Business Relationship Manager (Ref: 23896) in Edinburgh

This position is based Nationally.

HM Courts & 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.

The Judicial, RCJG and HQ portfolio encompasses a diverse range of digital and technology services including workplace technology, networks, audio visual services, collaboration platforms, business applications, legacy systems and emerging digital services. The portfolio supports judicial office holders, Royal Courts of Justice operations, senior HMCTS leadership teams and corporate functions. The environment is complex, highly visible and often politically sensitive, requiring careful stakeholder management, strong service leadership and a deep understanding of user needs.

As HMCTS continues to modernise its services and technology estate, effective partnership between business and technology teams is critical to ensuring services remain resilient, secure, accessible and aligned to organisational priorities.

The jobholder must provide clear leadership and focus, visibly championing the changes which improve user experience for the judiciary, operational teams and citizens served by them, supporting the delivery of greater efficiencies. They will provide open minded and enthusiastic digital leadership, recognising that they are accountable for the rigorous delivery of critical live operational services on a national scale.

The postholder will act as the senior relationship lead between Digital and Technology Services and the judiciary, Royal Courts of Justice Group and HQ business areas. They will ensure digital and technology services support the effective administration of justice whilst recognising and respecting the constitutional independence of the judiciary.

The role is responsible for building trusted relationships with senior stakeholders, representing user needs within DTS, coordinating strategic demand, supporting service improvement and ensuring that business priorities are reflected in technology planning and delivery.

The postholder will provide leadership across a complex portfolio of live services and technology initiatives, ensuring stakeholders receive clear communication, effective support and confidence in the services provided by HMCTS. The role reports to the Head of Judicial, RCJG and HQ Digital and Technology and includes line management responsibilities for a multidisciplinary team.

Your role as Business Relationship Manager will encompass several key responsibilities:

• Develop and maintain trusted relationships with senior judicial stakeholders, HMCTS leaders, Ministry of Justice partners and suppliers, acting as the primary strategic liaison between Digital Technology Services (DTS) and the Judicial, RCJG and HQ portfolios.
• Provide expert advice on digital and technology services, ensuring stakeholders are informed of performance, risks, opportunities and future developments.
• Lead stakeholder engagement activities, ensuring business priorities, user needs and feedback are reflected in service strategies, roadmaps and delivery plans.
• Maintain oversight of a complex portfolio of digital and technology services, ensuring alignment with organisational objectives and strategic priorities.
• Coordinate and manage competing business demands, providing a clear view of service performance, risks, dependencies and improvement activities across multiple teams and services.
• Champion user-centred, accessible and inclusive service delivery, ensuring services meet the diverse needs of judicial office holders, HMCTS staff and wider users.
• Use service data, customer insight and user feedback to identify opportunities for continuous improvement and enhanced user experience.
• Lead business readiness, change and adoption activities to support successful implementation of new technologies, services and transformation initiatives.
• Monitor service performance and operational risks, ensuring issues are identified, managed and escalated appropriately to maintain service continuity and resilience.
• Provide high-quality assurance, governance support and executive reporting to senior leaders, boards and judicial stakeholders.
• Manage effective relationships with suppliers and delivery partners, ensuring contractual commitments, service standards and continuous improvement objectives are achieved.
• Lead, develop and inspire a high-performing team, promoting an inclusive culture, professional development, service management best practice and the growth of the Business Relationship Management capability across DTS.

Essential skills:

• Significant experience of stakeholder relationship management within a complex organisational environment.
• Experience of building credibility and influence with senior stakeholders and leadership teams.
• Strong understanding of digital and technology services and their role in supporting business outcomes.
• Experience of managing service performance, risk and operational delivery within complex environments.
• Experience of leading or supporting significant business change and service improvement initiatives.
• Experience of delivering services in environments where accessibility, inclusion and diverse user needs are important considerations.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret complex information and support decision making.
• Excellent communication, engagement and influencing skills.
• Experience of working across multiple teams and organisational boundaries to deliver outcomes.
• Ability to operate effectively in environments characterised by ambiguity, competing priorities and continual change.
• Experience of producing concise reporting and briefings for senior stakeholders.
• Ability to balance strategic thinking with operational delivery.

Desirable skills:

• Experience of working with the judiciary, courts, tribunals or wider justice sector organisations.
• Experience of working within government, public sector or highly regulated environments.
• Experience of service management, IT operations or digital service delivery.
• Experience of accessibility, assistive technology or inclusive service design.
• Experience of supplier and commercial management.

Behaviours: We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process: Communicating and Influencing.

Technical skills: We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process: Stakeholder Relationship Management (IT Operations), Strategic Thinking, User Focus, Ownership and Initiative, Business Analysis (IT Operations).

Benefits: Alongside your salary, HM Courts and Tribunals Service contributes towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Access to learning and development, a working environment that supports a range of flexible working options to enhance your work life balance, a working culture which encourages inclusion and diversity, annual leave, public holidays, and season ticket advance.