69893 - Executive Assistant to the Executive Director of the Judicial College

We encourage applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that represents the wider society that we serve. We pride ourselves on being an employer of choice. We champion diversity, inclusion and wellbeing and aim to create a workplace where everyone feels valued and a sense of belonging. To find out more about how we do this visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversity.

Overview

This is an exciting chance to work in the central and fast-paced Chief of Staff Team in the Judicial College. The role provides a unique opportunity to interact with key stakeholders and senior judiciary. Your role will be integral to the efficient running of the College, ensuring that the workload of the Executive Director is managed effectively. The role would suit someone with previous experience in a Personal/Executive Assistant, Business Management or with Private Office experience with strong organisational and communication skills.

Role Description

This role will include providing executive assistant support to the College’s Executive Director (SCS), but also to provide resilience in the support we provide on managing the diaries of the two Directors of Training (who are members of the judiciary). Our team works to ensure that they are in the right place, with the right people, at the right time to support priority outcomes.

Your responsibilities will include:

•    Proactively managing the diary of the Executive Director, resolving conflicting scheduling requests and ensuring their time is managed efficiently;
•    Rearranging and prioritising engagements, considering the sequencing, rhythm and long-term effects of altering appointments in the diary;
•    Corresponding with both College officials and senior judiciary on behalf of the Executive Director; 
•    Thinking ahead and liaising with colleagues to ensure the Executive Director has the papers and information they require and adequate time for reading and consideration;
•    Preparing the Executive Director for their regular organisation-wide meetings;
•    Co-ordinating meetings (including room booking/ensuring appropriate digital arrangements are in place, greeting and escorting of visitors/use of digital lobbies, printing/organising of agenda and meeting papers);
•    Arranging travel and overnight accommodation;
•    Managing the Executive Director’s inbox as necessary, sorting emails as they are received and flagging up urgent work to the appropriate team members for action.
•    Providing wider administrative support such as recruitment and other workforce matters. 

Please note however, the work is not limited to this and will change according to business need.

Although this role will be based in London, the Judicial College also has staff based in Loughborough, Leeds and Glasgow and some travel to the difference offices may be required for staff engagement purposes. 

You will also be a proactive and flexible member of the Strategy, Governance & Change team, contributing to the overall impact and professionalism of the team, including undertaking any other duties reasonably requested by line management which are commensurate with the grade and level of responsibility of this post.

Overview of the team structure

The Chief of Staff Team support the Executive Director and the senior leadership of the College to deliver against their corporate roles and responsibilities. And you will have the opportunity to assist in some of these areas: recruitment, business continuity, reward and recognition and any other areas required by the business. Once you are settled in the role there will be the opportunity to develop further by taking on other corporate responsibilities. 

The Chief of Staff Team sit within the Strategy, Governance & Change team in the Judicial College. This is a key central team that supports the Senior Leadership of the College including the Executive Director, the two Directors of Training (senior judges from the Courts and Tribunals who are on secondment to the College) and the governing structure of the College. The team provides secretariat support to the College Board and second-tier committees, administers new membership of the committees and College judicial training teams and develops policies that underpin the governance, strategy, accountability and direction of new training initiatives for the College. 

The Judicial College

The principal role of the Judicial College is to support the Lord Chief Justice and the Senior President of Tribunals in fulfilling their responsibilities for training the judiciary in an ever-evolving justice system. Working with the College Board, the Judicial College supports these senior members of the judiciary in setting the direction for training and ensuring the right support is in place to provide advice on the design and delivery of training, develop innovative digital systems to support delivery and that seminars are well organised. 

Judicial College is part of Judicial Office (JO), an arm’s length body of the Ministry of Justice. Our purpose is to strengthen the rule of law and improve the administration of justice, through the delivery of essential training for the judiciary in courts and tribunals, as well as a framework of training for magistrates. 

We are a unique branch of the civil service, independent from Government, dedicated to supporting the judiciary and promoting judicial independence, to maintain confidence in the rule of law. The Judicial Office reports to, and is accountable to, the Lord Chief Justice and was set up in 2006 to provide support to him and to the wider judiciary following the Constitutional Reform Act 2005. In addition, we support, and are accountable to, the Senior President of Tribunals, whose responsibilities extend to Scotland and Northern Ireland. We support some 22,000 judicial office holders, providing policy, legal and handling advice and operational support.

Essential Skills and Experience 

The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate:

•    Excellent organisational skills with keen attention to detail.
•    Ability to work flexibly, manage conflicting demands and swiftly reprioritise so that sudden changes do not adversely impact on delivery.
•    Ability to communicate clearly and build effective working relationships with internal/external colleagues and judiciary.
•    Strong MS Office skills, including proficiency in the use of Outlook, plus other collaborative tools such as Teams.

Previous PA/diary management experience is desirable but not essential.

Behaviours 

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

•    Changing and Improving
•    Making Effective Decisions 
•    Managing a Quality Service
•    Working Together

If a high volume of applications are received, we will sift on the lead competency ‘Making Effective Decisions’.

Further info

This is a full-time role. The post-holder will be based at our London office (Royal Courts of Justice). We operate on a flexible working basis and Judicial Office staff are currently required to attend the office at least 40% of their working week. However, the job holder should expect to be physically present in the office when our Executive Director is on site. 

Any other questions

Please feel free to contact the Chief of Staff of the Judicial College should you have any questions or require any further information about this post before applying. 

If you have any questions about the role specifically, please contact Kimberley Barling - Chief of Staff at the Judicial College (Kimberley.Barling@judiciary.uk) who will be able to discuss further with you. 

If you require any assistance please call 0345 241 5359 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com Please quote the job reference - 69893.