About the job

Job summary

Please refer to Job Description

Job description

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.

Please note there is the possibility of this vacancy becoming a permanent post.

Corporate Governance Lead

SEO (Band B), 37 hours a week

This vacancy is for a SEO role with the Independent Monitoring Boards (IMB) and Lay Observers (LO), a MoJ Arm’s Length Body, providing support to IMB and LO members, who are unremunerated public appointees operating in prisons, immigration detention and court settings in the UK.

Based: 10 South Colonnade, Canary Wharf (current work pattern – hybrid working with at least 2 days in the office though this may be subject to change).

Overview:

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the Independent Monitoring Boards and Lay Observers as the Corporate Governance Lead. This role is based in a team of approximately 35 staff supporting the work of the IMBs and LOs. You will be a motivated, enthusiastic individual committed to providing exceptionally high level of support to staff and members in a fast-paced volunteer environment.

Members of the Independent Monitoring Boards are unpaid public appointees who provide statutory, independent scrutiny of the treatment and care of people in prisons and immigration detention. They are appointed by ministers and operate in prisons and young offender institutions (run by HM Prison and Probation Service - MOJ), in immigration removal centres, various short-term holding facilities and on repatriation flights for those being removed from the UK (run by the Home Office).

Lay Observers are also unpaid public appointees, whose responsibility it is to check on the welfare of detained people in court custody suites and while they are travelling in the care and custody of escort contractors.

Summary:

The postholder will manage the corporate governance of the organisation including providing risk management advice and analysis to the senior leadership team, Management Board, and National Council. They will coordinate and develop the team’s cross-office responsibilities and act as a central liaison point between the staff team and MoJ. The role will also involve line management responsibilities. The postholder will also be expected to be flexible and provide support to other areas of the office if the needs of the business require it. The role will have close contact with the National Chairs of the IMB and LOs and will often be task managed by the CEO. The postholder will report directly into a member of the senior leadership team.

This is a varied role with interconnecting responsibilities, as set out below.

Duties of the Corporate Governance Lead include (but may not be limited to):

You will build positive relationships with colleagues across the staff, membership and the wider MoJ. In addition to the delivery of corporate governance functions, you may be commissioned to manage and deliver additional projects to support and improve IMB and LO processes.

You will work closely with the senior leadership team in order to provide business planning and risk management advice for the IMB and LOs, identifying where there are risks to delivering on the operational and strategic objectives.

In particular you will:

• provide professional oversight of the organisation’s risk position, sitting on the Risk Advisory Group of the IMB Management Board
• analyse and report on relevant risks and issues
• be active in reviewing progress made against business objectives
• advise at IMB and LO Board meetings and delivering on actions set from these Boards
• ensure that cross-business metrics are up to date and developed to show a comprehensive picture of achievements against key performance indicators
• maintain and develop the performance dashboard for the IMB Management Board
• support managers to ensure the business plan informs team plans and personal objectives, providing assistance in measuring success against them
• liaise with the MoJ on matters of administration and independence, providing accurate and up to date information for business assurance meetings.

You will be responsible for corporate governance and assurance, including business continuity. You will take a customer service approach and drive high standards in delivery.

In particular you will:

• act as the Data Protection Officer, ensuring compliance with the FOIA and DPA, the quality assurance of responses and escalation to the senior leadership team if necessary, maintaining an FOIA and Subject Access Request tracker
• take the lead on maintaining and developing the organisation’s knowledge and information management, information assurance, and business continuity arrangements
• assist in providing data protection advice and assurance for discrete projects and procurement
• complete mandatory returns and commissions related to health and safety, security, and governance (and other returns as identified)
• review, develop, and maintain staff policies (and member policies where appropriate), communicating requirements and monitoring application where appropriate
• liaise with the MoJ and 10SC Facilities Manager on cross-office issues/requirements

We are looking for an individual who:

• Takes pride in pioneering, and constantly seeks to learn, develop and improve.
• Has an expectation of professional excellence with high standards and integrity in their work.
• Has risk management and/or data protection expertise, or who has experience in these areas and is dedicated to professional development in both risk management and data protection
• Is energetic and positive, with a can-do approach.
• Can quickly establish mutual respect and trust, and build positive working relationships with colleagues, senior leaders and volunteers.
• Has experience in helping to identify problems before they arise and the knowledge to help mitigate them.
• Has excellent organisational skills, a strong eye for detail, can prioritise effectively, and meet deadlines.
• Can recognise the importance of their role and how it contributes to the wider work of IMB members and Lay Observers.

Essential skills

• Corporate governance experience
• Risk management experience
• Knowledge and information management experience
• Experience of responding to FOI and SAR requests and the legislative requirements

Desirable skills

• Experience of working with volunteers
• Experience of working in prisons or immigration

Behaviours:

• Seeing the big picture
• Communicating and influencing
• Working together
• Changing and improving.

Please provide for the application:

• An up to date CV (not scored)
• A statement of suitability of 750 words outlining how you meet the key criteria
• Evidence of seeing the bigger picture in 250 words (the additional three behaviours will be assessed during interview)

Person specification

Please refer to Job Description

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £45,824, Ministry of Justice contributes £12,784 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.https://justicejobs.tal.net/vx/candidate/cms/About%20the%20MOJ

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

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)
• 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)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) 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 (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.