22359 - Chief of Staff in London

This vacancy is only available to existing Civil Servant employees and employees of accredited non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs). Please review the "Eligibility" section before you apply.

General Information

• Salary: £75,674 - £85,257
• Working Pattern: Full Time
• Location: London
• Closing Date: 30-Sep-2026
• Post Type: Permanent
• Civil Service Grade: Grade 6
• Number of jobs available: 1
• Reserve List: 12 Months

HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) is responsible for the administration of criminal, civil and family courts and tribunals in England and Wales. Our roles support our service users and colleagues, where people and businesses access potentially life-changing justice. We’re looking for individuals who are committed to public service and want to make a difference in people’s lives in delivering justice. If you’re interested in developing a career with a real purpose, please apply.

The Office of the Chief Executive sits at the heart of HMCTS, working directly with the Chief Executive and across the organisation to help turn her ambitions into action. The Office of the CEO brings together three teams: the Private Office, which provides grip around the CEO and ensures she has the advice and support she needs to lead the organisation effectively; the Executive Engagement Unit, which helps the CEO and Executive Team build strong relationships with HMCTS staff and with our most important partners; and the CEO Priorities Unit, which provides additional drive and focus on the issues and opportunities that matter most to the CEO and the organisation.

As Chief of Staff, you will lead the CEO’s Private Office and be one of her closest advisers. You will have a unique view across HMCTS, working with senior leaders across the organisation and engaging regularly with Ministers, the senior judiciary and colleagues across the Ministry of Justice. You will help the CEO navigate complex issues, spot where her intervention can make a difference, ensure decisions turn into action and bring together the right people to get things done. If you enjoy dynamic, fast-paced roles where no two days are the same, this is a fantastic opportunity.

Your role as Chief of Staff will encompass several key responsibilities listed below (but not limited to):

• Lead a high-performing Private Office, ensuring the CEO receives high-quality, timely advice, briefing, coordination and support.
• Act as a trusted adviser and sounding board to the CEO, providing clear advice and exercising judgement on complex, sensitive and fast-moving issues.
• Maintain grip across the CEO’s agenda, ensuring key decisions, actions, risks and emerging issues are identified, progressed and followed through.
• Act as a fixer on behalf of the CEO, coordinating activity across HMCTS and providing advice, support, challenge and direction to senior colleagues where appropriate.
• Build strong relationships across the Executive Team and with senior leaders across HMCTS and MoJ, using influence to resolve issues and drive progress.
• Support the CEO’s relationships with the Board Chair, Ministers, the Senior Judiciary, the Permanent Secretary and other senior stakeholders, managing day-to-day interaction and ensuring requests are handled effectively.
• Commission and quality-assure briefings, correspondence and other material for the CEO, Ministers and senior stakeholders, often at short notice.
• Represent the CEO’s views and priorities appropriately and, where required, represent the CEO in meetings and discussions.
• Work closely with the Engagement team so that important relationships, commitments and follow-up are joined up with the CEO’s day-to-day business.
• Work closely with the Priorities team so that the CEO has clear visibility of progress on key priorities, risks and decisions required.
• Support strong standards across Directors’ offices through the Heads of Office network, sharing good practice and providing guidance where useful.

Essential skills:

• Excellent judgement, with the ability to handle complex and sensitive issues with integrity, professionalism and discretion.
• Highly proactive, with the ability to spot risks and opportunities, work with minimal direction and drive issues through to resolution.
• Strong leadership skills and the ability to build, motivate and develop a high-performing team.
• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to absorb complex information quickly and provide clear, concise written and verbal advice.
• Strong relationship-building and influencing skills, with the confidence and credibility to work effectively with senior leaders and stakeholders.
• Ability to prioritise and re-prioritise rapidly, remain calm under pressure and deliver at pace in a complex environment.
• A collaborative approach, with the ability to work across organisational boundaries and get results through influence rather than formal authority.

Application process:

• Stage 1 - Sift: An anonymised CV, setting out your career history, key responsibilities and achievements. Your CV will be assessed against the essential criteria outlined within the Essential Skills section of this advert.
• Stage 2 - Interviews: Successful candidates who passed the sift will be invited to interview in person – with interviews being held at 102 Petty France.

Important information:

• Level of Clearance: You will be required to obtain SC clearance upon appointment and once in post, you will be required to obtain SC clearance (unless already held).
• Travel requirements: There will be a requirement to travel frequently to any HMCTS site in line with business needs.

Benefits:

• Annual Leave: 25 days on appointment and will increase to 30 days after five years’ service.
• Pension: The Civil Service offers a choice of pension schemes.
• Training: The Ministry of Justice is committed to staff development and offers an extensive range of training and development opportunities.
• Flexible working hours: The Ministry of Justice offers a flexible working system in many offices.

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants. We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition. As a Disability Confident employer, MoJ are committed to providing everyone with the opportunity to demonstrate their skills, talent and abilities.