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.

Policy Adviser – Private International Law Strategy and Implementation

HEO

International, Rights and Constitutional Policy Directorate

 The International Justice Policy Division is recruiting permanently for an HEO Policy Adviser in Private International Law Strategy and Implementation. This campaign is being run externally and so is open to all who consider themselves suitable for the roles and meet the eligibility criteria in the wider advert within Civil Service Jobs.

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 the two locations may be required.

In order for Policy Group to meet its evolving business needs all Policy Group staff are expected to attend their base location (102 Petty France or 5 Wellington Place Leeds) at least 2 days a week.  This hybrid working arrangement is not contractual and as a result staff could be asked to attend their base location more frequently.

Ways of Working

At the MoJ we believe 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.

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

Salary

New entrants to the Civil Service will be expected to join on the minimum of the pay range. 

If you are already a civil servant and are successful in an external recruitment competition for a role with us, your starting pay will be the better of:

• promotion terms or transfer terms, as appropriate; or
• pay on appointment arrangements (minimum of pay range)

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ)

MOJ is one of the largest government departments, employing over 90,000 people (including those in the Probation Service), with a budget of approximately £9.5 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.

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

International, Rights and Constitutional Policy Directorate

The International, Rights and Constitutional Policy Directorate (IRCPD) delivers some of the most exciting and central elements of the government’s policy agenda. We have responsibility for the international work of the department, including setting the direction and priorities for MoJ’s international strategy. We have responsibility for the human rights framework in the UK, and internationally in relation to our human rights obligations with the United Nations and the Council of Europe. We also have responsibility for constitutional policy, which includes managing our relationships with the Crown Dependencies and the Devolved Administrations.  

We welcome the unique contribution diverse applicants bring in terms of their culture, ethnicity, race, nationality or national origin, age, sex, gender identity or expression, religion or belief, disability status, sexual orientation, educational or social background or any other factor.

The Private International Law (PIL) strategy and implementation team sits within the International Justice Policy Division. PIL rules have been developed to provide businesses, citizens, families and consumers with the confidence to trade, work, travel and live across borders with greater certainty that cross-border legal disputes can be resolved. They determine jurisdiction, applicable law, and recognition and enforcement of judgements across borders, in order to resolve any conflicts of different national laws. The UK has long been a world leader in the development of international co-operation in Private International Law (PIL). As a result of leaving the European Union the UK once again has full competence in this area and can seek to develop new relationships with partners all over the world and enhance its reputation.

The team is responsible for developing the UK’s future strategy on Private International Law, working with Ministers and negotiating agreements in international institutions such as the Hague Conference and the Council of Europe. They develop and maintain relationships with governments across the globe and engage high-profile stakeholders across the legal sector both domestically and internationally.

Policy Advisor in PIL Strategy and Implementation - the role

This is an exciting opportunity in the Private International Law (PIL) Strategy team.

Following our exit from the EU the team has a cabinet-approved agenda to deliver. In consultation across government and with stakeholders the post-holder will be responsible for pushing forward a strand of this agenda and contribute to the team’s overall strategic approach.

The principal objective for the coming months is the implementation and ratification of the 2019 Hague “Judgments” Convention.

Working in a dynamic international policy environment, the ideal candidate will be comfortable working with complex legal and international concepts, and able to deliver at pace as part of a team. Confident written and oral communication is highly desirable alongside the ability to synthesise key information for the target audience. We are a supportive and encouraging team with a commitment to development and a positive corporate environment.

More specifically, as an HEO Policy Advisor in the team your role will be to:

• Play a leading role in the UK’s accession to the 2019 Hague Judgments convention including:
  • managing relationships with policy teams across government
  • managing engagement with external stakeholders including the civil procedure rules committee (CPRC)
  • managing the department’s relationship with Parliament
  • drafting briefing and advising Ministers on our policy on the Convention
  • work with lawyers on the implementing legislation for the Convention
  • engaging with the devolved administrations
  • engaging with EU member states on the Convention

• Take on other projects in PIL in relation to multilateral and bilateral negotiations, ministerial and senior official engagement and strategic forward planning.

If you are not successful for this role but you demonstrate the required standard for an HEO Policy Advisor, you may be placed on a reserve list and you may be offered other suitable roles in the directorate if they become available.

Skills and Experience

Essential Criteria

• Knowledge / experience of, or interest in, Private International law
• Ability to work with and synthesise complex information and concepts
• Proactive attitude, with a proven ability to come up with ideas and solve problems;
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, able to produce high quality briefing and reports;
• Excellent attention to detail
• Strong planning and organisational skills
• Effective time management skills; ability to manage competing demands and prioritise appropriately

Desirable criteria

• Experience working with legislation / the legislative process
• Experience of constructively engaging with stakeholders, including the legal sector and judiciary
• Experience of engaging across government and with the Devolved Administrations
• Qualification or experience in law / the legal profession

Candidates applying from HMPPS should note that the Ministry of Justice does not have the same conditions of employment as HMPPS. It is the candidate’s responsibility to ensure they are aware of the terms and conditions they will adopt should they be successful.

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.

Application process

You will be assessed against the Civil service success profiles framework.

Experience

You will be asked to provide a CV during the application process in order to assess any demonstrable experience, career history and achievements that are relevant to the role.

You will also be asked to upload a Statement of Suitability of no more than 1000 words stating what you would bring to the role, with reference to the Skills and Experience listed above.

Candidates invited to Interview

Please note that interviews will be carried out remotely.

During the panel interview, you will be asked a mixture behaviour-based, experience-based, and strengths-based questions

Behaviour-based questions will explore in detail what you are capable of.

Behaviour

You will be asked to provide an example of how you have met the following behaviours (see Annex A for more information):

• Delivering at Pace

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

Experience-based questions will explore your knowledge or mastery of an activity or subject gained through involvement in or exposure to it.

Strength-based questions will be asked to also explore what you enjoy, and your motivations relevant to the job role.

There is no expectation or requirement for you to prepare for the strengths-based questions in advance of the interview, though you may find it helpful to spend some time reflecting on what you enjoy doing and what you do well.

You can refer to the CS Strengths dictionary for more details:  Success Profiles - Civil Service Strengths Dictionary (publishing.service.gov.uk)

Interviews are expected to take place January 2024.

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. Contacts: Yinni.Hu@justice.gov.uk and Anna.Wardell@justice.gov.uk.

Annex A - The STAR method

Using the STAR method can help you give examples of relevant experience that you have. It allows you to set the scene, show what you did, and how you did it, and explain the overall outcome.

Situation - Describe the situation you found yourself in. You must describe a specific event or situation. Be sure to give enough detail for the job holder to understand.

• Where are you?
• Who was there with you?
• What had happened?

Task - The job holder will want to understand what you tried to achieve from the situation you found yourself in.

• What was the task that you had to complete and why?
• What did you have to achieve?

Actions - What did you do? The job holder will be looking for information on what you did, how you did it and why. Keep the focus on you. What specific steps did you take and what was your contribution? Remember to include how you did it, and the behaviours you used. Try to use “I” rather than “we” to explain your actions that lead to the result. Be careful not to take credit for something that you did not do.

Results - Don’t be shy about taking credit for your behaviour. Quote specific facts and figures. Explain how the outcome benefitted the organisation or your area. Make the outcomes easily understandable.

• What results did the actions produce?
• What did you achieve through your actions and did you meet your goals?
• Was it a successful outcome? If not, what did you learn from the experience?

Keep the situation and task parts brief. Concentrate on the action and the result. If the result was not entirely successful describe what you learned from this and what you would do differently next time. Make sure you focus on your strengths.

Person specification

Please refer to Job Description

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £32,827, Ministry of Justice contributes £8,896 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.