Ministry of Justice (MoJ)

The Family Justice System Improvement Unit (FJSI) drives cross‑system improvement work and seeks to improve outcomes for children and families across England and Wales. The unit collaborates with the Department for Education, Cafcass, HMCTS, local authorities and Welsh Government to set strategic direction for the system and help translate Ministerial ambitions into actionable reform plans. In this role, you will help shape and deliver a public‑facing strategy for family justice and lead significant reforms such as the Child‑Focused Courts private‑law programme.

Key Responsibilities

• Drive the delivery of a long‑term, public‑facing strategy for the Family Justice System, currently under development and due for publication later in 2026, working closely with DfE and system partners to secure commitment to planned reforms and embed MoJ and DfE ministerial priorities.
• Work with analysts and system leaders to develop a clear road‑map for improving the data and evidence base for family justice, including creating new metrics and data‑sharing approaches.
• Lead a national programme to strengthen local delivery across England and Wales, supporting performance improvement across 43 Local Family Justice Boards and championing a culture of continuous improvement, innovation and best‑practice sharing.
• Coordinate targeted improvement efforts in regions facing acute challenges, including bespoke regional strategies for London, Greater Manchester and south‑east England.
• Oversee delivery of the mediation vouchers programme and develop policy to increase the uptake of pre‑court mediation.
• Lead and inspire a high‑performing team, including four SEOs and one HEO, while providing strategic direction to analytical colleagues to deliver shared objectives.

Essential Qualifications

• An experienced leader who can collaborate with senior stakeholders to set direction and deliver at pace.
• A coherent line manager capable of inspiring their team and fostering a culture of high performance and continuous improvement.
• A strategic thinker with a proven ability to engage stakeholders in setting a future vision that aligns operational delivery plans with strategic policy outcomes.
• Strong analytical skills and an understanding of how to use data to generate insights on performance and drive targeted improvements.
• Confidence working with and briefing judges, ministers and senior officials, backed by strong written and verbal communication skills.
• A commitment to change and improvement, capable of promoting a culture of continuous improvement and sharing good practice nationally and locally.

Desirable Qualifications

• An understanding of the justice system and the challenges it faces.

Working Arrangements

The MoJ offers hybrid working arrangements where business needs allow, subject to local estate capacity and a minimum of 60% office presence. For nationally advertised roles, the base location will be the nearest viable office to the candidate's home postcode. The role must be based in the UK.

Benefits

• Annual leave: 25 days on appointment, increasing to 30 days after five years, plus public holidays and a privileged day.
• Pension: The Civil Service offers a choice of pension schemes.
• Training: Extensive training and development opportunities.
• Networks: Employee‑run networks for various minority groups, disabilities, caring responsibilities, women and LGBTQ+ staff.
• Support: Family‑friendly policies, flexible benefits, childcare vouchers, paid maternity/paternity/adoption leave and free annual sight tests for computer‑screen users.

Equality, Diversity