Ministry of Justice

Job title: Executive Assistant to the CEO, HMCTS

Directorate: CEO’s Office

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 Team

This role offers a unique opportunity to support the CEO in delivering HMCTS’s priorities at a critical time for the justice system. We are driving a major transformation programme to modernise services, digitise processes, and improve accessibility, while continuing to manage day-to-day operations across 330 sites and 250 IT systems. The CEO’s Office ensures the Chief Executive’s time and influence are focused on what matters most, balancing operational delivery with ambitious change. As part of this small, high-performing team, you will work closely with senior leaders across HMCTS, the Ministry of Justice, and the judiciary, acting as a key interface to deliver shared objectives in a fast-paced, high-profile environment

About the role

This is an exciting opportunity to play a pivotal role in supporting the Chief Executive at the centre of HMCTS operations. As Executive Assistant, you will manage a complex and fast-moving diary, proactively monitor correspondence, and ensure the CEO is fully prepared for meetings, engagements and visits. You’ll work closely with the Senior Business Manager and wider team to keep priorities on track and add value to submissions by ensuring accuracy and completeness.

Your work will be critical to the smooth running of the CEO’s Office and, ultimately, to the success of HMCTS. You will need exceptional organisational skills, sound judgement, and the ability to work autonomously in a dynamic environment. This is a demanding role requiring discretion, resilience, and the ability to deliver at pace under pressure.

Your role as the Executive Assistant encompasses several key aspects (but not limited to):

• Administer the processes to ensure the CEO’s inbox, diary and agenda operates smoothly, prioritising effectively and anticipating needs.
• Ensure that day-to-day business for the CEO is well-organised and appropriately prioritised. This includes, but is not limited to, monitoring emails, highlighting urgent matters, monitoring correspondence and ensuring issues are progressed in line with the CEO’s priorities.
• Coordinate arrangements for visits, meetings, and events, including the CEO’s programme of court and tribunal visits.
• Act as a key point of contact for internal and external stakeholders, including senior judiciary and government officials, negotiating and influencing where needed.
• Provide administrative and business support to the CEO, including travel booking, hotel booking etc.
• Work closely with the Senior Business Manager to track actions and maintain momentum on key priorities and contribute to key reporting activities.
• Develop a strong understanding of the CEO’s style, preferences and commitments to inform how you help manage their time, draft relevant correspondence and documentation, and communicate with others to confidently provide a steer or recommendation on what the CEO’s priorities are.
• Fulfil secretariat duties to meetings chaired by the CEO, as needed.
• Build and maintain a wide network of relationships to get things done effectively and efficiently.

You will be required to work in a flexible way and undertake any other duties reasonably requested by line management which are commensurate with the grade and level of responsibility of this post.

Who are we looking for? (Person Specification)

You will be working with the CEO on a daily basis to provide them with inbox and diary management, logistical support, reporting, papers and meeting briefings.  The successful applicant will need to work to develop and maintain an excellent working relationship with the CEO and the rest of the office. You will be highly organised, proactively prioritise your work and ensure their time is used effectively. You will help manage the expectations of business areas and take pride in communicating effectively with both internal and external stakeholders.

You will highlight key issues as early as possible, working with others across HMCTS where necessary, to support decision making and offer advice on issues appropriately.

The ideal candidate for this position should demonstrate:

Essential Skills

• Proven experience managing diaries and priorities for senior leaders.
• Excellent organisational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to manage multiple tasks at pace.
• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to engage confidently at all levels.
• Ability to negotiate, influence and build relationships effectively across a wide network.
• A proactive, adaptable approach and the confidence to make decisions in a fast-changing environment.
• Have sound judgement, able to spot emerging issues and act on your own initiative.
• Calm, dependable and professional under pressure.
• Be a team player who models the Department’s values of openness, humanity, together and purpose.
• Ability to act in a highly confidential manner and exercise discretion. 

How to apply

Application Stage

Please submit:

• An anonymised CV. Please ensure your CV is uploaded in a simple format to prevent any formatting issues when it's downloaded or reviewed. 

Your CV should:

• Be succinct and clear.
• Be factually accurate – You must ensure that any evidence submitted as part of your application, is truthful and factually accurate. Please note that plagiarism can include presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own.
• Include your qualifications, highlighting any modules or accreditation relevant to the role.
• Include your relevant experience, providing dates.
• Provide detail – we are interested in how your knowledge, skills, and experience demonstrate the capabilities we are looking for in this role.

• Statement of suitability demonstrating how you meet the essential criteria (up to 500 words).

Your Statement of Suitability should be no more than 500 words and should give us real life examples of how your skills and experience match those needed for this role. Consider addressing particular points in the person specification requirements. We recommend following the STAR format. You must ensure that any evidence submitted as part of your application, are truthful and factually accurate. Please note that plagiarism can include presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own.  

• Behaviour example illustrating the Civil Service Behaviour “Delivering at Pace” (up to 250 words). 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). We recommend following the STAR format.

Interview Stage

If successful at sift, you will be invited to attend an in-person interview at 102 Petty France, London, SW1H 9AJ.

During your interview, you will be assessed against the following Civil Service Success Profiles which will include:

• Role play scenario on behaviour ‘Making Effective Decisions’ – You will be sent further details one week prior to interviews.
• Questions in relation to the following Civil Service behaviours: Delivering at Pace, Managing a Quality Service, Communicating and Influencing
• 1 experience-based question in relation to the person specification.

Working pattern

This is a full-time position only due to the nature of the role.

Travel requirements

There will be a requirement to travel occasionally to any HMCTS site in line with business needs.

Location

Successful candidates will be based at 102 Petty France, London. There will be an expectation of office attendance with an option for some hybrid working such as when the CEO is working from home or on a visit.

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.