12921 - Head of Profession - Delivery
PLEASE PROVIDE A CV AND COVER LETTER AS ONE DOCUMENT WHEN APPLYING FOR THIS ROLE
Head of Profession - Delivery
We are looking for a Head of Profession - Delivery based in the new Digital Services Division at our London HQ to help deliver new and improved digital services right across the MoJ, our agencies and public bodies.
A successful candidate will have considerable years of experience managing delivery teams as part of a user-centred design process, and have delivered software in an agile environment.
To achieve this, the individual is required to work with other heads of profession, to effectively implement agile delivery methodology choices (eg scrum) and balance timely project delivery with the people and tools available within the team, maintaining focus on product quality (of both code and meeting/exceeding user needs & expectations).
Building a strong delivery management community will be essential to achieving this. They will build and maintain a culture of sharing and learning amongst delivery managers, ensuring the team is the best delivery management team in a government department and is always improving.
This role requires strong interpersonal skills, the ability to communicate across the department’s disciplines, lead on and create strategies to increase quality and efficiency. They must also have the ability to help resolve delivery issues that arise within the teams, through identifying the required expertise or solution, and managing the implementation of this with relevant clan heads and service managers.
They are expected to be an advocate for the Ministry of Justice Digital Services, promoting our principles and successes with others in government and industry.
They will also share our delivery management approach and experience with other Ministry of Justice directorates and other government departments to improve wider government delivery and methodology.
About the MoJ Digital
We're looking for talented and tenacious people to join our digital team in London, to take the lead in creating world-class services in the justice system. Our aim is to make the justice system easier to use - with the help of the latest digital technology, and by relentlessly focusing on user needs, following the Digital by Default standard. We have around 150 people, with experts in web development, design and user research, and work with around 50 organisations, including the courts service and GDS.
We use cutting-edge agile software development approaches to make rapid but meaningful improvements to public services that live up to the unique challenges of MOJ's responsibility to society. We make digital services so good that anyone who can use them will prefer to use them. And our work doesn't end there; we improve the experiences of those who are digitally excluded. And work with other areas of MoJ to introduce agile, user-focused ways of working.
To find out more about who we are and what we’ve delivered, visit our team blog.
Responsibilities
Build and maintain the best delivery management team in a government department
Key areas of responsibility:
- Pan-MoJ DIgital & Technology community
- Individual's development within MoJ Digital
- Advocacy of MOJ Digital and agile
Pan-MoJ DIgital & Technology community
Set standard for agile delivery management quality across MOJ Digital & Technology
Ensure longevity and value for taxpayers by maintaining a team of at least 75% civil service employees
Manage recruitment of permanent and contract delivery managers ensuring good practices and fit
Ensure MOJ Digital & Technology principles and values are upheld and advocated by the delivery management team
Build strong clan culture ensuring knowledge, experience and methods are shared across the team so we learn and improve rapidly
Identify learning opportunities for the team, organising external speakers or training to ensure the team remain an exemplar of agile delivery practices
Manage relationship with X-government agile delivery community sharing and re-applying skills and knowledge and bringing in best practice
Build MOJ agile delivery capability by developing associate delivery managers and building strong shared understanding of agile delivery practices within Digital Services
Address and resolve common delivery pain points experienced by teams, working with other heads of profession and the continuous improvement group where necessary
Work closely with Digital portfolio manager, Service Managers and other heads of profession to ensure optimum utilisation of talent across the division
Individual’s development
Measure individuals capability across the team, ensuring under-performance is addressed promptly and effectively and exceptional performance is acknowledged and rewarded
Define development strategy for Civil Service delivery managers to ensure they are always challenged to improve and rewarded for doing so
Ensure that geographically distributed delivery teams associated with MOJ Digital are included in the community and culture of HQ-based teams
Advocacy of Digital and agile
Build collaboration opportunities across MOJ and other government departments
Build profile of Digital and agile delivery practices and value across MOJ, building relationships with other divisions and speaking at their events
Build profile of Digital and agile delivery practices and value across government, playing an active role in the X-government agile delivery community
Build profile of MOJ Digital Services outside government, attending and speaking at events; in particular to promote our working environment to attract talent
Advocating Digital Services delivery via blog posts and social media
Skills and Experience
Essential
Experience in project or delivery management roles and leading teams responsible for delivery
Experience of experience of leading planning, from high level to detailed sprint-level, prioritising the work that needs to be done against the capacity and capability of the team
In-depth knowledge and experience of using agile delivery methods as well as matrix-management of multidisciplinary teams
Excellent understanding of user-centered design practices and incorporating this into agile software delivery approach
Excellent written and verbal communication
Self-motivated, detail-oriented, and able to manage multiple priorities simultaneously
Experience working directly with Research, Design, Software, Content and Product team members
Experience managing optimum talent utilization across a team, balancing with quality project delivery
Experience working with and influencing senior stakeholders to ensure smooth project delivery whilst giving space to teams to deliver using agile methodologies
A trusted member of the management team who is a natural sounding board and escalation point for problems, both from those within the delivery clan as well as from other professions
Desirable
Detailed knowledge of the Digital by Default service standard and requirements for passing service assessments
Good understanding of MOJ’s and government structure, with contacts across the department and GDS to aid unblocking problems in delivery
Scrum-master or other agile delivery certification
Please note - there are no competencies required for this vacancy, interviews will be skill based questions.
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.
25/09/2017, 23:55 hours.
Closing Date: 25th September 2017 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.
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.
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
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.