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.

Deputy Private Secretary to the President of the Family Division

Overview

A unique opportunity to work at the heart of family justice providing high quality advice and support directly to the senior judiciary. This role is a key part of a busy and high performing Policy and Private Office team at the centre of Family justice.

As a critical part of a private office team, the postholder will directly support the President of the Family Division (PFD), and Head of the Family Justice System, Sir Andrew McFarlane.

Family justice provides certainty for people who are often at an extremely vulnerable moment in their lives. Our work improves how justice is done in disputes over children, property, or money associated with divorce; during adoption, wardship and other matters involving children; or how decisions are taken for those unable to choose for themselves, such as persistent vegetative state victims. We also have responsibilities for wills and probate especially the Probate Registry of the Family Division in London, and the 11 probate registries in England and Wales.

This role will have direct impact on these vitally important areas. The post holder will become a recognised and visible figure working alongside judges at the heart of the family justice system, and the role will have real impact.

The Role

Within the private office this role will have a number of portfolio areas, projects and subject matter areas.  The postholder will also support the Private Secretary in leading the wider private office in its provision of high-quality policy advice and support to the PFD, deputising for the Private Secretary where necessary.

Other responsibilities and tasks will be varied but will include: producing policy papers and briefing; representing the PFD at meetings; and helping shape the strategic direction of family justice. You will be directly responsible for a number of critical governance boards and executive committees at the most senior level.

To deliver effectively you will be expected to build and maintain a close working relationship with the PFD, helping him to develop his strategy and becoming able to articulate his views to an external audience.

You will become a visible and respected presence within family justice and will maintain strong relationships with peers and senior stakeholders across the Justice system, including within His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS), the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and the Department for Education (DfE). You will offer guidance, support, and appropriate challenge.

As a trusted source of advice, you will be expected to maintain an overview of developments in Family Justice.

The postholder will also work closely with colleagues within Judicial Office and will be expected to ensure that the perspective of family justice is fully taken into account in work that supports the development of the judiciary.

Development is a critical part of this role. It is an ideal jumping off point into wider management and leadership. The combination of private office functions with wider policy work provides significant levels of exposure and a number of opportunities to expand your leadership skills and demonstrate effective delivery.

Main responsibilities

The main responsibilities of the post include, but are not limited, to:

• Underpin the PFD’s leadership of the family judiciary through effective policy advice and administrative and secretariat support. To include:

1. Supporting the PFD's participation in meetings and court visits (e.g. Family Division Liaison Judge meetings, the Family Justice Board and others).
2. Supporting the PFD in managing relations with Government departments, agencies, Parliament, stakeholders and other external bodies.
3. Supporting the PFD's statutory and constitutional functions delegated from the Lord Chief Justice for judicial appointments, discipline and pastoral care.

• Responding to requests for advice and briefing from Press Office on media enquiries and from other parts of the Judicial Office e.g., the Lord Chief Justice’s Private Office.
• Supporting the PFD with judicial appearances before Parliamentary committees.
• Supporting the PFD’s priorities by:

1. engaging with the DfE and MoJ officials to take forward the PFD’s priorities on securing action to drive down the number of public and Private law cases being issued in the Family Court;
2. securing reform to private law cases;
3. supporting judiciary through the Reform Programme;
4. increasing the supply of experts willing to give evidence in the Family Court; and
5. supporting the work of the Transparency Implementation Group.

• Managing secretariat support to judicially led working groups, taking forward work as required.

Skills and Qualifications:

The successful candidate will be organised, strategic and be able to prioritise and handle multiple issues concurrently. They will have excellent and concise communication skills. The post holder must be able to perform independently at a high level.

Part of the enjoyment and challenge of working in a private office is that work is occasionally fast paced and unpredictable. It will be important that the job holder is willing and able to be flexible in the tasks they take on.

The strongest applicants are likely to have proven experience of drafting, committee work, IT skills, communication and influencing skills. Prior experience of working with the judiciary and knowledge of the Family Justice System is desirable but not essential.

Broader team

The Private Office of the PFD is a multi-disciplinary, multi-grade Team of 9 FTE.

The postholder will be expected to have line management responsibilities within the team.

The Judicial Office

The Judicial Office is an Arm’s Length Body of the Ministry of Justice. We are a unique branch of the Civil Service, independent from Government, and dedicated to supporting judges, promoting judicial independence, strengthening the rule of law and improving the administration of justice by supporting the leadership and governance of the judiciary.

As a small organisation we offer distinctive opportunities, we prioritise well-being and development.

https://www.linkedin.com/company/judicial-office/

Person specification

The successful candidate must:

• Be able to influence and manage upwards and speak with authority when dealing with senior officials or judiciary.
• Have excellent communication and leadership skills.
• Have strong organisational skills.

Experience of working with the judiciary would be an advantage but is not essential.

To apply please submit a CV, and a statement of suitability showing how you meet the essential criteria in no more than 500 words. We will also be assessing you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Communicating and influencing
• Working together
• Delivering at pace
• Seeing the big picture

Working hours

One of the opportunities but also a challenge of working in private office is that you will be working directly with senior figures who have extensive demands on their time. You will need on occasion to be flexible in your hours of work to support events and meetings which take outside of core hours. We operate a flexible working time policy and are supportive of each other in making sure that this is achievable.

 

The role offers the chance for domestic travel around England and Wales in support of the PFD and other judges. This may involve staying away from home for occasional nights.

You will have access to a dedicated office space within the historic Royal Courts of Justice, with access to its libraries, café, and discounted staff gym. This reflects that face to face contact is likely to be a regular and necessary part of the role particularly during the working terms of the legal year. Our flexible working policy means that there are also opportunities to work from home.

For more information about the feasibility of any particular working pattern, please speak to the vacancy manager.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/success-profiles, and the sift will assess the behaviours outlined above.

At interview we will be assessing experience, behaviours and strengths.

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, Strengths 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. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is counter-terrorist check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window). 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.