The MoJ’s central Strategy, Priorities and Innovation Directorate (SPI) is recruiting permanently for multiple Senior Strategy Advisors (SEO, Band B equivalent). This campaign is being run externally and so is open to all who consider themselves suitable for the roles and meet the eligibility criteria in the wider advert within Civil Service Jobs.
Location:
Successful candidates will have the option to be based at one of the following HQ locations:
1. 102 Petty France, London
2. 5 Wellington Place, Leeds (occasional travel between Leeds and London may be required)
Ways of Working
At the MoJ we believe and promote alternative ways of working, these roles are available as:
• Full-time, part-time or the option to job share
• Flexible working patterns
• Flexible working arrangements between base locations, MoJ Hubs and home.
Our staff, who have a HQ building as their base location, are expected to work in an office at least 2 days per week.
If we receive applications from more suitable candidates than we have vacancies for at this time, we may hold suitable applicants on a reserve list for 12 months, and future vacancies requiring the same skills and experience could be offered to candidates on the reserve list without a new competition.
We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce and pride ourselves as being an employer of choice. To find out more about how we champion diversity and inclusion in the workplace, visit:
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ)
The MoJ is one of the largest government departments, employing over 90,000 people, with a budget of over £10 billion. Each year, millions of people use our services across the UK - including at 500 courts and tribunals, and over 100 prisons in England and Wales.
Further information can be found at
The Strategy, Priorities and Innovation Directorate
The Strategy, Priorities and Innovation Directorate sits at the heart of the MoJ. We work collaboratively to provide strategic leadership across the department: supporting effective governance, driving innovation and surging high-capability teams into priorities for the justice system.
The Directorate is made up of several functions, including the Strategy Unit, the Innovation Team, the Priority Projects Team and Board Secretariat, that combine to surface, help establish and collectively embed strategic justice system priorities. We:
• Shape long-term strategic outcomes for the justice system.
• Promote efficient integration across the MoJ and its agencies to serve the justice system.
• Connect the justice system across the public sector and wider partners.
The Work of the Strategy Unit
This is an exciting opportunity to join the Strategy Unit, which sits at the centre of the MoJ. We develop the department’s strategic approach, providing advice to ministers on a range of important policy, transformation and delivery issues that cut across the justice system. We help the Department make better and more coordinated decisions, plan for the long-term, and achieve its aims across the public sector and beyond.
The Strategy Unit’s work includes:
• Strategic coordination and projects. We lead on developing consensus around strategic positions across the department, including working with performance and finance colleagues on set-piece events such as election-planning and spending reviews. We promote efficient integration across the MoJ and its agencies to progress priority issues and address strategic gaps in the department’s thinking.
• Horizon scanning. We help the department understand the long-term challenges the justice system may face and coordinate work across MoJ and government to develop plans for responding to those challenges. We work closely with science, technology and policy colleagues to design frameworks for considering future trends and assessing their impacts.
• Intelligence gathering. We work with key thinkers and senior leaders both within and outside the department to understand emerging and evolving priorities in justice. We use this intelligence to inform strategic development and delivery across the department – ensuring our resources and policies are aligned.
Senior Strategy Advisor – the role
We’re looking for two Senior Strategy Advisors to join the Strategy Unit. There is no typical day within our team and in any given week you might scope a new project, draft advice for a Minister, prepare papers for Cabinet, work with analysts and other departments to understand the impacts of a decision on justice system demand or develop a plan for helping the department articulate a medium-term strategy. A Senior Strategy Advisor is a great role for someone seeking to bring their intellect and abilities to bear on some of the most important issues facing society, while developing their knowledge and understanding of Government and the justice system.
We have a flat structure and so you can expect a lot of independent work and opportunities to engage and advise senior officials and Ministers. You can also expect variety and flexibility. We cover the whole remit of the Department, which will give you the chance to gain experience on topics ranging from how to manage prison capacity to the future shape and size of the justice system.
The Strategy Unit is a united, collaborative team. Members are often asked to support projects across the team, providing a breadth of strategy experience. The team is also encouraged to work on corporate activities like learning and development, induction, staff engagement and others.