21076 - Head of Change Director’s Office

£42,879 - £69,659 (Salary will depend on location)
1
12 Months
London, National
London, National
102 PETTY FRANCE (MOJ) LONDON, SW1H 9AJ, NATIONAL
Grade 7, Grade 6
A
Fixed Term
Up to 3 years with option to extend
Full Time
Administration / Corporate Support

The national salary will apply unless based in London

Background

Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service is one of government’s largest agencies, employing around 16,000 staff, with a £1.7bn budget, and operating across more than 450 sites across England and Wales. Our Work underpins justice, affecting the lives of millions every year.

We have ambitious plans in place to transform the services we offer to users of the justice system. The government is investing £1bn across our change programmes, updating and replacing its technology, speed up and streamline processes and procedures, refurbish buildings to reduce maintenance costs and provide much improved services for users. The resulting system will be designed around the needs of those who use it, including victims, offenders, legal professionals, claimants and the judiciary.

An effective courts and tribunals service is fundamental to our democracy, underpinning the rule of law. This is a unique opportunity to support and enable a major transformation portfolio, designed not just to give our courts and tribunals a sustainable and affordable future, but to further improve how we deliver justice.

Head of Change Director’s Office, HMCTS Change Directorate

The change portfolio is at the forefront of leading and implementing change in our world-leading justice system. The overall change programme is ambitious and we need resilient, resourceful and adaptable people to make it happen. This is a busy role where the post holder will work closely with senior leaders, be expected to work to deadlines and regularly deal with emerging and rapidly changing priorities, responding quickly to the needs of ministers, the senior judiciary, and officials. The post holder will be responsible for providing high quality, efficient and effective support to their Director across the full range of their duties. Your application will need to demonstrate that you have the drive and experience required to thrive and deliver in an uncertain and constantly changing environment.

The successful candidate will play a pivotal role in driving forward the Director’s key objectives, maintaining a high level awareness of changing priorities and ensuring that they are communicated effectively. You will be required to take forward the Director’s responsibilities, ensuring that priorities and business critical issues are given sufficient time and visibility. The role will require the tracking and monitoring of delivery progress, providing challenge and support to staff at all levels where it falls short. You will be expected to exercise judgement aligned to the Director’s views, negotiate agreements and speak authoritatively on behalf of the Director.

The post holder will need to work effectively with the HMCTS Senior Management Team, ministerial offices and senior teams across MoJ and Whitehall, the senior judiciary and the Judicial Office, as well as external partners and stakeholders, to ensure that HMCTS’s priorities are driven forward and communicated effectively.

You will also lead on the drafting and preparation of complex and priority papers for the HMCTS Board and its sub-committees, the Executive and its sub committees, as well as Ministerial submissions and briefings.

Key interactions and requirements will be to:

  • Manage an effective working relationship with the Director and their senior management team.
  • Foster and manage effective working relationships with all senior managers and key staff within the HMCTS HQ function and in the regions.
  • Work closely with the CEO’s Office, HMCTS Board Secretariat; Ministers’ Private Offices, MoJ Press Offices, Judicial Communications Office and other Directors’ offices.

Key responsibilities

Operational management

  • Resolve complex or difficult issues, dealing with situations as and when they arise and ensuring the operation and reputation of HMCTS is protected as far as possible. This will involve reacting to fast moving unusual situations where the postholder will speak for the Director and ensure the agency/ directorate’s view is promoted.
  • Provision of high quality, timely accurate and clear advice/briefing to the Director and, as required, the senior team, on a wide range of issues. This requires being aware of what is going on right across the agency and so the postholder will need to understand and be able to summarise complex policy and operational issues quickly.
  • Structure the Director’s work programme in order to meet their priorities, tracking progress and delivery against this agenda.
  • Work closely with Directorate’s senior management team to develop/deliver a programme to improve visibility of the change priorities and effective commitment across the portfolio.
  • Ensure systems, practices and procedures operating within the Director’s office reflect a culture of continuous improvement and examples of good practice learnt from others.
  • Ensure corporate responsibilities are carried out in a timely fashion.
  • Effective management of a small team in a fast-paced environment, including management of a Fast Stream post (dependant on allocations).
  • Communicating priorities and commissioning work on behalf of the Director to members of the SMT, project teams and wider HMCTS. Liaising closely with the Communications Director to ensure that the Director’s approach is reflected in the portfolio communications.
  • Working with the Director, Deputy Directors and others to successfully deliver their priorities as a team.
  • Proactively identify, manage and be accountable for minimising the risk to the business arising from change.
  • Lead on identification of risks across the Directorate and support the development of mitigation action plans for those identified.

Financial authority

  • Support assurance on behalf of the Director in discharging their financial delegations across their Directorate
  • Approve expenditure for the Director’s Office.
  • Advise Director on value for money as part of their decision making.

External relations

  • Actively manage media handling issues which arise, working closely with the Press Office to reduce potential damage or impact on HMCTS. Develop and clear lines for HMCTS and ensure that the CEO’s office is fully briefed.
  • Build and maintain relations with key stakeholders and act as a primary contact, facilitating positive working relationships despite difficult relationships. The postholder will need to influence and persuade to ensure the Director’s aims are met.

Representation of the Department

  • Ensure issues are dealt with in line with the Director’s view, exercising judgement on their view in their absence.
  • Act as primary contact between the Director and wider HMCTS, MoJ centre, Ministerial offices, the Directorate of Judicial Offices (DJO) and external stakeholders, whilst ensuring that the Director’s attention is focused on business critical issues.

Policy

  • Drafting of complex and priority submissions and briefings on behalf of the Director, which require minimal amendment due to time pressures.
  • Quality checking and approving of submissions provided to Director.
  • Use relationships, judgment and understanding of the wider context to provide advice on agency activity adding value to the process and substance of decision making. This will involve changes to handling strategies or advice offered to Ministers.
  • Tracking and monitoring performance against work taking place across HMCTS to ensure it is delivering. Providing challenge and support where this is not the case and ensuring that issues are resolved.

Team leadership

  • Line management
  • Actively support the Director as a member of the Senior Management Team and wider organisation.
  • Supporting the SCS in carrying out shared proirities, using influence and persuasion to ensure activities are delivered.

Accountability

  • Reporting directly to the Director.

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.

Essential Skills & Experience

To successful candidate will have a proven track record in the following:

  • The role also requires excellent leadership ability. The successful candidate will be able to lead a successful team through periods of high pressure and a complex workload, and will be highly capable, organised, and confident when motivating others to deliver at pace.
  • Highly motivated self-starter with excellent organisational skills and a proactive nature
  • You will be able to influence others by understanding the needs of the business, the way people work and communicate these effectively through innovative means.
  • You will be confident, resilient, persuasive, resourceful and prepared to learn quickly to deliver high standards.
  • A natural optimist, with a “can do” approach to solving problems and delivering outcomes.
  • Previous experience working with, liaising and support with senior stakeholders up to Director level.
  • Confident working to Ministerial and Senior Judiciary level.
  • Previous experience of using MS Office including: Word, Outlook, Excel and PowerPoint.
  • Excellent communication skills.

Key Civil Service Competencies                         

You will be required to provide evidence of the following key competencies at Level 4 (Grades 6/7) throughout your application:

  • Seeing the bigger picture
  • Making effective decisions
  • Leading and communicating
  • Collaborating and partnering
  • Managing a quality service
  • Delivering at pace

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

Generous allowances for paid holiday starting at 25 days per year, and rising as your service increases. 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 salary sacrifice arrangements for childcare vouchers, and voluntary benefits such as retail vouchers and discounts on a range of goods and services.
  • 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.

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.

Expected 3/10/2018

25/09/2018, 23:55 hours.

Closing Date: 25th September 2018 at 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@sscl.gse.gov.uk Please quote the job reference.

please contact the change_recruitment@justice.gov.uk if you have any questions about this role.

Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS)

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.

Candidate Information

You may be required to provide statements describing your skills and experience relevant to each of the selection criteria. We recommend that you structure any examples as Situation, Task, Action and Result. For more information about the recruitment process and answers to general queries, please click the below link which will direct you to our Candidate Information Page.

Link: https://justicejobs.tal.net/vx/candidate/cms/About%20the%20MOJ

In the event of a large number of applications, we reserve the right to undertake the following processes:


  • An automated online test where a benchmark must be passed to progress;
  • A sift on the lead selection criteria. If this happens, the lead criteria will be the first one listed in the advert.

During the selection process, you may be asked to undertake an additional assessment (such as written test). If this is applicable you will be notified of this when you are invited to interview.



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
Seeing the Big Picture
Making Effective Decisions
Leading and Communicating
Collaborating and Partnering
Managing a Quality Service
Delivering at Pace

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

Interview stage assessments

There is 1 interview stage for this vacancy.

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.