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General Information

Salary
The national salary range is £58,511 - £65,329, London salary range is £63,343 - £70,725. Your salary will be dependent on your base location
Working Pattern
Full Time, Part Time, Part Time/Job Share, Flexible Working
Vacancy Approach
Internal
Location
National
Region
National
Closing Date
26-Jan-2026
Post Type
Permanent
Civil Service Grade
Grade 7
Number of jobs available
1
Reserve List
12 Months
Job ID
13621

Descriptions & requirements

Job description

Job role: Service Manager (Tribunals)

Grade: G7

Directorate: Development

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.

The Development Directorate is responsible for service strategy and development, operational policy and modernisation of courts and tribunals.  The Tribunals Team in the Development Directorate supports the business of the Tribunals.  It is responsible for service management of existing services; the design of new digital services; maintenance of operational policies for the jurisdiction and providing operational support to Tribunal and National Services staff on these, the implementation of change arising from government policy, legislation, or judicial initiatives; and for improving performance. 

About the role

This role working alongside existing Service Managers will include leading and implementing large scale policy change across the entire end-to-end customer, judicial, and staff journeys. The postholder will be accountable to a G6 Senior Service Manager.

The post holder is responsible for the creation and delivery of well thought through plans to deliver on our objectives, ensuring that our live service operates efficiently, making effective use of the resources available to the Tribunal at all times and ensuring continuous improvement is at the heart of what we do. Collaboration with, and buy in from, key stakeholders will be critical to delivery and an ability to quickly build effective and productive working relationships with a variety of people with differing interests will be critical to success.

The Service Manager will be required to identify and monitor dependencies and risks to delivery, ensuring plans remain on track and are well executed. There is a high level of internal and external engagement required and the ability to work collectively to achieve results is essential.

You must be an experienced leader who has the confidence to engage with a diverse range of staff, users, and stakeholders.

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

  • build relationships within HMCTS, the Judiciary, wider MOJ and within other government departments, leading on allocated area of responsibility, and providing high quality written and oral advice to senior leaders and ministers.
  • ensure comprehensive delivery plans are agreed and executed.  Putting in place processes to manage performance against plans and to manage delivery risks and issues.
  • formulate clear deliverable strategies for service improvement. Gaining input and buy in from key stakeholders to deliver effective change.
  • ensure appropriate funding agreements are in place to ensure that HMCTS can deliver against expectation (property, staff, IT, and Judicial cost).
  • set up and maintain appropriate governance structures within HMCTS to maintain necessary oversight, to ensure collaboration and agreement and to provide a ‘challenge’ function.

Key interactions will be with:

  • Judiciary – at all levels including leadership judiciary.
  • HMCTS operational colleagues – tribunal staff and leadership.
  • HMCTS finance, governance, digital, commercial, data/analysis/insight, change, and performance functions.
  • MOJ policy and finance teams, and Government legal advisers.
  • The Tribunal Procedure Rules Committee and Online Procedure Rules Committee.
  • External stakeholders – parties, representative bodies, representatives of the legal professions. 

Other duties

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

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

Person Specification

The Ideal candidate should be able to demonstrate the below:

Essential

  • Experience leading multi- disciplinary teams in a fast moving policy or operational environment, including demonstrable actions taken to build an inclusive team culture.
  • Proven ability to build and maintain effective working relationships with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders, working collaboratively and persuasively across organisational boundaries, with evidence of successful engagement outcomes.
  • Ability to communicate complex issues clearly and provide well-evidenced written and verbal advice and briefings to senior stakeholders, whilst adapting communication style to influence a wide range of audiences, including the judiciary.
  • Demonstrable experience in strategic thinking and sound decision making, including translating policy into operational delivery while balancing diverse stakeholder needs.
  • Ability to apply project management skills in a fluid environment with changing priorities, demonstrating resilience and the capacity to work at pace in demanding situations.
  • Experience of delivering performance improvement and leading complex change at pace within a project and/or operational environment including the ability to analyse a range of performance management information to identify issues, risks and opportunities for improvement.

Desirable

  • Experience of designing change for operational transformation
  • Previous experience and in-depth understanding of HMCTS digital transformation initiatives.
  • Experience or operational knowledge of digital and offline service design.
  • Previous experience and in-depth understanding of Tribunals.

How to apply

To apply for this role, please submit a CV and statement of suitability of no more than 1000 words setting out evidence and examples of how you meet the person specification of the role (as listed above). 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)    

Interview

If successful at sift you will be invited to a Civil Service Success Profiles interview which will include assessment of the following behaviours (Grade G7).

  • Seeing the Bigger Picture
  • Working Together
  • Communicating and Influencing
  • Delivering at Pace 

Further details

Travel to HMCTS sites outside of base location may be required, as per business needs. In line with the department’s policies, travel and subsistence and, where appropriate, overnight accommodation will be available in line with organisational policies. 

This is a full-time role where part time and flexible working requests will be reviewed and considered on a case-by-case basis. Applicants should discuss this matter with the hiring manager prior to making an application.

The minimum office attendance expectation is that everyone attends the workplace for at least 60% of their working time, unless they have an agreed adjustment or exception.

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 13621

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

Application form stage assessments

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 submit a CV and statement of suitability of no more than 1000 words setting out evidence and examples of how you meet the person specification of the role (as listed above). 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
Interviews expected mid February - subject to change
Behaviours
Seeing the Big Picture
Working Together
Communicating and Influencing
Delivering at Pace
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.