Head of Portfolio - Digital (Ref: 21099)

Job description

About the job

Job summary

This position is based Nationally

Job description

Head of Portfolio - Digital

Location: National* (some travel may be required)

Closing Date: 28th August

Interviews: 10, 11, 14 & 16 September

Grade: 6

(MoJ candidates who are on a specialist grade, will be able to retain this grade on lateral transfer)

Salary** (please see more info below):

National: £71,381 - £80,419

London: £75,674 - £85,257 (which may include an allowance of up to £9,151)

Working pattern: Full-time, Part-time, Flexible working

Contract Type: Permanent

Number of vacancies: 1

Vacancy number: 21099

*We offer a hybrid working model, allowing for a balance between remote work and time spent in your local office. Office locations can be found ON THIS MAP

Please note that unless you are an existing member of staff at Justice Digital, Data and Science, the only London location being recruited to is 10 South Colonnade, E14 4PU. We are no longer recruiting to 102 Petty France, SW1H 9AJ.

The Role

We're recruiting a Head of Digital Portfolio to join our warm and collaborative team at Justice Digital, Data and Science.

This role aligns against the Head of Portfolio Management role from the Government Digital and Data Framework.

As Head of Portfolio, you will provide authoritative strategic oversight of a complex and high-profile digital portfolio operating within a multi-stakeholder government environment. You will ensure transparency of delivery performance, effective governance and assurance, and robust management of risk and dependencies. Through high-quality portfolio insight, you will enable informed decision-making at senior leadership and Board level.

You will lead and develop a team of digital portfolio managers and contribute to the wider portfolio management community across Justice Digital, Data and Science.

At this role level, you will:

• Provide strategic oversight and governance of digital initiatives across the portfolio, ensuring coherence and alignment to Justice Digital, Data and Science strategy.
• Ensure proportionate, effective and consistently applied governance and assurance controls.
• Oversee portfolio-level risks, interdependencies and systemic issues, addressing or escalating as appropriate.
• Deliver clear, evidence-based insight on portfolio health, trends and future delivery confidence to senior leaders.
• Build and lead a diverse, skilled and motivated team of digital portfolio managers.
• Strengthen portfolio management capability across Justice Digital, Data and Science through coaching, mentoring and professional development.
• Contribute to cross-portfolio collaboration, ensuring a joined-up and transparent approach to change delivery.

You'll receive a range of excellent benefits when you join our department, including:

• A generous employer pension contribution of 28.97% through the Civil Service Pension Scheme.
• 25 days of annual leave, (increasing to 30 days once you have reached 5 years of service), plus 8 bank holidays and a privilege day for the King's birthday.
• Flexible working arrangements including hybrid working, working part time or compressed hours. Designed to support a positive work-life balance.
• Employees are allocated 10% of their working time for personal and professional development.
• A £1k per person learning budget is in place to support all our people, with access to best-in-class conferences and seminars, accreditation with professional bodies, fully funded vocational programmes and e-learning platforms.
• Compassionate maternity, adoption, and shared parental leave policies, with up to 26 weeks leave at full pay, 13 weeks with partial pay, and 13 weeks further leave. And maternity support/paternity leave at full pay for 2 weeks, too!

You can find more details of the Benefits we offer here. To help picture your life at MoJ Justice Digital, Data and Science please take a look at our blog.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Portfolio Oversight

• Provide strategic leadership and oversight of the digital portfolio, ensuring visibility of delivery progress, risks, dependencies and outcomes.
• Enable senior leaders to make informed decisions through high-quality analysis, performance reporting and forward-looking insight.
• Support the development of outcome-driven roadmaps aligned to organisational and cross-government strategy.
• Maintain a clear view of systemic pressures, trade-offs and delivery confidence across the portfolio.

Governance & Assurance

• Lead the design, implementation and continuous improvement of portfolio governance and assurance frameworks.
• Hold accountability for the integrity and effectiveness of portfolio governance mechanisms.
• Ensure standards, controls and reporting mechanisms are proportionate and consistently applied.
• Oversee escalation of risks and issues to senior governance forums, including Board-level reporting.
• Act as a subject matter expert in portfolio governance, supporting teams to apply appropriate and effective controls.

Portfolio Performance & Insight

• Define and monitor portfolio-level performance indicators focused on outcomes, delivery confidence, risk exposure and strategic alignment.
• Analyse portfolio performance data to identify trends, systemic risks and cross-cutting dependencies.
• Provide structured, evidence-based recommendations to address delivery challenges and strengthen portfolio health.

Leadership & Capability Development

• Lead, develop and motivate a team of digital portfolio managers, setting clear direction and expectations.
• Foster an inclusive, high-performing culture that promotes continuous improvement and professional growth.
• Contribute to the development of portfolio management capability and standards across Justice Digital, Data and Science.
• Champion transparency, clarity and professionalism in portfolio communications.

Cross-Organisational Collaboration

• Build strong, trusted relationships with delivery teams, senior stakeholders and wider government partners.
• Work collaboratively with other Heads of Portfolio to ensure a coherent, aligned approach to change delivery.
• Support alignment of portfolio oversight with broader departmental and cross-government objectives.

If this feels like an exciting challenge, something you are enthusiastic about, and want to join our team please read on and apply!

Person Specification

Essential Criteria:

• Demonstrated experience providing strategic oversight of large-scale digital or technology portfolios within complex organisations, influencing strategic direction and improving delivery confidence.
• Expertise in establishing and enhancing portfolio governance frameworks, performance reporting mechanisms and risk management processes, including production of high-quality Board-level insight.
• Ability to analyse complex portfolio performance data, identify systemic risks and dependencies, and provide clear, evidence-based recommendations to senior stakeholders.
• Exceptional communication and influencing skills, with experience engaging and persuading senior leaders across government to build alignment and consensus.
• Experience leading and developing multidisciplinary specialist teams, fostering inclusion, continuous improvement and professional capability growth.
• Demonstrated ability to operate effectively across organisational boundaries, aligning portfolio oversight with wider departmental and cross-government strategic objectives.

Willingness to be assessed against the requirements for BPSS clearance.

We welcome the unique contribution diverse applicants bring and do not discriminate based on culture, ethnicity, race, nationality or national origin, age, sex, gender identity or expression, religion or belief, disability status, sexual orientation, educational or social background or any other factor.

Our values are Purpose, Humanity Openness and Together. Find out more here about how we celebrate diversity and an inclusive culture in our workplace.

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service D&I Strategy.

Salary Information**

Base salary for this role is from£71,381 to £80,419 (National) or from £75,674 to £85,257 (London).

• New entrants to the Civil Service joining the MoJ are expected to start at the minimum of the pay band.
• Existing Civil Servants moving on a level transfer will retain their current base salary or move to the minimum of the pay band for the role, whichever is higher.
• Existing Civil Servants who are promoted will either move to the bottom of the new grade's pay band or receive a 10% uplift, whichever provides the greater increase.
• Candidates may also be eligible for a non‑pensionable Government Digital & Data Allowance of up to £9,151 per year (London). This is a temporary allowance, reviewed annually and may be retained, amended, or withdrawn.

The final offer will reflect the skills and experience you demonstrate during the assessment process.

Person specification

Please refer to Job Description

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £71,381, Ministry of Justice contributes £20,679 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

• 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
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
• Annual Leave
• Public Holidays
• Season Ticket Advance

For more information about the recruitment process, benefits and allowances and answers to general queries, please click the below link which will direct you to our Candidate Information Page.

Link: https://justicejobs.tal.net/vx/candidate/cms/About%20the%20MOJ

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

How to Apply

In Justice Digital, Data and Science, we recruit using a combination of the Government Digital and Data Profession CapabilityandSuccess Profiles Frameworks. We shall assess a combination of your Experience, Technical Skills and Behaviours during the assessment process.

Stage 1 - Application and sift:

To apply for this position, you must submit the following as part of your application:

• A CV detailing your career history (including any relevant qualifications). Your CV will be assessed against the essential criteria outlined within the Person Specification of this advert.
• A Personal Statement (no more than 750 words) which should outline your experience and skills, giving clear examples of work undertaken. It should specifically address the following 3 criteria listed below, using a separate paragraph for each.
• Demonstrated experience providing strategic oversight of large-scale digital or technology portfolios within complex organisations, influencing strategic direction and improving delivery confidence.
• Expertise in establishing and enhancing portfolio governance frameworks, performance reporting mechanisms and risk management processes, including production of high-quality Board-level insight.
• Experience leading and developing multidisciplinary specialist teams, fostering inclusion, continuous improvement and professional capability growth.

A diverse sift panel will review the information in your CV and Personal Statement to assess the sift criteria specified above. We operate an anonymous shortlisting process. Please ensure your CV and Personal Statement do not include your name or any other identifying details.

Should we receive a high volume of applications, a pre-sift based on "Demonstrated experience providing strategic oversight of large-scale digital or technology portfolios within complex organisations, influencing strategic direction and improving delivery confidence" will be conducted before the sift.

Please access the following link for guidance on how to apply - Application Guidance

Stage 2 - Interviews:

Successful candidates who meet the required standard will then be invited to a panel interview held via Microsoft Teams. At interview stage, you will be assessed against the following Success Profile elements - Experience, Technical Skills and the following Behaviours:

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Managing a Quality Service
• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Leadership

As part of your interview, you will be asked to deliver a 10-minute presentation on a specific topic that will assess your experience leading and developing multidisciplinary specialist teams, fostering inclusion, continuous improvement and professional capability growth. Further details will be provided to candidates invited to interview.

Appointments are made strictly in merit order. If two or more candidates receive identical interview scores, the Communicating and Influencing behaviour will be applied as the primary lead criterion to determine the final merit order.

Should you be unsuccessful in the role that you have applied for but demonstrate the capability for a role at a lower level, we reserve the right to discuss this opportunity with you and offer you the position without needing a further application.

A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months, from which further appointments may be made.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check.

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : SSCL Recruitment Enquiries Team
• Email : [email protected]
• Telephone : 0345 241 5359

Recruitment team

• Email : [email protected]

Further information

Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles. If you feel a department has breached the requirement of the Recruitment Principles and would like to raise this, please contact SSCL ([email protected]) in the first instance. If the role has been advertised externally (outside of the Civil Service) and you are not satisfied with the response, you may bring your complaint to the Commission. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web pages: http://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/civil-service-recruitment/complaints/

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