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.

Job Title	Head of Branston Operations
Band	Grade 7
Business Group	Chief Operating Officer Group
Directorate	Security & Information Group
Team	Information Services Division
Location	Branston, Burton Upon Trent or Jarrow
Last Updated	04/09/2024

ABOUT US

Excellent Information and records management is knowing what information you have across an organisation and having the right information available at the right time by those who need it. Being good at this is vital for any organisation as information plays an integral role in delivering day to day business, underpins policy and operational delivery, ensures legal obligations are met and safeguards the corporate record for use by civil servants in the future and the need for transparency with the public.

Branston Operations, encompassing the offender subject access request (SAR) and records management teams, are based in the Information Services Division, within the Ministry of Justice ‘s (MoJ’s) Security & Information Group. 

Our purpose is that we will disclose the right information, to the right people, at the right time, by responding to offender SARs and records retrieval.

The team is responsible for processing approximately 6,000 SARs per annum and managing circa 2 million records.  The work is high profile, with tight legislative timelines to meet.

We aim to put users at the centre and strive to continually improve our systems and processes in response to feedback.  We are moving forward with a programme of transformation to ensure that we deliver a high-quality service, to the appropriate standard and to the appropriate timescales, whilst supporting staff wellbeing and development.  This is an ambitious programme of change over the coming years and the role is critical in shaping its success.

The team works collaboratively with His Majesty’s Prisons and Probation Service (HMPPS) and Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) as our key partners in delivery and stakeholder engagement.  

You will be joining the Knowledge and Information Management profession at a very exciting time as this transformation is underway in MoJ and across government.

HEAD OF OPERATIONS ROLE

We are looking to fill an interesting and stretching role in our operational delivery team within the Security and Information group in MoJ.  This is an opportunity to be part of a delivery team which is undergoing transformation of its services.

Regular travel between operational sites will be required.

Responsibilities:

Operational Management - Embedding strong operational management within your team – scoping, managing/ tracking deliverables, managing risks and resources effectively, and ensuring that accountable decision making is well managed through effective governance.  Sets out clear processes and standards for delivery, ensuring delivery of timely, high-quality outcomes. Ensures adherence to legal, regulatory and security requirements across area.  Motivate and effectively performance manage staff to ensure delivery of overall targets and business plan.

Contracting and Delivery – contract and work with delivery partners to establish effective outcomes, with the aim of improving service delivery.

Transformation - The ability to think of, research and apply new ideas and ways of doing things. Encourages and supports innovations from others, is willing to experiment and follow ideas through to implementation.  Identifying, highlighting and actioning further opportunities for services and process improvements.  The continuous identification and implementation of operational best practice through interaction with the wider team.

Team Leadership - Act as the champion for the team, taking ultimate authority and personal accountability for effective delivery across all workstreams. Provide clear leadership and strategic direction to the team and senior managers.  The ability to plan, lead and effect positive cultural change, securing commitment and buy-in and promoting a positive long-term vision.  To have a well-defined Communication and Engagement model in place to ensure all teams understand the performance of the business and that you understand the teams’ needs.

Knowledge management - Identify, share and promote best practices and lessons learned to create a culture of learning and good practice that supports continuous improvement to optimise delivery. Lead on litigation for the unit and ensure that lessons are learnt from stakeholder and customer feedback.  Responsible for the development of the operational talent pool by optimising the skills of the existing team and attracting the very best external talent.  Succession planning will be in place to ensure key roles are filled and individual talent is recognised.

Stakeholder engagement - Systematically identify, analyse and communicate with stakeholders, using appropriate channels, to ensure unit outputs (including guidance) and other communications are high quality.  This is a dynamic, high-profile role that requires the post holder to have excellent communication skills, analytical skills and attention to detail enabling them to provide succinct submissions and verbal briefings to senior managers in the Department. There is also a need for clear and courteous communications with our external customers and the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and to take forward litigation cases.

Any other duties, as required by business need, commensurate with grade.

Person specification and essential criteria

• Extremely strong operational leadership and management experience is essential to be a success in this role.

• Creates and presents a compelling vision and set clear direction, that motivates others to work towards a common goal.
• Promotes the wider public good in all actions and leads by example, encompassing the Civil Service Code of Conduct and MoJ values in everything they do. Challenges unacceptable behaviour.
• Engages, motivates and coaches others.
• Acts as a role model, inspiring and empowering others.
• Creates an open and honest culture
• Actively promotes personal development of their team.
• Adapts to changing circumstances and adverse situations whilst remaining calm, reassuring others and maintaining performance.
• Ensures everyone clearly understands and owns their roles, responsibilities and business priorities, and is supported to do their job.
• Ability to demonstrate achievement of results e.g. business improvements, cost savings, performance management.
• Excellent leadership, people management, communication and influencing skills at a senior level, including writing submissions and business cases.
• Ability to translate business strategy into day-to-day delivery.
• Budget experience.
• Setting and reviewing quality performance standards.
• Ability to build, maintain, manage and influence key stakeholders.
• We are particularly interested in candidates who have experience of data protection, or candidates who are willing to learn this area of work and have a keen interest in it.
• We are keen to meet inclusive leaders who are experienced in supporting teams to be flexible, responsive and effective even when under pressure.

Behaviours

• Leadership
• Managing a quality service
• Seeing the bigger picture
• Making effective decisions
• Changing and improving

Person specification

Please refer to Job Description

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £54,358, Ministry of Justice contributes £15,165 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. 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.