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.

Lead Policy Advisor, Priority Projects Team

Grade 7 (up to two roles available)

Strategy and Innovation Directorate

The Strategy and Innovation Directorate (S&I) is recruiting permanently for two Grade 7 Lead Policy Advisor roles. 

Location

Successful candidates will have the option to be based at one of the following locations:
1.    102 Petty France, London 
2.    5 Wellington Place, Leeds 
Occasional travel between Leeds and London may be required.  

Ways of Working

At the MoJ we believe in and promote alternative ways of working, these roles are available as:
•    Full-time, part-time or the option to job share
•    Flexible working patterns
•    Flexible working arrangements between base locations, MoJ Hubs and home.
At the moment, the majority of staff are working flexibly between their office base and home, with at least two days per week in their office base.  

If we receive applications from more suitable candidates than we have vacancies for at this time, we may hold suitable applicants on a reserve list for 12 months, and future vacancies requiring the same skills and experience could be offered to candidates on the reserve list without a new competition.

We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce and pride ourselves as being an employer of choice. To find out more about how we champion diversity and inclusion in the workplace, visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversity 

Job Description overview 

Lead Policy Advisors play a central role in leading project-based policy work. We are looking for motivated, resilient and adaptable individuals who are able to get to grips with new subject areas quickly to deliver high quality projects in collaboration with teams across MoJ.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ)

MoJ is one of the largest government departments, employing around 70,000 people (including those in the Probation Service), with a budget of approximately £9 billion. Each year, millions of people use our services across the UK - including at 500 courts and tribunals, and 133 prisons in England and Wales.

What we do

The Priority Projects Team (PPT) is a high-profile, friendly and supportive team working at the heart of the MoJ’s strategy function.  We act as an in-house consultancy, working across the MoJ’s policy agenda, helping the department to deliver its highest priorities.  We do this by delivering short policy or internal consultancy projects to the highest standards. 
 
Each project is unique, fast-paced and exciting.  Members of PPT typically work in small project teams lasting from a few weeks up to six months, working closely with policy and functional leads across the organisation.  Sometimes PPT members may work directly in another policy team to undertake project work.  Recently our projects have included working on victim’s policy, criminal legal sector, problem solving court options, and justice and the economy. 

Further information can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice 

Lead Policy Advisor – the role

Lead Policy Advisors play a central role in leading project-based policy work. We are looking for motivated, resilient and adaptable individuals who are able to get to grips with new subject areas quickly to deliver high quality projects in collaboration with teams across MoJ.

You will need to be able to get to grips with new subject areas quickly. You will have strong analytical and problem-solving skills and are able to communicate complex ideas clearly.  You will need to be confident working independently and comfortable working with ambiguity, leading the delivery of complex and challenging policy projects across the MoJ’s policy responsibilities.  

You will be responsible for the initiation, development and delivery of project-based policy work within the context of the MoJ strategy and political direction of the department, and within tight resourcing constraints. You will often be leading a small project team and will need to have strong leadership and management skills. You will be responsible for ensuring that there are clear roles and responsibilities and for supporting individuals to thrive in their roles. You will need to be confident in managing relationships with senior stakeholders, providing the strategic overview for a project whilst ensuring day-to-day milestones are met.  You will ensure good communication with project sponsors throughout projects

The role will give you the opportunity to work with senior stakeholders across MoJ as well as other government departments and will usually involve engagement with the ministerial team and private offices.  You will need to develop and maintain effective relationships with a range of stakeholders within Government, including ministers, special advisors, legal, analytical and operational colleagues.

You will be part of the Extended PPT Senior Management Team, adopting a leadership role across PPT and feeding into discussions on performance of those colleagues you directly line manage as well as others on the team. You will have line management responsibility for up to three Band B / Senior Executive Officers. We work in a matrix management structure and you will manage individuals outside your line management on projects. This will involve working closely with your peers to support the development of individuals in the team.

Alongside your core role, you will be expected to take a leading role in corporate projects that contribute to shaping the culture and development of the team, such as wellbeing, diversity & inclusion, recruitment, or learning and development. to underpin how we work as a team and contribute to MoJ as a whole. 

You will have access to many training opportunities on a range of topics, for example: leadership and coaching, effective writing, stakeholder engagement and partnership working.

Skills and Experience

•    Make effective decisions – you will have strong problem-solving skills, bringing structure to complex policy issues and able to draw sound conclusions, drawing on a range of evidence and analysis to deliver high-quality, innovative and inclusive policy advice.  This will include working with quantitative and qualitative data to develop a robust evidence base.

•    Lead and engage- you will be an open and engaging leader, committed to building an inclusive and high-performing culture within the team, setting strategic direction and supporting your direct reports through coaching.   You will have a focus on personal development and wellbeing, playing an active leadership and management role across your team, directorate and the MoJ.  

•    Work collaboratively – you will have excellent stakeholder engagement skills and the ability to build and maintain strong relationships, and influence across the department and beyond to ensure that the work of your team has maximum impact. You will be open to challenge and able to effectively navigate conflicting priorities. 

•    Deliver at pace – you will have strong prioritisation skills and the ability to make effective decisions on how to structure projects to make best use of your resources. You will have the ability to impose structure on complex problems, allocate scarce resources in the context of the department’s strategy and political direction, and set-up and lead teams and bring colleagues together to reach your end goal.

•    Communicate complex ideas clearly – understanding and articulating complex issues to senior stakeholders and ministers, drawing on your understanding of the bigger picture to ensure communications are clear, concise, effective and relevant, and taking into account political sensitivities.

Application process

You will need to submit an anonymised CV and Statement of Suitability as part of your application.  

Your CV should be no more than 2 pages long and should show us your work history and previous experience.  It should be well structured, succinct and written in clear language.

Your statement of suitability should be no more than 750 words and should set out why you want this role and why your skills and experience make you a good fit.  Consider giving examples that cover all the requirements and use work you have completed to demonstrate your experience. Please structure your statement as a coherent narrative, rather than a series of disconnected examples. 

You will be assessed against the Civil service success profiles framework at interview stage, with a focus on your experience and the following behaviours:

•    Making effective decisions
•    Leadership
•    Communicating and influencing
•    Working together

Please also refer to the CS Behaviours framework for more details at this grade (Grade 7):
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/717275/CS_Behaviours_2018.pdf

Candidates invited to Interview 

You will be required to give a five minute presentation at interview.  Details of this will be sent to those candidates who are invited for interview.  

Please note that interviews may be carried out remotely. 

During the interview, we will be assessing you on your Experience and Behaviours from the Success Profiles framework.

Interviews are expected to take place in January/February 2024.

At interview stage, if candidates do not score high enough to be appointed to a Grade 7 role, but have passed the minimal requirements, they could be offered a Policy role at the more junior level.

The MoJ is proud to be Level 3 Disability Confident. Disability Confident is the approach through which we offer guaranteed interviews for all people with disabilities meeting the minimum criteria for the advertised role as set out in the job description.

Contact information

Please do get in touch if you would like to know more about the role or what it is like working in our team.

Fraser Morris (fraser.morris@justice.gov.uk) 

The hiring manager will be hosting two candidate awareness sessions where they will explain what the role entails and answer any questions. The sessions will be held on Microsoft Teams and are planned for:

• 5th January 2024 – 2-3pm (Meeting link HERE)
• 8th January 2024 – 2-3pm (Meeting link HERE)

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 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.