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This vacancy is only available to existing Civil Servant employees and employees of accredited non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs). Please review the "Eligibility" section before you apply.

General Information

Salary
The national salary range is £42,914 - £46,182 London salary range is £49,325- £53,081 Your salary will be dependent on your base location
Working Pattern
Full Time, Part Time/Job Share, Flexible Working
Vacancy Approach
Cross Government
Location
National
Region
National
Closing Date
19-Nov-2025
Post Type
Permanent
Civil Service Grade
SEO
Number of jobs available
1
Reserve List
12 Months
Job ID
11590

Descriptions & requirements

Job description

Job role: Senior Business Manager to the HR Director

Grade: SEO

Location: National 

About us

HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) is responsible for the administration of criminal, civil and family courts and tribunals in England and Wales. Our roles support our service users and colleagues, where people and businesses access potentially life-changing justice.  We’re looking for individuals who are committed to public service and want to make a difference in people’s lives in delivering justice. If you’re interested in developing a career with a real purpose, please apply. 

About the role

As Senior Business Manager the role holder will provide and oversee strategic and administrative support to the HR Director and Deputy Directors, ensuring that the senior leadership team’s work is managed appropriately and aligns with other Directorate and organisational context and objectives.

The role holder will proactively manage and co-ordinate delivery of longer-term business priorities and urgent issues for the directorate, region, or business area. They will have direct access to senior leader emails and correspondence and will influence the pace of the Director and Deputy Directors.

The role-holder will sit within a small private office function and will report into the Head of Office. They may have line management responsibility for a small business management team and will have an awareness of leadership engagements and meetings.

The role holder will be responsible for owning work strands on behalf of senior leaders, driving activity to ensure the wider team keeps to deadlines and meets milestones as part of annual business cycles.  They’ll be expected to oversee and report on spending against limited budgets. They will be a dynamic individual, competent and confident communicator with good analytical and written skills who can work in a fast paced and stimulating environment.

Your role as the Senior Business Manager encompasses several key aspects (but not limited to):

·       Provide evidence-based insight and advice to the Director, Deputy Director or key stakeholders when applicable. They will ensure all government and public data and information is treated with care in accordance with security procedures and protocols and that the team works in compliance with these protocols.

•       Establish good working relationships with other leaders across the team to have detailed knowledge of work strands and priorities across the wider team.

•       The role holder has responsibility to allocate work directly from the Director mailbox, tracking response times and proof-reading replies.

•       Responsible for co-ordinating logistics for directorate management meetings, forums, and large-scale team events (which can take place weekly, monthly, or quarterly). 

•       Responsible for directly maintaining or overseeing the accurate collation of staff contact details to inform a business continuity plan.

•       Drafting complex or sensitive responses on behalf of their senior leadership team, this could take the form of a letter or briefing to a Minister, updates to strategic business plan milestones or personnel matters.

Please refer to the attached role profile for a comprehensive overview of the role.

What are we looking for? (Person Specification)

The ideal candidate for this position should demonstrate:

Essential

·       Excellent written and verbal skills, be engaging, assertive and able to communicate and collaborate confidently with senior leaders, users, and key stakeholders using appropriate styles and methods, including digitally, to maximise understanding and the impact of any messages they share.

·       The role holder should be competent, remain calm in a crisis and have good listening, negotiating, influencing, planning and organising skills.

·       They should be used to working under pressure in a demanding environment with the capability to quickly determine what is needed to address an issue.

·       The ability to prioritise their own work and that of their Director, etc. as necessary.·       The ability to maintain the strictest confidentially regarding sensitive information.  

Desirable

·       Some experience of analysing and understanding data and information quickly to provide clear verbal and written briefings and narrative, identifying trends or being able to legitimately use their knowledge and expertise to inform dashboards. Training and coaching will be given to support these areas of work.

·       Experience of supporting a leadership team in a fast-paced environment, including delegating or commissioning actions and tasks and tracking progress of work shared with others. They should be proficient in Microsoft tools; Teams, Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, but training will be given.

Further details

Team meeting quarterly plus occasional travel to any HMCTS site as per business needs.

About our benefits

We reward our people for their hard work and commitment. We have a number of family

friendly and flexible working polices that will help you achieve a healthy work-life balance. In addition, we offer a range of employee benefits which include generous annual leave, a highly competitive contributory pension scheme, childcare benefits, season ticket and bicycle loans.

Proud to Serve. Proud to keep justice going.


Additional Information

Working Arrangements & Further Information

The MoJ offers Hybrid Working arrangements where business need allows. This is an informal, non-contractual form of flexible working that blends working from your base location, different MoJ sites and / or from home (please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas). All employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office, subject to local estate capacity.

Some roles will not be suitable for Hybrid Working. Similarly, Hybrid Working will not suit everyone’s circumstances. Arrangements will be discussed and agreed with the successful candidate(s) and subject to regular review.

For nationally advertised roles: All successful candidates will be appointed to the nearest viable office nearest to their home postcode and on its respective pay scale.  This will be at either a HQ building (subject to desk allocation, a Justice Collaboration Centre (JCC) or a Justice Satellite Office (JSO) – See Map. All employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office, subject to local estate capacity). 

For current MoJ employees, your base location will need to be changed to the nearest viable office (to your home postcode), either at a HQ building, JCC or JSO within the National Office Network and moved its location’s respective pay scale (any legacy arrangements/locations will need to be amended).

Some of MoJ’s terms and conditions of service are changing as part of Civil Service reform. The changes will apply to staff joining MoJ who are new to the Civil Service. Staff joining MoJ from other civil service employers will transfer onto the new MoJ terms if they are already on 'modernised' terms in their current post or onto 'unmodernised' MoJ terms if they are on 'unmodernised' terms at their current post. Details will be available if an offer is made.

MoJ candidates who are on a specialist grade, will be able to retain their grade on lateral transfer.

All candidates who are currently in receipt of Mark Time / Pay Protection should ensure they are familiar with the new policy on permanent and temporary promotion which can be found on the employee intranet.

Flexible working hours 

The Ministry of Justice offers a flexible working system in many offices. Standard full time working hours are 37 hours per week. MoJ welcomes part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns, where they meet the demands of the role and business needs. All applications for part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns will be considered in accordance with the MoJ’s Flexible Working policy.

Benefits 

The MoJ offers a range of benefits:

Annual Leave

Annual leave is 25 days on appointment and will increase to 30 days after five years’ service.

There is also a scheme to allow qualifying staff to buy or sell up to three days leave each year. Additional paid time off for public holidays and 1 privilege day. Leave for part-time and job share posts will be calculated on a pro-rata basis.

Pension 

The Civil Service offers a choice of pension schemes, giving you the flexibility to choose the pension that suits you best.

Training 

The Ministry of Justice is committed to staff development and offers an extensive range of training and development opportunities.

Networks 

The opportunity to join employee-run networks that have been established to provide advice and support and to enable the views of employees from minority groups to be expressed direct to senior management. There are currently networks for employees of minority ethnic origin, employees with disabilities, employees with caring responsibilities, women employees, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees.

Eligibility

Staff on fixed term appointments must have been recruited through fair and open competition.

Vacancies advertised “cross-government” are only open to all Civil Service employees and employees of accredited non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) who were appointed on merit following a fair and open competition; or were appointed to a permanent post through an exception in the Civil Service Commissioners' rules.

Support

  • A range of ‘Family Friendly’ policies such as opportunities to work reduced hours or job share.
  • Access to flexible benefits such as voluntary benefits, retail vouchers and discounts on a range of goods and services.
  • For moves to or from another employer or moves across the Civil Service this can have implications on your eligibility to carry on claiming childcare vouchers. You may however be eligible for alternative government childcare support schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. More information can be found on www.www.GOV.UK or Childcare Choices. You can determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.
  • Paid paternity, adoption and maternity leave.
  • Free annual sight tests for employees who use computer screens.

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code 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. Should you feel that the recruitment process has breached the recruitment principles you are able to raise a formal complaint in the following order

As a Disability Confident employer, MoJ are committed to providing everyone with the opportunity to demonstrate their skills, talent and abilities, by making adjustments throughout all elements of the recruitment process and in the workplace. MoJ are able to offer an interview to disabled candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns.

You will be able to request reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process within the application form. If you need additional help completing the application form, please contact the TBS Recruitment Enquiries Team.

For more information on applying for a role as a candidate with a disability or long-term condition, please watch our animated videos.

Diversity & Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy.

Redeployment Interview Scheme

Civil Service departments are expected to explore redeployment opportunities before making an individual redundant. The MoJ is committed, as part of the Redeployment Interview Scheme, to providing opportunities to those who are 'at risk of redundancy'.

MoJ is able to offer an interview to eligible candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns. Candidates will not be eligible for the Redeployment Interview Scheme if they are applying on promotion.

Civil Service Nationality Rules

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-rules

Reserve list

A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made for the same or similar roles.


Contact Information

MoJ:

If you require any assistance please call 0345 241 5359 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@resourcing.soprasteria.co.uk

Please quote the job reference 11590

HMPPS

If you require any assistance please call 0345 241 5358 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@resourcing.soprasteria.co.uk

Please quote the job reference 11590

Application form stage assessments

Behaviours
A sift based on the lead behaviour, Delivering at Pace, may be held if a large number of applications are received. If a large number of applications remain after the initial sift, your application will be progressed to a full sift, where all behaviours will then be considered.
Behaviours Application Form Question Word Limit
250
Delivering at Pace
Experience
We will assess your experience for this role via the following methods
CV or Work History, Statement of Suitability
Statement of Suitability
Guidance for the Statement of Suitability
To apply for this role, please express your interest by submitting a statement of suitability of no more than 750 words setting out evidence and examples of how you meet the person specification in the job advert. Please ensure you cover both ‘what’ you do but also ‘how’ you do it. (i.e., the effective skills, knowledge & experience needed to undertake the role).
Evidence of Experience
CV or Work History, Statement of Suitability

Interview stage assessments

Interview Dates
Earliest to interview: Monday 15th December (Subject to change)
Behaviours
Communicating and Influencing
Delivering at Pace
Managing a Quality Service
Making Effective Decisions
Strengths
Strengths will be assessed but these are not shared in advance. To learn more about Strengths and how they are assessed please click here.
Level of security checks required
DBS Basic

Use of Artificial Intelligence (Al)

Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.  Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.