Ministry of Justice

Role: OPG Operations Corporate Lead

Business: Office of Public Guardian (OPG)

Location: National

Grade: G6

Salary: £71,381 - £80,419 (National), £75,674 - £85,257 (London)

Contract Type: Permanent

Minimum Hours: 25

Organisational Overview

The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) protects people in England and Wales who may not have the mental capacity to make certain decisions for themselves, such as about their health and finance. We are an Executive Agency of the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), set up in 2007 following the introduction of the Mental Capacity Act of 2005.   

OPG is responsible for registering lasting powers of attorney (LPA) and enduring powers of attorney (EPA) and supervising deputies who are appointed by the Court of Protection.   

OPG is a fantastic place to work offering a range of development opportunities. The OPG is a disability confident employer and is committed to developing a supportive and inclusive environment that reflects the diverse community we serve.   

OPG is currently delivering an ambitious transformation programme. This will change the way we provide services and help us meet the growing needs of our users, partners and our stakeholders. It will make sure our users experience a better level of support and will help us to respond to the changing needs of society. Transformation will ensure we can better support adults at risk and create high-quality services that are accessible and affordable.  

Team Overview

Operations is the largest directorate within OPG, with around 2000 colleagues who undertake all our customer facing, frontline functions needed to ensure people can make and register lasting powers of attorney. We also supervise those who have been appointed by the Court of Protection who support those who may not have the capacity to deal with their own affairs and investigate where concerns are raised about how those in charge of a person’s affairs are conducting their duties.   

Operations cover four where main areas;

• Power of Attorney Services
• Supervision
• Investigations
• Business Design, Development & Delivery

Our Corporate services will cover services for the whole of Operations, liaising across OPG to deliver high quality service and insights.    

Duties and Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the teams to drive excellence in performance reporting across Operations ensuring we make best use of analysis tools and data models so that the outputs of that work are accurate, timely and accessible to the variety of user audiences (stakeholders, senior management, colleagues in the business)
• Work in close partnership with the OPG Data and Performance Team to ensure that Operational performance products and data are in line with and underpinned by the MOJ Data Quality Framework and Analytical Quality assurance process.
• Lead the teams to drive excellence in our demand forecasting function working with data analytics and the central data team to ever improve our understanding and response to customer demand across all our business areas.
• Work with Finance Business Partners to support monthly unit cost reporting, ensuring robust methodology, strong data quality, clear insight on cost drivers, and timely outputs to inform operational and strategic decision-making.
• Be the central point of contact for finance colleagues working with business rea leads and ensure value for money and efficiency in use of resources across operations. This includes budgeting and forecasting and also having close control on Reward and Recognitions policies and spending across Ops, working with operational areas on how finance is allocated and used.
• Have overall responsibility for the Operational capability function ensuring that across operations our HR policies and professional processes are consistent, fair and in line with OPG values.
• Be the overall point of contact for operations in respect of estates issues and in particular take the lead for Operations on the Projected move from one of our key sites to another location in 2029
• Lead on the Ops monthly report for the CEO ensuring timely and relevant information is available.
• Collaborate with the OPG People Services Team to ensure learning, engagement, quality and standards are to a high quality to ensure operations has the training it needs and that this is delivered in an effective and efficient manner to get the best from people.
• Directly lead a team of analysts and process leads inspiring the team to find new ways to bring insight to, and find solutions for knotty issues.
• Be a part of the overall senior leadership within both Operations and OPG. Deputising for the Chief Operating Officer as needed, attending meetings to represent Ops and OPG and be a role model of inclusive and effective leadership for people across the organisation.

Agreed Expectations

The successful candidate will be expected to work from their base location on a weekly basis in line with current Civil Service requirements, outside of any reasonable adjustments.   Regular travel to our two main sites in Birmingham and Nottingham will be required. Travel to other locations, including overnight, will also be required occasionally as the role demands.    

Skills & Qualifications

Essential Skills

This is a role that sits at the centre of Operations with touch points to every business areas within operations and also to all the central functions of OPG. You will also need to build strong relationships with colleagues working outside the agency in MOJ central roles and with stakeholders. Therefore, the preferred candidate will be able to display the following essential skills:    

• Evidence of senior leadership at a G7 lever or equivalent leading at least one of the core elements that make up this role (data and performance, HR and capability, forecasting and planning). In the event of a tie of scores, candidates with a range of experience to meet the stretching nature of the role will be preferred over those with expertise in just one element. (Lead).
• A strong collaborator, with the ability to build effective relationships across operations and OPG, and the ability to, as part of those relationships both support others in their work and challenge effectively to ensure delivery and strategic alignment across the organisation.
• Strong prioritisation and delivery capability to ensure timely delivery of key work and commissions while keeping our BAU services running smoothly.
• The demonstrated ability to pivot, change and respond, as priorities evolve, showing flexibility and innovation in response to “wicked problems” and resilience in the face of the unexpected.
• Be a strategic thinker, planning and thinking of how Ops will be in the future as well as delivering BAU effectively.
• Be a confident leader of a team of experts, some of whose skills may be unfamiliar to you and bring them together to form a cohesive and inclusive team.
• Work continually to improve the service offered by the Corporate Team as a whole and also to make Operations as effective, professional and inclusive as possible.

Application process

This recruitment will follow the Civil Service Success Profile process. Candidates will be expected to complete the following as part of the application:  

• A CV and detailing your career history. CV’s will be assessed against the essential skills above no more than 2 A4 pages.
• Statement of Suitability of no more than 1000 words, to demonstrate your experience against the essential and desirable skills required for this role.

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift will be conducted on the lead criteria

• Evidence of senior leadership at a G7 lever or equivalent leading at least one of the core elements that make up this role (data and performance, HR and capability, forecasting and planning). In the event of a tie of scores, candidates with a range of experience to meet the stretching nature of the role will be preferred over those with expertise in just one element. (Lead).

Interview Process

If you are successful at sift, you will be invited to an interview which will use the Civil Service Success Profiles. At interview, candidates should expect questions on:

• Strengths relevant to the role
• A 5-minute presentation based on essential skills

The following Behaviours at G6 Level:

• Seeing The Bigger Picture
• Making Effective Decisions
• Leadership
• Managing a Quality Service

All interviews will be held remotely via MS Teams.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview.  

Briefing Session

You may want to join the virtual briefing session on Wednesday 5th August 2026 between 2-3pm, where we will provide an overview of the role, the organisational context, early priorities, anticipated challenges, and team culture. There will also be an opportunity to ask questions. If you are interested in attending this session, please use the following link:

Join Briefing session here

Reasonable Adjustments

At OPG we consider all applications on the basis of merit and want you to feel able to demonstrate your full potential whatever type of assessment is used. If you require any reasonable adjustments for any aspect of the selection process, do not hesitate to get in contact with us.   

As a Disability Confident organisation, we will offer a guaranteed interview to candidates with a disability who meet the essential criteria for this role. If you are applying for a role within OPG and would like to be considered under the Disability Confident Scheme, please indicate this in your application and let us know of any reasonable adjustments you may require during the selection process.    

For further information on benefits of working for OPG, such as our Flexible Working Policy and a FAQ, please check the candidate information pack attached to this advert.

If your application for this role is unsuccessful, we may offer you an alternative role at the same or lower grade should one be available.