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.

Overview 

Join over 79,000 staff at the Ministry of Justice and help us make a positive and meaningful impact to the lives of thousands of people and the environment.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is a major government department at the heart of the justice system where we work to protect and advance the principles of justice. The MoJ has one of the most diverse and complex estates in Government – covering a property portfolio including Prisons, Probation centres and approved premises, courts as well as the offices of the HQ and Arms Length Bodies. 
In this role, you will be part of a 30-strong multi-disciplinary Climate Change and Sustainability Unit (CCSU). Our mission is to develop, deliver and embed key MoJ and wider Government sustainability programmes throughout our entire estate. We aspire to be a sustainability leader within Whitehall, and to do this we are seeking passionate, motivated people to lead and deliver meaningful and impactful environmental outcomes nationally. This is a great opportunity to cultivate an interesting and rewarding career in environmental sustainability while working with a dynamic and supportive team.

The MoJ is continuously dedicated to building staff capability and promoting staff wellbeing, with aspirations to be the best that we can be as individuals and as a directorate. We offer a range of development opportunities including accredited training courses, a work-life balance that works for you, a generous pension and staff discount voucher schemes.

Role overview

Do you want to be part of an energetic, innovative team and bring your skills to one of the biggest changes to the administration of the Civil Service in decades? We’re looking for people who are flexible, intuitive and are comfortable taking high levels of volume, speed and complexity in their stride. An exciting new sustainability role has come up in the MoJ Climate Change and Sustainability Unit to support the newly formed Synergy Programme, a cross-departmental group formed in response to Government Business Service’s request for individual departments to group together in ‘clusters’ to drive efficiencies, increase buying power and improve the quality of shared service to our end users – our people. 

The Synergy Programme is the largest of five departmental clusters, comprising the Ministry of Justice, Department for Work and Pensions, Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Home Office. The Department of Work and Pensions hosts the Synergy Programme. Your work will impact the procurement arrangements for the next 15 years, impacting over 50% of all Civil

Servants – that’s 230,000 people across the four departments and arm’s length bodies.

Success of the Programme is crucial as Civil Servants rely on shared services to provide business critical tools in human resources, finance, payroll and procurement. It affects everything we do, from joining a department as a new starter, the way we claim for expenses, how we buy goods and services such as our laptops and canteen provisions, how we make a claim for our expenses, to the way we receive our pensions when we retire. 

The UK government has pledged to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050. This has been underpinned by statutory change. Government sustainability commitments in public services are set out in the Greening Government Commitments  and Greening government: ICT and digital services strategy

Sustainability is at the core of the Synergy approach, from how the cluster selects the Enterprise Resource Platform (ERP) partners, to the technology and business design principles adopted, and in due course the services that will be rolled out. Synergy is currently undertaking a procurement exercise to select the ERP and Systems Integrator partners. These partners will share the Synergy

Programme’s sustainability ambitions, and will help design and deliver sustainable services, underpinned by sustainable technologies within a culture that values and prioritises sustainability. This includes:

•    Committing to a rapid transition to sustainable business practices
•    Commitment to meet net zero by 2050 (or sooner)
•    Being as resilient as possible to the impacts of climate change
•    Committing to ‘Circular ICT’ policies and strategies and to enable the Synergy Programme to meet the HMG commitment to deliver 0% to landfill with an annual increase in reuse and materials recycled
•    Having effective waste management processes for all waste types
•    Working towards 100% renewable energy and / or carbon neutral suppliers, and to measuring and reducing water consumption 
•    Approach to championing biodiversity and nature positive practices
•    Meeting transparency and accountability commitments
•    Committing to a roadmap of sustainability improvements

Sustainability is an integral part of how the cluster intends to work, but like most organisations, we are maturing our understanding with respect to sustainability stewardship. This is a unique opportunity to deploy your green credentials, at the forefront of government’s shared services strategy, and in an environment that can be sector defining.

Job Description, Duties and Responsibilities 

The role holder will support the development of Synergy Programme’s approach to sustainability. They will work closely with team members and other key stakeholders across the government community to leverage work already done, and to ensure effective data collection and sharing, to create roadmaps and partnerships to enable the change required. The role holder will help the Synergy

Programme achieve its strategic sustainability goals as well as support the sustainability objectives of the government departments within the Synergy cluster.

Key responsibilities

•    Understand and represent the environmental positions of the four Government Departments, identifying and helping to resolve any potential issues
•    Support the collation and presentation of sustainability information to programme board governance, working groups and to teams within the four “cluster” Departments.
•    In conjunction with key stakeholders and sustainability colleagues, translate Synergy Sustainability blueprints into definitions
•    Work closely with key stakeholders across government to support the definition and implementation of key performance indicators, based on a scientifically robust evidence base of data. 
•    Support the development of the Synergy business cases process by contributing information on environmental impacts and opportunities
•    Support the development of relevant environmental documentation eg. tender documents, specifications
•    support implementation of appropriate monitoring of the environmental performance of our shared services supplier base
•    support the co-creation of a Sustainability Knowledge Hub; enabling capture and continuous improvement of Synergy sustainability opportunities
•    Play an active role in the cross-government community to further the sustainability agenda

Skills and Experience 

Essential

•    Previous experience of supporting the development and implementation of a sustainability strategy (Lead Criteria)
•    Proven experience of supporting and influencing organisational behavioural and cultural change 
•    Effective stakeholder management skills, including experience of working with stakeholders and different levels who have diverse perspectives
•    Understanding of how sustainability principles can be embedded into new ways of working
•    An understanding of the principles of the Government Digital Service and sustainable technology.
•    Good analytical skills and experience using these skills to inform approach and decision making

Desirable

•    Experience of working in the public sector
•    Understanding of the Greening Government strategies, and the current measures used by government to measure sustainability
•    Knowledge and experience of sustainability thinking and application in a Corporate Services, Shared Services or Back-office enablement setting 
•    Experience of relevant Circular Economy practices

Behaviours

We will assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

•    Leadership
•    Communicating and Influencing 
•    Delivering At Pace 
•    Working Together

Selection Criteria and Applications

Applications should be made via CS Jobs. We select using Success Profiles.

Initial selection will take place by sift, based on the person specification. If a high volume of applications are received, we will sift on the lead criteria.

Applicants should submit a CV and Personal Statement stating how they meet the essential criteria set out within the Person Specifications in no more than 1000 words.

At interview, we will select based on behaviours. You may be asked to deliver a short presentation, further information on topic will be provided prior to interview.

Please note that the successful candidate will be required to work two days per week from allocated office. 

Person specification

Please refer to Job Description

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £39,868, Ministry of Justice contributes £10,804 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. The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.