14771 - Strategy and Planning Manager, Central Planning Team

This position offers a unique opportunity to become part of the Central Planning Team within Planning and Operational Support (POpS) in the Judicial College, supporting the Lady Chief Justice and the Senior President of Tribunals in delivering high-quality judicial training.

The Strategy and Planning Manager will play a pivotal role in coordinating a dynamic training programme, working collaboratively with both judicial and College colleagues.

The Judicial Office (JO) reports to, and is accountable, to the Lady Chief Justice (LCJ). It was established in 2006 to provide support to the LCJ and to the wider judiciary in upholding the rule of law and in delivering justice impartially, speedily and efficiently, following the Constitutional Reform Act 2005. In addition, we support, and are accountable to, the Senior President of Tribunals, whose responsibilities extend to Scotland and Northern Ireland. The JO is an interesting and unique place to work. Everything we do is in support of upholding the independence and impartiality of the judiciary. We work closely with HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS), the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and others across Government as well as with the legal professions. We are an Arm’s Length Body sponsored by the Ministry of Justice. This creates an interesting and complex environment in which to work where we agree our priorities with the senior judiciary and receive our funding to deliver them from the Ministry of Justice. The Judicial Office has been through a period of significant growth resulting from an expansion of our remit and responsibilities.

The Judicial College is a very busy and high‑profile section of the Judicial Office. We are responsible for judicial training, and we currently deliver approximately 1800 judicial seminars and events each year to around 24,000 judicial office holders. Much of the training is face to face but, in addition, the College is continuing to diversify its methods of delivering training to incorporate more digital platforms, increasing its use of e‑learning and webcasting.

The POpS Team is the customer facing hub of the College, providing planning and organisational support to judicial training events across the UK. The POpS team is based over three main sites – Loughborough, London and Leeds. We make good use of flexible and remote working across our offices.

Key responsibilities

• You will work collaboratively within POpS, across other parts of Judicial College and wider and engaging with senior stakeholders, including judiciary, to lead and support the production of the Judicial College training programmes.
• Using complex data, you will gain a thorough understanding of judicial recruitment and induction plans, assessing and delivering continuation training needs, monitoring capacities and timings, and ensuring you are up to date with any programme changes.
• You will also be instrumental in the production of the annual prospectus for one or more areas of the college, by leading and supporting the project management of the collaborative work. This will require you to coordinate scheduling, ensure deadlines are met, and maintain clear communication channels between all parties involved.
• You will be expected to track project milestones, identify risks or issues early, and elevate them where necessary to ensure the smooth delivery of Judicial College training programmes.
• Effective documentation and proactive planning will be key to staying on top of evolving requirements and ensuring objectives are achieved within set timeframes.
• Actively contributing to the development and continuous improvement of training programmes by analysing data and working in partnership with operational delivery teams and judicial trainers.
• Leading and supporting the project management and delivery of the annual prospectuses, particularly in your allocated area of work.
• Working with a range of stakeholders (including colleagues across the Judicial Office, Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service, Ministry of Justice and judiciary) to plan, manage and monitor new and emerging training needs, including recruitment needs.
• Supporting relations between the college and the venue broker.
• Overseeing and keeping abreast of any programme changes in your given area.
• Actively contribute to the development and delivery of continuous improvement projects and assist with the delivery of the Planning and Operational Support Team’s business plan.
• Line management of one or two Executive Officers (EO). You will report to the Senior Strategy and Planning Manager (SEO).

Essential skills and experience

• You will have experience in:
• Planning and operational delivery
• Using and interpreting complex data
• Continuous Improvement
• IT skills including MS Teams and Excel
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to communicate at senior levels and tailor style of communication to suit audience and context