Head of Area Executive Director’s Office

at  Ministry of Justice

Salary
£75,185 - £82,703
Number of jobs available
1
Detail of reserve list
12 Months
Region
East of England, South East
City/Town
Ashford (Kent) , Brighton and Hove , Cambridge , Chelmsford , Ipswich , Norwich , Rochester , Winchester
Building/Site
ASHFORD EMPLOYMENT TRIBUNAL ASHFORD, TN23 1YB, CAMBRIDGE MAGISTRATES CAMBRIDGE, CB2 3AX, CHELMSFORD OSPREY HOUSE HR CHELMSFORD, CM2 5PF, JCC 11-13 Peninsular House Ipswich, IP4 1AQ, JCC Lancaster House Brighton, BN2 9QA, KENT AREA OFFICE ROCHESTER, ME1 3NF, NMS Part 3rd Floor, Victoria House, CM1 1JR, NORWICH COMBINED NORWICH, NR3 1UR, WINCHESTER COMBINED WINCHESTER, SO23 9EL
Please note: Some of our MoJ Office locations, such as our Liverpool Justice Collaboration Centre, require higher levels of National Security Vetting. The MoJ is working to open more Justice Collaboration Centres and Justice Satellite Offices over time. Click here to learn more about where our currently open Justice Collaboration Centres and Justice Satellite Offices are, to identify where you may be based and understand National Security Vetting requirements of each location.
Grade
Grade 6
Organisation Grade for HMPPS
Band 10
Post Type
Permanent
Working Pattern
Full Time, Part Time, Part Time/Job Share, Flexible Working, Other
Role Type
Administration / Corporate Support, Business Management & Improvement
Will the successful applicant have line manager responsibilities?
Yes
Job description

SUMMARY

This is a Senior Manager post, and the job holder will need to ensure that the Area Executive Director is effectively supported. This will include overseeing efficient business management processes, problem-solving, providing relevant and useful advice, demonstrating sound judgement, managing risk (escalating and communicating where appropriate), and conducting ad hoc activities and non-routine work as required.
The job holder has a key role in strategic planning within the Area, ensuring alignment with wider Agency and Ministerial objectives and identifying opportunities for better ways of working and improved join up between prisons and probation and across the Area. They will be involved in setting the priorities for their Area and have oversight of delivery of these and key performance measures.
The job holder will provide leadership, vision and strategic direction for the Area Executive Directorate holding accountability for ensuring any risks are communicated and managed and that the work by the Directorate contributes to HMPPS priorities.
The job holder will need to be abreast of significant developments within HMPPS and wider government, advising the Area Executive Director of where engagement or input may be required to ensure that impacts on the Area are considered, and, where possible, reflected in decision-making.
The job role can be fast paced with priorities often shifting quickly and significantly, requiring the job holder to be able to flex plans and be skilled in prioritising.
Responsibilities, Activities and Duties

The job holder will be required to carry out the following responsibilities, activities, and duties:

• Providing strong leadership to the immediate Area office team and, as part of the Area Executive Senior Management Team, helping to establish a healthy culture and leading through challenges and change.
• Management of the Area Executive Office to ensure that the Area Executive Director is fully supported, this will include establishing and overseeing effective business management processes within the Area Office team and with PGDs and RPDs, ensuring that accountabilities and responsibilities are agreed and understood, and that work is undertaken at the appropriate level with escalation as appropriate.
• Strategic and business planning for the Area, working closely with the wider Area team and ensuring an understanding of wider organisational objectives to identify Area priorities. Oversight of plans to ensure that these are effectively recorded, communicated, and monitored.
• Playing a key role in the continuous improvement of the Area to promote safe and secure prisons, effective rehabilitation, protection of the public and reductions in reoffending. This will include identifying opportunities for better ways of working and improved join-up between prisons and probation and across the Area, including maintaining and developing constructive links with key organisations and partners.
• Working with performance leads and teams, oversight of performance, assurance and risk management of prisons and probation services within the Area to be able to advise and brief the AED appropriately. This includes ensuring areas of concern are flagged as well as recognition of improvements and overseeing a coordinated response and monitoring of progress.
• Representing the Area Executive Director, undertaking activities on their behalf, including attending meetings as required.
• Managing the Area Executive Office’s relationship with headquarters (MoJ and HMPPS) to ensure efficient processes, effective communication and information sharing and utilisation of central expertise.
• Work alongside Business Partners to ensure effective workforce planning and budget management for the office and Area.
• Providing advice and briefings to HQ and Ministers on high-profile issues within the Area as well as any Area-wide issues or those impacting multiple prisons/PDUs within the Area, consulting closely with the operational line on the detail.
• Building productive working relationships with the rest of the Area Executive Senior Management Team and their wider teams to ensure the effective running of the Area as a cohesive unit.

The duties/responsibilities listed above describe the post as it is at present and is not intended to be exhaustive. The job holder is expected to accept reasonable alterations and additional tasks of a similar level that may be necessary. Significant adjustments may require re-examination under the Job Evaluation Scheme and shall be discussed in the first instance with the job holder.

EXPERIENCE

• Experience of business planning and budget management.
• Is a competent and proven senior manager with previous operational experience or a strong understanding of the operational environment in which this role is delivered.
• Experience and skills in leading and managing in a complex change management context.
• Effective high-quality skills to lead and manage staff to achieve demanding objectives.
• Demonstrates sound judgement and has the ability to build effective working relationships, and to influence and negotiate with internal and external stakeholders at a senior level in a complex and multi-layered delivery landscape.

ACCOUNTABILITY & DECISION MAKING

The job holder is responsible for strategic responsibility and line management of the area office support team and national support team
On behalf of the Area Executive Director (AED holds ultimate accountability) accountable for making decisions regarding non-operational performance improvement initiatives made at prison and probation group level and where necessary devising strategies to support improved performance
Represent the Area Executive Director at strategic meetings and work with senior personnel within the wider HMPPS Directorates and Contracted prisons
Accountable for decision making on behalf of the Area Executive Director (AED holds ultimate accountability) with stakeholders in the wider Civil Service, such as Education and Health providers when coordinating prison improvements, particularly where establishments are under Urgent Notification or Special Measures.
Provide advice and support to HMPPS HQ initial assessment teams during visits to prisons under Urgent Notification or Special Measures
Demonstrate the knowledge and skills to provide strategic advice with the authority of the Area Executive Director to Prison Group Directors and Regional Probation Directors and their offices in their designated area.

The job holder will be required to carry out the following responsibilities, activities, and duties:

• Providing strong leadership to the immediate Area office team and, as part of the Area Executive Senior Management Team, helping to establish a healthy culture and leading through challenges and change.
• Management of the Area Executive Office to ensure that the Area Executive Director is fully supported, this will include establishing and overseeing effective business management processes within the Area Office team and with PGDs and RPDs, ensuring that accountabilities and responsibilities are agreed and understood, and that work is undertaken at the appropriate level with escalation as appropriate.
• Strategic and business planning for the Area, working closely with the wider Area team and ensuring an understanding of wider organisational objectives to identify Area priorities. Oversight of plans to ensure that these are effectively recorded, communicated, and monitored.
• Playing a key role in the continuous improvement of the Area to promote safe and secure prisons, effective rehabilitation, protection of the public and reductions in reoffending. This will include identifying opportunities for better ways of working and improved join-up between prisons and probation and across the Area, including maintaining and developing constructive links with key organisations and partners.
• Working with performance leads and teams, oversight of performance, assurance and risk management of prisons and probation services within the Area to be able to advise and brief the AED appropriately. This includes ensuring areas of concern are flagged as well as recognition of improvements and overseeing a coordinated response and monitoring of progress.
• Representing the Area Executive Director, undertaking activities on their behalf, including attending meetings as required.
• Managing the Area Executive Office’s relationship with headquarters (MoJ and HMPPS) to ensure efficient processes, effective communication and information sharing and utilisation of central expertise.
• Work alongside Business Partners to ensure effective workforce planning and budget management for the office and Area.
• Providing advice and briefings to HQ and Ministers on high-profile issues within the Area as well as any Area-wide issues or those impacting multiple prisons/PDUs within the Area, consulting closely with the operational line on the detail.
• Building productive working relationships with the rest of the Area Executive Senior Management Team and their wider teams to ensure the effective running of the Area as a cohesive unit

Influencing and persuasion skills are an important part of the role. Examples of this include:

• The role often requires the job holder to request action/information from prisons and probation, HMPPS HQ and MOJ.
• The job holder will act as a point of contact for the Area Executive Director and will filter and action matters at own discretion escalating matters to the Area Executive Director when felt necessary.
• The job holder may be required to influence decision making by Area Executive Director which contribute to the risk management and assurance of the Are