62619 - Head of Judicial Office Holder Appointments, and Improvements

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Role title:

Head of Judicial Office Holder Appointments, and Improvements

Team/Directorate:

Judicial HR Team – HR Operations  

Overview of the Organisation:

Are you looking for a new challenge in the operational field? Do you want to lead a team, and work for a great organisation where your skills and experience will be valued?  You’ve come to the right place! 

The Judicial Office is a small organisation (c200 people) which works in support of the Lord Chief Justice and Senior President of Tribunals. The team also supports and advises the advisory committees who carry out key functions in relation to the magistracy, on behalf of the Lord Chancellor.

More generally, the Judicial Office is a very collegiate place to work and there are opportunities to get involved in a range of things, be it by becoming a member of the Shadow Board, joining the Learning & Development Group or work-shadowing colleagues. 

Summary of the role:

This is an excellent opportunity for you to lead a team and improve a service in an area of importance to the Judicial Office and wider Ministry of Justice.  You will be a dynamic leader, who is able to identify inefficiencies, blockages and implement new ways of working within a system.

Ensuring judicial office holders are appointed to the right place at the right time is a prestigious, high profile and customer focused environment for our judicial appointments team.

Reporting to the Head of Judicial HR Operations the Head of Judicial Office Holder Appointments and Improvements role will work in partnership with the current Head of Judicial Office Holder Appointments and HR Operations Relationship Manager to deliver a first class appointments system for the judiciary.   The individual will be expected to cover any urgent work areas that arise during the absence of the Head of Judicial Office Holder Appointments.

Whilst you will be working jointly to deliver a seamless appointments system for the judiciary across the Courts, Tribunals and Magistracy your role will have a focus on creating an onboarding service for the Senior Presiding Judge and Deputy Senior Presiding Judge and the Lord Chancellor in relation to their responsibilities for the appointment of Magistrates and advisory committee members, ensuring that the right candidates are appointed, at the right time and place. 

We are looking for a confident leader who will be able to lead a programme of work, bring their expertise to bear in providing direction, pace and improvements to the everchanging Magistrates’ recruitment and retention landscape; unblocking and resolving issues.

Responsibilities, Activities & Duties:

This role will have a focus on improving customer service, quality assurance and continuous improvement across the HR Operations team.

The postholder will be responsible for: 

·       Reviewing processes within the appointments team and the technological support underpinning the appointments service to improve ways of working, efficiency and the service to customers. 

·       Developing a high quality and positive customer service where customers and stakeholders have regular opportunities to improve the quality of the service. 

·       Working with MOJ and HMCTS and JO colleagues to improve the technology supporting the recruitment programme.

·       Embedding continuous improvement within the HR Ops team, using quantitative information to inform decision making.

·       Implementation of new ways of working to business as usual, whilst balancing the demands on the team.

They will additionally be responsible for :

·       Developing a joint way of working with the Head of Judicial Officer Holder Appointments and the HR Operations Relationship Manager that ensures a seamless systematic approach, providing clarity for Judicial Office Holders, and the department through collaborative working and a detailed shared knowledge of the whole appointments system in order to deliver seamless senior leadership across all appointments in the courts, tribunals and magistracy.

Specifically, the postholder will be responsible for:    

·       Leading on the delivery of the appointment of magistrates within the timeframe set out in policy. 

·       Leading on advising the senior judiciary and the Lord Chancellor on appointments to the Magistracy, advisory committee appointments.

·       Overseeing the provision of transactional recruitment services to key stakeholders, in particular 23 Advisory Committees on justices of the peace.

·       Providing advice to senior judiciary and the Lord Chancellor on the removal of magistrates on grounds on competence or removal of advisory committee members.

·       Attend any high level Working Groups or meetings in respect of  Magistrates’ with senior judiciary and stakeholders.

·       Working collaboratively with the Head of MIII Team to ensure quality responses to Freedom of Information Requests, Ministerial Correspondence and Parliamentary Questions within departmental deadlines.

To provide leadership and management direction to the team of 13 ensuring that the team is working to its greatest potential.

Behaviours (for Recruitment/Success Profiles):

Behaviours

Seeing the Big Picture

Changing and Improving

Managing a quality service

Leadership

Communicating and Influencing

If large volumes of applications are received the sift will focus on Managing a Quality Service 

Essential Knowledge, Experience and Skills:

·       Experience of people operations particularly recruitment and managing a customer focused service.

·       Management experience at senior management level.

·       Excellent stakeholder management skills.

·       Change and Continuous Improvement experience.

·       Confident decision maker, able to work independently and as part of a team.

·       Identifies improvements: Ability to identify areas of improvement and create innovative approaches to delivering better quality services and products.

·       Innovation: Innovatively driving change to continue to improve the knowledge and skillset across the team and the ongoing support to the judiciary. 

Desirable Knowledge, Experience and Skills: 

·       Knowledge of the work of the magistracy. 

·       Experience of working with Judicial Office Holders and knowledge of the judiciary. 

Security clearance required:

CTC