Corporate Operations and Projects Manager

This is an exciting time for the Judicial Office’s Corporate, Estates and Infrastructure Team. The Judicial Office has expanded the services it provides to judges and magistrates across England and Wales and has more than doubled in size over the last three years (to c480 staff). Strong corporate services are central to enabling us – and the judiciary we support – to deliver at our best. The successful candidate will help shape and deliver the core services which allow the office to run smoothly, lead a varied portfolio of projects across the Corporate, Estates and Infrastructure Team, and be a key part of a dynamic wider unit.

Key Activities and Responsibilities

• Accommodation: Lead on delivering all accommodation projects agreed by the Judicial Office Management Board — working with teams and suppliers to scope refurbishment plans and ensuring smooth transitions and implementation. Represent the team at the RCJ Safety and Security meetings (held every six months). Build strong working relationships with Facilities Managers across other sites where JO staff are based, including attending estates meetings as required. Provide oversight and act as the escalation point for day‑to‑day accommodation processes, including requests for furniture and additional equipment, securing approvals and ensuring the correct procurement processes are followed.
• Business Continuity: Support the G7 Head of Corporate Operations to embed Business Continuity responsibilities across the Judicial Office—raising awareness, coordinating regular plan testing, ensuring best practice is followed and sharing lessons learned to strengthen organisational resilience. Provide secretariat support to the Incident Response Team, briefing senior leaders and maintaining up‑to‑date policy documentation and communications.
• Line Management: Line manage one EO “Assistant Corporate & Facilities Manager” role including task management, performance management, training and development, mentoring and coaching.
• Internal Communications: Lead on drafting engaging internal communications that celebrate team successes and highlight key corporate messages for senior leaders and the wider Judicial Office. Work closely with the Judicial Office’s Internal Communications Team.
• Finance: Manage, oversee and report on centrally managed budgets, including Infrastructure, Accommodation and Health & Safety. Use Hyperion and the JO forecasting tool to oversee centrally managed budgets and items in the suspense account, ensuring corrective action is taken where needed. Run reports and complete monthly variance reporting for centrally managed budgets. Oversee the Purchase Order process to support prompt payment of invoices.
• Health and Safety: Act as an advocate for health and safety and good working practices where needed. Support the SEO to complete quarterly, 6 monthly and annual health & safety performance returns to both MOJ and the RCJ Estates Team. Train as a Fire warden within the Judicial Office, respond to fire evacuations and act as an advocate for fire safety where needed.
• Infrastructure: Oversee and quality assure the EO delivering BAU infrastructure projects.

Skills and Qualifications

You will receive extensive on‑the‑job training, with the potential to gain professional qualifications through formal learning and development opportunities.

Essential skills:

• A track record of influencing and delivering through others
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with experience engaging a wide range of stakeholders at all levels
• Strong IT and organisational skills, with the ability to manage projects effectively, manage budgets, prioritise, and deliver cost‑effective solutions
• Creative and solutions‑focused, with a commitment to delivering high‑quality services
• A proactive, can‑do approach, with the ability to work at pace during busier periods
• Experience of corporate Health & Safety work, ideally supported by relevant qualifications
• Knowledge of procurement processes

Benefits:

• Annual leave: 25 days on appointment, increasing to 30 days after five years of service
• Leave scheme: option to buy or sell up to three days leave each year; additional paid time off for public holidays and 1 privilege day
• Flexible working: hybrid arrangements available with a minimum of 60% on‑site time; part‑time and flexible patterns considered
• Pension: choice of Civil Service pension schemes
• Training: extensive range of training and development opportunities offered
• Employee networks: opportunities to join networks supporting minority groups, disability, caring responsibilities, women, LGBTQ+ groups

Equal Opportunity: The job is 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. Eligible candidates include nationals of Commonwealth countries, EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and their family members with settled or pre‑settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme, as well as individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020.