support the LCJ in carrying out these responsibilities. Where those responsibilities have been delegated to other members of the judiciary, the Judicial Office supports them directly. For more information see www.judiciary.gov.uk.

The SPJ’s responsibilities and remit include:

• providing support, leadership and guidance for courts judiciary, particularly to leadership judges;
• acting as ‘Chief of Staff’ for the LCJ, dealing with the day–to–day issues affecting the judiciary, across a wide-ranging field including security, appointments, and estates issues;
• the effective and efficient operation of the courts, including regular meetings with those involved in the work of the courts, and working with judges to understand and improve performance.

The SPJ is supported in this capacity by a Private Office, which forms part of the Judicial Office and is based at the Royal Courts of Justice. The Private Office provides administrative, legal, operational and policy support to the SPJ and the Deputy SPJ. The Private Office supports the SPJ in her pastoral responsibilities, in resolving complaints and disciplinary matters and in providing support and guidance for leadership judges.

The post-holder will be required to work collaboratively as part of a team , drawing links with colleagues as work affects teams across the Judicial Office.

Main activities/responsibilities:

The successful candidate will be required to undertake the following duties and responsibilities:

• Acting as an effective Secretariat for various high-level committee meetings. Taking responsibility for ensuring that agenda items are agreed with the chair well in advance of meetings, tracking and chasing actions, and assuring papers and minutes are circulated in a timely fashion.
• Providing advice and quality assuring submissions to the SPJ relating to appointments, communications, judicial policy and operational activities.
• Leading on preparations for meetings between the SPJ and senior stakeholders, including briefing the SPJ where appropriate.
• Ability to act as an ambassador for the SPJ, communicating with senior stakeholders with accuracy and sensitivity towards views/concerns/questions as required.
• Undertaking ad hoc requests as required to support the SPJ, managing conflicting priorities often with tight deadlines.

Person Specification:
Given close working with very senior members of the judiciary, senior officials across Government, and a wide range of other stakeholders, the post holder will be expected to be able to communicate exceptionally clearly, both orally and in writing. The successful candidate must be able to demonstrate excellent organisational and inter-personal skills, whilst managing a very busy inbox. The role is fast-paced, challenging, and stimulating, offering significant scope for personal development and stretch. The post-holder will be required to manage conflicting priorities, regularly provide confident advice on sensitive issues based on robust evidence. The post-holder will be required to work collaboratively as part of a team of ten, drawing links with colleagues across the Judicial Office and HMCTS as necessary. The ability to build and maintain resilient relationships against shifting priorities and a demanding workload is important.

The support provided by judicial Private Offices involves working before and after court. Some early mornings and late evenings can be expected, though every effort will be made to accommodate flexibility where necessary.

If you require any assistance please call 0845 241 5359 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@sscl.gse.gov.uk Please quote the job reference - 27637.

If you require any further information about the role, please email SPJOffice@judiciary.uk.