26588 - Policy Manager - Coroners, Burials, Cremations & Inquiries Policy Team
This is an exciting opportunity to undertake a key role in a fascinating, sensitive and often high profile area of the Ministry of Justice’s portfolio.
The Coroners, Burials, Cremations and Inquiries Policy Team is a busy and often fast paced environment. Much of the work is reactive, dealing with short-notice requests for briefing on high-profile cases and policy issues that receive media coverage, as well as a significant number of PQs, and considerable statutory casework on behalf of the Secretary of State/Lord Chancellor. Coroner, burial, cremation, and inquiries law and policy can be very technical areas, and it is the team’s role to offer accurate and informed advice to Ministers and stakeholders.
The post combines leading on some policy areas and supporting others, and line management responsibilities when required.
Key task
Policy project work
- Assisting senior colleagues with policy development and taking forward specific policy initiatives/projects as required including:
- Drafting and proofing project documents including leading on correspondence, such as responses to the Home Affairs Committee;
- Contributing to proposals for solving policy issues;
- Acting as the main contact for OGDs;
- Arranging, participating in and recording stakeholder meetings;
- Applying project management techniques to the planning and monitoring of progress and delivery
Ongoing policy work
- Acting as the main point of contact on other key policy areas on coroner, burial, cremation and inquiry issues
- Providing written and oral briefing for Ministers and senior officials
- Drafting PQ responses and replies to Freedom of Information requests as well as clearing lines for MCs, TOs and other correspondence; dealing with telephone queries
Leadership and line management
- Providing support to the casework team as necessary, ensuring they are clear about what is required and are kept informed of key developments (which may include direct line management of Band D staff)
- Quality assuring work, ensuring deadlines are met and management information systems are kept updated
- Undertaking appraisal/performance responsibilities and providing appropriate development opportunities as appropriate
Skills & Qualifications
Essential skills/expertise
- Excellent written and oral communication/interpersonal skills
- Strong stakeholder management skills
- Ability to interpret and apply legislation appropriately
- Ability to be self-starting, to prioritise competing demands and to work proactively in a small team
- Ability to take responsibility for solving problems and using those solutions to develop and improve your own and the team’s ways of working
- Strong user of Word, Excel and Outlook
You will be required to provide evidence of the following Competencies
Leading and communicating:
- Take opportunities to regularly communicate and interact with staff, helping to clarify goals and activities and the links between these and Departmental strategy
- Communicate in a succinct, engaging manner and stand ground when needed
- Communicate using appropriate styles, methods and timing, including digital channels, to maximise understanding and impact
Delivering at pace
- Successfully manage, support and stretch self and team to deliver agreed goals and objectives
- Take responsibility for delivering expected outcomes on time and to standard, giving credit to teams and individuals as appropriate
- Plan ahead but reassess workloads and priorities if situations change or people are facing conflicting demands
- Regularly monitor own and team’s work against milestones or targets and act promptly to keep work on track and maintain performance
Seeing the big picture
- Be alert to emerging issues and trends which might impact or benefit own and team’s work
- Develop an understanding of own area’s strategy and how this contributes to Departmental priorities
Collaborating and partnering:
- Establish relationships with a range of stakeholders to support delivery of business outcomes
- Readily share resources to support higher priority work, showing pragmatism and support for the shared goals of the organisation
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 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.
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.
Eligibility
Staff on fixed term appointments must have been recruited through fair and open competition.
05/06/2019, 23:55 hours.
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.
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.