Ministry of Justice

Background

The work of the team: 

Parliament and Legislation team, Private Office and Parliament Directorate

The Parliament and Legislation (P&L) team manages the Department's parliamentary business including all primary and secondary legislation, all parliamentary scrutiny of the Department (written and oral parliamentary questions, select committee liaison, debates, statements and briefing for No.10 and the Leader of the House), and the strategic approach to the Department’s interaction with Parliament as a stakeholder.  

The work is fast-paced and requires the ability to adapt to new information, constantly reprioritise and work closely with senior stakeholders and ministers. The team sits within the Private Office and Parliament (POP) Directorate. 

Head of Secondary Legislation and work of the Parliament Team

The Ministry of Justice’s Parliament & Legislation Team is looking for a new Head of Secondary Legislation. This is a key leadership role in a high-profile team which works alongside Private Office to ensure that our Ministers and Department can deliver high quality, timely and well-informed parliamentary work. The Parliament and Legislation Team is at the forefront of delivering ministerial priorities and this role offers an opportunity to work with a wide range of teams and experts in the MoJ and across Whitehall.

This is an important leadership role, and we are looking for an engaging, enthusiastic person to oversee one subsection of a high-performing Parliamentary team.  

We are looking for someone who wants to work with Parliament at the heart of a Department and who is confident providing clear, concise advice on complex matters to senior officials and Ministers.

As Head of Secondary Legislation, the post holder will be responsible for assisting the Parliamentary Clerk and wider team to deliver expert advice and support on Parliamentary procedures and business to ministers and the Department.

The Role

As Head of Secondary Legislation, you will lead the Department’s secondary legislation programme, overseeing the entire legislative lifecycle from securing agreement to legislate through to laying legislation before Parliament and supporting its passage through parliamentary scrutiny.

This is a high-profile role that sits at the heart of the Department’s legislative agenda, requiring strong leadership, excellent stakeholder management skills, and a detailed understanding of parliamentary and legislative processes. You will work closely with Ministers, senior officials and policy teams to ensure the timely delivery of high-quality statutory instruments and supporting documentation.  

Key areas of responsibility include:

• Acting as the Department’s principal source of expertise on secondary legislation and parliamentary procedure, providing strategic advice to Ministers, senior leaders and policy teams on the successful delivery of the Department's legislative priorities.

• Leading the Department’s monthly commissioning and prioritisation process for future statutory instruments, working closely with policy teams, the Chief Whips’ Offices and senior stakeholders to manage legislative demand and maintain oversight of the Department’s SI programme.

• Advising and briefing the Secondary Legislation Minister and Departmental Whip on legislative business, parliamentary handling and forthcoming statutory instruments.

• Providing quality assurance and clearance for all SI documents including Explanatory Memoranda, statutory instrument submissions and related ministerial advice before they are submitted to Ministers or Parliament.

• Building strong and effective relationships with policy teams across the Department, providing expert advice on the legislative process, supporting the production of high-quality legislation and accompanying documentation, and helping teams navigate parliamentary requirements.

• Supporting teams to develop effective parliamentary handling strategies, promoting constructive engagement with parliamentarians and scrutiny committees, and clearing parliamentary handling plans for secondary legislation.

• Leading the Department’s response to post-laying parliamentary scrutiny, including engagement with scrutiny committees, managing action arising from committee reports and ensuring lessons learned are embedded across the Department’s legislative programme.

• Providing line management and leadership to an EO colleague responsible for supporting the delivery of the Department’s secondary legislation programme.

Skills and Experience

We are looking for candidates with strong leadership and communication skills and with an understanding of Parliament and its procedures. Excellent organisational, prioritisation and relationship building skills are essential. You will need to demonstrate personal resilience and sound judgement. We encourage those who are diligent and strive to deliver excellent work, even when under pressure, to apply.

Essential

• Leadership – the candidate will lead the team as well as other stakeholders in the Department and beyond. The postholder will need to support and inspire staff to achieve their best and effectively manage change.
• Calm under pressure and resilience – the post-holder will need to remain resilient and calm under pressure and cut through complex and time-sensitive issues to keep the delivery of work on track.
• Collaborating with Ministers, senior officials, and their Private Offices at pace - The post-holder will need to be able to collaborate with Ministers, senior officials, and their Private Offices to ensure Ministers are briefed effectively and have the support they need throughout parliamentary events. They will be expected to build strong relationships with these key stakeholders.
• Written and oral communication - The post-holder will need to have excellent written communications skills, have experience of working to deadlines and of briefing to a high standard. The post-holder will also need excellent people skills and have a strong ability to build relationships beyond their immediate team to deliver through others. 
• Strong organisational skills and problem-solving - The post-holder will need excellent organisational skills and be able to keep several disparate elements on track for delivery supporting members from across the team. The postholder will also need to make balanced, effective decisions considering competing priorities and pressures.

Desirable

• Knowledge of Parliamentary processes - it would be desirable for the post holder to have experience and knowledge of parliamentary processes.

Eligibility

You are eligible to apply for this EOI if you are:

• a permanent MoJ employee; or
• an MoJ member of staff on loan to an OGD (confirmation of release from their current loan will need to be given prior to applying); or
• a permanent MoJ employee not currently in work e.g. on Maternity Leave, Special Leave, Unpaid leave (individuals will need to be realistic about their return-to-work date and when to start applying for advertised vacancies should they not wish to return to their home directorate); or
• Currently on loan from an OGD into the MoJ and your home government department and the line manager of your current assignment approve your application and any subsequent extension of the loan agreement.

You cannot apply if you were recruited via one of the following options:

• You are Seconded into the MoJ from an outside (non-Civil Service) organisation
• You were appointed via exceptions 1-4 of the CS Commission’s Recruitment Principles
• You are a Contractor or Agency worker (not substantive civil servants).

NSV Required

The role requires CTC vetting level and to be eligible to apply for this role you should have been present in the UK continuously for the past 3 years.

If you do not hold the appropriate level of vetting, you may still apply but must meet the required criteria as you will be required to undergo vetting to attain the enhanced vetting requirement. If you are not cleared at the required NSV level, you will not be able to take up the role and the offer will be withdrawn.

You can find more information by reviewing the information held in the following links:

United Kingdom Security Vetting: Applicant - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The vetting charter - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

How to apply

Applicants should discuss this opportunity with their line manager before applying, as successful candidates will be required to start immediately and be released from their current role without delay.

To apply:

At application stage you will need to submit:

• CV showing your work history
• Statement of Suitability – no more than 750 words, with consideration of the essential and desirable criteria above;

If successful at the sift stage, you will be invited to a formal interview where you will be assessed on the following:

• Success Profiles Question 1 (Behaviour - Leadership)
• Success Profiles Question 2 (Behaviour – Making Effective Decisions)
• Success Profiles Question 3 (Behaviour – Communicating and Influencing)
• You will also be asked Strength questions.

If you have any queries about the role, or you wish to discuss the role prior to applying, please contact sarah.peyto@justice.gov.uk