14068 - Senior Strategy Adviser in Brighton

The MoJ’s central Strategy, Priorities and Innovation Directorate (SPI) is recruiting permanently for a Senior Strategy Advisor (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:

• 102 Petty France, London
• 5 Wellington Place, Leeds (occasional travel between Leeds and London may be required)

The Ministry of Justice (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.

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 identify, 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. It is our role to provide integrated, system-wide advice to ministers on a range of important policy, transformation and delivery issues. 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: We support coordination across the department, including alignment with central government strategy and the department’s strategic priorities. This work requires us to deliver regular key briefings for the Secretary of State and Permanent Secretary, bringing together a collective departmental position.
• Intelligence gathering: We work with key thinkers and senior leaders both within and outside the department to understand emerging and evolving priorities in justice. As a central team, we rely on our ability to build relationships across the Department, draw on them to get things done and balance interests to build consensus. We use this intelligence to inform strategic development and delivery across the department – ensuring our resources and policies are aligned.
• Strategic projects: We help to shape long-term strategic outcomes for the justice system, working across the department to develop consensus around our strategic position. We also undertake projects to investigate specific strategic questions and develop recommendations for senior leaders.

Senior Strategy Advisor – The Role

We’re looking for a Senior Strategy Advisor to join the Strategy Unit. We undertake challenging work and are often asked to balance urgent commissions alongside projects that need thought and structure. There is no typical day within our team and in any given week you might scope a new project, draft advice for the Permanent Secretary or prepare papers for Cabinet. A Senior Strategy Advisor is a great role for someone seeking to apply their abilities to 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 leaders. 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 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. The team has a wide range of experience – some have worked in different parts of MoJ and other government departments, while others have joined from outside the Civil Service. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce and pride ourselves as being an employer of choice.