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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
21-Aug-2026
Post Type
Fixed Term, Detached Duty, Loan
Civil Service Grade
Grade 7
Number of jobs available
1
Reserve List
12 Months
Job ID
20889

Descriptions & requirements

Job description
Job Title: Synergy HR Cluster Project Management Lead

Band: Grade 7 

Business Group: Cluster HR Function – Synergy Programme

Directorate: People & Capability 

Location: National 

Duration: Fixed Term 24 Months 

Do you want to be part of an energetic, innovative team helping to deliver one of the biggest changes to Civil Service administration in decades?

An opportunity has arisen to join the Cluster HR Function as a Core Cluster HR Programme Management Lead within the Synergy transformation programme. This is a high-profile, cross-departmental role working across DWP, Defra, MoJ and the Home Office.

The role will provide programme management, governance and delivery oversight across HR transformation activity, helping to ensure plans, risks, dependencies and decisions are coordinated across the cluster. Working closely with the Synergy Cluster HR Delivery Lead, programme colleagues and departmental stakeholders, the post holder will support a joined-up approach to delivery and help embed a sustainable future HR operating model.

The Cluster HR Function

The Cluster HR Function is a multi-departmental team responsible for shaping and coordinating HR transformation for the Synergy programme. It supports the development of a unified HR operating model by reducing duplication, improving consistency and preparing departments for implementation and steady state.

Working on a cluster-first basis, the function brings together HR, programme and departmental colleagues to support governance, readiness, engagement and delivery across the four departments. Its work is aligned to the Synergy Common Operating Model and supports wider convergence across HR, Finance, Commercial and the Synergy Hub.

Role Purpose

The Core Cluster HR Programme Management Lead provides structured programme level co-ordination, governance and assurance across HR transformation activity within the Synergy Cluster, helping to maintain coherence across the cluster and grip on delivery as the programme progresses.

The role acts as a critical operational bridge between the Programme, the Cluster HR Function and departments, ensuring that HR activity is well planned, implementation ready and aligned to the strategic direction.  Through strong oversight of milestones, dependencies, risks and decision making, the post holder supports effective delivery in a complex, multi-departmental environment with evolving requirements.

A key focus of the role is supporting the transition from programme delivery into steady state, ensuring that governance, controls and agreed ways of working are embedded in a way that enables the future HR operating model to function effectively at cluster and departmental level.

Operating with a high degree of autonomy within defined governance frameworks, the post holder will provide clear insight to senior leaders, enable timely and evidence‑based decisions, and escalate issues where necessary to maintain momentum and delivery focus.

Key Responsibilities

The role will contribute to and lead activity across the following areas:

Cluster HR Governance and Assurance

  • Coordinate and manage cluster level HR governance and assurance activity, ensuring alignment with Programme requirements.
  • Track and coordinate design endorsement and assurance activity, including preparation of papers, responses and follow up actions.
  • Provide project management skills and programme management oversight across cluster HR activity, maintaining grip on milestones, dependencies, risks and issues.
  • Oversee secretariat support for HR governance forums, including agenda planning, paper coordination, action tracking and decision logging.

Delivery Oversight and Reporting

  • Produce and maintain reports, dashboards and forward looks to provide clear visibility of progress, risks, issues and decisions.
  • Maintain delivery roadmaps and plans supporting coordinated HR transformation activity across the cluster, including the transformation roadmap to 2030.
  • Own and maintain the cluster dashboard, HR radar and associated tracking products.

Stakeholder Engagement and Coordination

  • Lead and coordinate cross cluster stakeholder engagement activity, building effective working relationships to support delivery.
  • Create engagement materials and coordinate engagement across HR, operational and programme stakeholders to ensure shared understanding of priorities, risks and decisions.
  • Support senior colleagues with clear, evidence-based updates and briefings on governance, assurance and delivery matters.

Operational Management and Control

  • Oversee effective file and configuration management to ensure documentation is controlled, accessible and compliant with agreed standards.
  • Maintain accurate action and decision logs to support transparency and accountability.
  • Identify emerging risks, pressures and impacts on delivery and readiness, working closely with core Synergy colleagues.

What the Role Offers

This role offers a unique opportunity to work within one of the Civil Service’s most significant transformation programmes, influencing the future design and delivery of HR services across some of the UK’s largest government departments.

The post holder will operate in a delivery focused, cross-cluster and cross departmental environment, contributing directly to the transition to a unified, efficient and future ready HR function where consistency, collaboration and user centred service design are core principles.

Who Should Apply

Existing Civil Servants who are operating at, or are ready to operate at, Grade 7 level, and who are motivated by working in a complex, cross departmental transformation environment.

Person Specification

The role will particularly suit individuals who:

  • Have experience of project or programme management, governance, assurance or delivery oversight within HR, transformation or largescale organisational change programmes and be comfortable operating in environments with a high degree of ambiguity and evolving requirements.
  • Are confident working across multiple stakeholders and departments, balancing differing priorities while maintaining clarity, consistency and delivery focus.
  • Have a strong understanding of governance, assurance and control, including tracking milestones, risks, issues, dependencies, actions and decisions.
  • Are comfortable operating with a high degree of autonomy within defined frameworks, providing structured oversight and clear escalation where required.
  • Can produce clear, evidence-based reporting, dashboards and briefings to support senior decision making.
  • Can create clear, tailored engagement products that help land key messages with internal and external stakeholders at all levels.
  • Have experience of coordinating or supporting design assurance, implementation readiness or operating model change, ideally within a shared services or transformation context.
  • Are able to build effective working relationships across HR, operational and programme communities, acting as a credible bridge between strategic intent and operational delivery.

This role is well suited to individuals who enjoy working in fast paced, delivery focused environments and are motivated by the opportunity to help shape and embed a future ready, cluster first HR operating model across government.

They should be open to innovative ways of working and confident using the full suite of Microsoft 365 applications and tools in their day-to-day work to support collaboration, planning, reporting and delivery.

This is a two-year project to develop Cluster HR Function. Any future roles required permanently in steady state will be determined as part of the organisation design and advertised across the cluster.

Travel Requirements

Travel will be required for team days at MoJ offices, and to meet the needs of the programme at other Cluster offices such as DWP, Defra, Home Office, as required at programme stages/deliverables.

Application Process

You will also be assessed against the Civil service success profiles framework at application stage. 

Application stage

Behaviours

Please provide evidence of how you meet the lead behaviour in a maximum of 250 words:

  • Delivering at Pace (Lead behaviour)

Experience

Please provide the following:

  • An anonymised copy of your CV
  • statement of suitability (750-word count) explaining how your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the criteria set out in the person specification.
In the event of receiving a high volume of applications, we will conduct an initial sift on Delivering at Pace (Lead behaviour).

Interview stage

Candidates who pass the application sift stage will be invited to have an interview before appointment, which will be conducted virtually on Microsoft Teams.

At interview, candidates will be assessed on behaviours (listed below) and Strengths from the Success Profiles framework:

Behaviours

  • Delivering at Pace (Lead behaviour)
  • Seeing the Big Picture
  • Leadership
  • Communicating and Influencing

Further information 

If you require further information on the role or have any questions, please get in touch with Louise.Martin1@justice.gov.uk or Jennie.heard@justice.gov.uk. 

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: 20889

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: 20889

Application form stage assessments

Behaviours
A sift based on the lead behaviour, Delivering at Pace, may be held if a large number of applications are received. If a large number of applications remain after the initial sift, your application will be progressed to a full sift, where all behaviours will then be considered.
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
Please explain how your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the criteria set out in the person specification (within 750 words).
Evidence of Experience
CV or Work History, Statement of Suitability

Interview stage assessments

Interview Dates
Expected September
Behaviours
Delivering at Pace
Seeing the Big Picture
Leadership
Communicating and Influencing
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.