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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 £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, Flexible Working
Vacancy Approach
Cross Government
Location
National
Region
National
Closing Date
05-Aug-2026
Post Type
Fixed Term, Detached Duty, Loan
Civil Service Grade
Grade 7
Number of jobs available
2
Reserve List
12 Months
Job ID
20245

Descriptions & requirements

Job description

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) 

MoJ is the largest government department, employing over 90,000 people with a budget of approximately £10 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 

Public Bodies Directorate 

The Public Bodies and Public Appointments Directorate sits at the heart of the Ministry of Justice, leading sponsorship and governance relationships and making appointments across one of the largest and most complex public bodies portfolios in Government. Our bodies deliver critical public-facing services spanning prisons, probation, youth justice, legal services, family justice, parole, criminal case review and wider constitutional and oversight functions. 

This is a high-profile and exciting time to join the Directorate. Reform and strengthening of public bodies sponsorship and public appointments processes is a priority for Ministers and senior departmental leadership, with a strong focus on improving delivery, governance, diversity of representation and public confidence across the justice system. 

The Directorate offers a unique opportunity to influence real-world outcomes by supporting excellent leadership, governance and accountability across some of the justice system's most important institutions. 

We are a collaborative, supportive and high-performing team that works closely together to solve problems, navigate complexity and drive continuous improvement. We value creativity, sound judgement and strong relationships, and are proud to contribute to a justice system that serves the public effectively and fairly. 

About the Roles 

As one of the Deputy Heads of the Public Appointments Team, you will support the leadership and delivery of a complex and high-profile portfolio of public appointments activity across the Ministry of Justice’s Public Bodies landscape. 

You will oversee the delivery of appointment and reappointment campaigns across a diverse range of Public Bodies, ensuring processes are robust, compliant, and delivered to the highest professional standards. Public appointments are of significant operational, regulatory, and reputational importance, with appointments made by Ministers and, in some cases, by the Prime Minister and His Majesty The King. 

The role requires strategic, confident leadership of high-profile campaigns to attract and secure talented and diverse public body leaders capable of delivering ministerial priorities. In this central role, you will work closely with senior officials, Ministers’ offices, ALBs, Cabinet Office, and No.10, providing trusted advice in a politically sensitive and high-profile environment. 

As part of the wider leadership team, you will help shape a high-performing and inclusive team culture, driving continuous improvement, strengthening quality and consistency, and supporting the department’s wider strategic approach to public appointments and governance. 

Main Activities / Responsibilities 

The job holder will be required to undertake the following duties and responsibilities: 

  • Lead high-profile public appointments and reappointments campaigns across a diverse portfolio of Public Bodies, ensuring delivery to agreed timescales and professional standards including excellent candidate care and stakeholder engagement.  
  • Oversee a complex programme of campaign activity, ensuring processes comply with the Governance Code on Public Appointments and wider statutory and Cabinet Office requirements.  
  • Provide strategic advice and support to Ministers, senior officials, and stakeholders on appointments processes, governance, and handling considerations.  
  • Build and maintain effective relationships with Public Bodies, Ministers’ offices, Cabinet Office, No.10, and wider stakeholders to support successful campaign delivery.  
  • Support delivery of the department’s strategic approach to public appointments, embedding a strong customer-focused and inclusive approach across all stages of the appointments process.  
  • Lead, support, and develop Campaign Managers, ensuring high-quality delivery and continuous professional development across the team.  
  • Contribute to a high-performing and inclusive team culture, promoting innovation, quality assurance, and continuous improvement.  
  • Contribute to the wider development of the Public Bodies Centre of Expertise and the Directorate’s strategic priorities.  

Management of Resources  

  • The roles are likely to include line management responsibility for a small number of SEO colleagues, including supporting leadership and development across teams managing HEO staff. 
  • Contribute as a member of the Public Bodies Centre of Expertise leadership team, helping to shape team culture, priorities, ways of working, and continuous improvement.  

Occasional travel to London or elsewhere will be required, in line with business need.

Deputy Head of Public Appointments 

Essential Criteria 

  • Strong strategic thinking, organisational, and planning skills, with experience of managing competing priorities while achieving successful outcomes.  
  • Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills, with the ability to build trusted relationships, provide constructive challenge, and work collaboratively.  
  • Strong judgement and problem-solving skills, with the ability to work flexibly, manage competing demands, drive improvement and deliver effectively in a high-profile and fast-paced environment.  
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including drafting high-quality briefings, presentations, and advice for senior stakeholders.  

Desirable Knowledge, Experience and Skills 

  • Ability to lead and develop others and contributing, as part of the wider leadership team, to the development of a collaborative and high performing culture 
  • Ability to embed a strong customer-focused approach and drive continuous improvement in service quality and delivery.  
  • Resilience and adaptability, with the ability to remain focused under pressure and support others through change and challenge.  
  • Experience of working with or alongside Public Bodies, Arm’s Length Bodies (ALBs), or within a regulated or governance-focused environment.  

Please note that whilst we don’t assess or score ‘desirable’ criteria, we may consider evidence provided that demonstrates meeting the desirable elements of the role, only after essential criteria is assessed and where there is a need to differentiate between closely scored candidates.

Application process 

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

Application stage 

When applying, please clearly specify which role you are applying for within your application. 

Behaviours

  • Delivering at Pace

Experience

  • Please submit an anonymous copy of your CV.
  • Please submit a 1000-word statement of suitability which should outline your skills, experience, and achievements, providing evidence of your suitability for the role, with particular reference to your experience on how you meet the essential criteria (outlined above).   

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be undertaken using the lead criteria Statement of Suitability.

Interview stage 

All applicants that progress to interview will be assessed on Behaviours, and Experience through Success Profiles. The Behaviours tested during the interview stage will be: 

  • Delivering at Pace 
  • Seeing The Big Picture 
  • Managing a Quality Service  
  • Working Together 

You will also be asked Strength based questions.   


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 20245

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

For any enquiries please contact - Maggie.Garrett@Justice.gov.uk

Application form stage assessments

Behaviours
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
Candidates should use their statement of suitability to demonstrate how they meet the essential criteria, providing relevant examples. They should evidence strong analytical and strategic thinking, influencing skills, and experience of managing competing priorities to deliver high-quality outcomes. Relevant experience of public bodies, recruitment or line management should be included where applicable.
Evidence of Experience
CV or Work History, Statement of Suitability

Interview stage assessments

Interview Dates
Expected August
Behaviours
Delivering at Pace
Seeing the Big Picture
Working Together
Managing a Quality Service
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
Baseline Personnal Security Standard (BPSS)

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.