7727 - Senior Project Manager (Deputy Head of Change Delivery)

Ministry of Justice; Midlands; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

An exciting opportunity at the Change Delivery Group of an established government agency, seeking a Deputy Head of Change Delivery to lead and oversee strategic change across prisons and probation services in the Midlands. The position requires robust capabilities in team leadership, performance monitoring, and stakeholder engagement. This role not only focuses on managing change implementations but also involves inspiring and guiding your team toward continuous improvement and adherence to compliance standards. Enjoy the benefits of flexible working arrangements including hybrid work options.

Benefits

Annual leave increases with service

Pension plan through Local Government

Flexible working arrangements

Training and development opportunities

Employee networks for diverse groups

Qualifications

• Proven experience in strategic leadership within an organizational change context.
• Strong ability to engage with stakeholders at various levels, ensuring compliance and change management principles.
• Experience managing and developing teams within a dynamic environment.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for change at an area/prison group/probation regional level.
• Manage Change Delivery staff, ensuring the achievement of objectives.
• Engage with senior stakeholders to oversee tiered change delivery support.

Skills

Strategic Planning

Team Leadership

Change Management

Stakeholder Engagement

Risk Management

Performance Monitoring

Job description

Region

Midlands

Closing Date

29-Jul-2025

Business Unit

AGY - NOMS Agency

Post Type

Permanent

Other

Number of jobs available

1

Reserve List

12 Months

Job ID

7727

Descriptions & requirements

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership: Provide strategic input and oversight for change at an area/prison group/probation regional level using the systems and intelligence available to and maintained by the Change Delivery Team. Contributing to the development of area/regional/group led strategic planning such as business plans, risk management etc as required. Leading or supporting on specific national strategic activity on behalf of all areas/wider change directorate as required.

Team Leadership: Manage and inspire their Change Delivery staff, providing clear guidance and holding them accountable for their roles and responsibilities regarding the Gateway Management System and change management best practice. Lead on recruitment for the team and supporting team development and performance, ensuring that objectives are met, and workloads are managed effectively. Develop a team identity that is built on professional role modelling, inclusivity, consistency of approach and collaborative leadership.

Stakeholder Engagement: Act as the regional probation/prison group face of change delivery, engaging actively with senior stakeholders through reporting, consultation and overseeing tiered change delivery support. Proactively managing local relationships by participating in regional/group/area governance forums and priority change project meetings with internal/external stakeholders including in person in establishments and probation offices. Deputising for the Head of Change Delivery in area/national meetings as required. Providing link between Area and national Change Systems and Delivery colleagues for the purposes of escalation/feedback and providing clear direction to their team.

Compliance: Ensuring compliance with the GMS is a critical aspect of the role. The Deputy Head of Change Delivery will uphold the professional standards within their team confirming we are working according to national expectations as defined in our service level agreement and protocols for GMS and PftW. Ensuring our change reporting is accurate and comprehensive when presented to senior stakeholders or used nationally.

Change Management Excellence: The Deputy Head of Change will ensure their Change Delivery Team utilise best practice methodology in change management through the use of training, continuous professional development and supervision. A flexible tailored approach will be utilised for change delivery based on the tiering principle that resources follow complexity working to nationally defined expectations. By exception, the Deputy Head may lead on or co-manage high priority complex change initiatives.

Performance Monitoring and Reporting: Providing formal reporting at an Area/regional/probation senior leadership level, offering assurance of change load and delivery progress. The Deputy will also use this information to monitor and manage team performance offering assurance of data quality.

Risk Management and Continuous Improvement: The Deputy Head of Change Delivery will build a culture within their team that identifies effective risk management strategies and Continuous Improvement to ensure change is implemented and embedded successfully. Using the methods and systems available to change delivery teams, the Deputy will use reporting outputs to get senior leader engagement. Working with the Change System Team in the ongoing development of the GMS and associated systems/protocols.

About the Change Delivery Group:

Thank you for your interest in joining the HMPPS Change Group which is led by Deputy Director, Matthew Wilson and is part of the Change Directorate (CD), led by Executive Director Matt Grey.

• With approximately 175 staff across 3 functions, our Change Group represents half of the Change Directorate.
• Whilst we are still in a period of transition due to the ongoing OneHMPPS HQ redesign, we are steadily developing our future vision and priorities, in line with wider HMPPS and ministerial commitments.
• Last year, we expanded our transformative Gateway Management System (GMS) to include the prison service which is already paying dividends and enabling us to effectively, capture, coordinate and sequence change, helping to minimise the impact on our frontline colleagues.
• There are 6 Area Change Delivery Teams and 3 National Change Delivery Teams. These teams coordinate and schedule the implementation of local, national and programmatic change projects across HMPPS.
• The Midlands Area Change Delivery Team is led by Jenna Titley and covers East and West Midlands Probation and Prison Groups.
• As a group, we are committed to evolving and enhancing the service we offer. We are privileged to have a wealth of experience and expertise across our directorate, and we look forward to capitalising on your skills and investing in your potential.

An overview of Change within His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS)

• Across HMPPS, there are numerous change workstreams operating at any given time.
• The number of workstreams fluctuates as new programmes are created and existing programmes close.
• Our Change Group is responsible for overseeing change across the agency and providing the drivers and enablers that ensure reforms are successfully implemented and embedded across our frontline services.
• In line with agreed criteria such as: programme size, whole life costs, alignment with strategic objectives, some of these programmes may fall within portfolios - including our own HMPPS Change Portfolio - and are therefore subject to specific governance and mandatory reporting.
• Other programmes and projects may fall outside the scope of a portfolio; however, it is
• still important we are aware of these change initiatives. Plus, in many cases, our teams still provide support, advice and expertise to help progress their delivery.
• On a monthly basis, the Change Board, chaired by our Executive Director Matt Grey, reviews change across the agency on behalf of the HMPPS Leadership Team (HLT).

How we capture and manage change in HMPPS

In the fast-paced world of operational delivery, it is crucial that we forecast, coordinate and manage change effectively to help minimise the impact on our frontline services.

➢ The Gateway Management System is our mandatory, centralised system for ensuring change proposals, or information requests for our operational colleagues, are captured, mapped and sequenced accordingly. This process provides leaders with a clear view of incoming changes; allowing for informed decisions on whether changes can be implemented based on current workloads and priorities.

➢ The system is more than just a tool; it's a commitment to operational excellence and testament to ‘modernising our estates and technology’ and ‘enabling people to be their best’ in line with our HMPPS Strategic Principles.

The basic lifecycle of a Change Programme

Irrespective of the level of governance applied to a change programme, most projects generally follow the same lifecycle.

There are four key stages:

➢ Planning and preparation

➢ Development and initiation

➢ Design and delivery

➢ Handover and closure

Our Change Group provides support throughout the change lifecycle.

Some of our Teams also continue to provide assistance post closure to help evaluate the effectiveness of the change which has been implemented.

Additional Information

Working Arrangements & Further Information

The MoJ offers Hybrid Working arrangements where business need allows. This is an informal, non-contractual form of flexible working that blends working from your base location, different MoJ sites and / or from home (please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas). Some roles will not be suitable for Hybrid Working.Similarly, Hybrid Working will not suit everyone’s circumstances. Arrangements will be discussed and agreed with the successful candidate(s) and subject to regular review.

For nationally advertised roles, the successful candidate(s) will be appointed to aMoJoffice location, which may include their nearest Justice Collaboration Centre or Justice Satellite Office. This will be discussed and agreed on the completion of pre-employment checks.

Some of MoJ’s terms and conditions of service are changing as part of Civil Service reform. The changes will apply to staff joining MoJ who are new to the Civil Service. Staff joining MoJ from other civil service employers will transfer onto the new MoJ terms if they are already on 'modernised' terms in their current post or onto 'unmodernised' MoJ terms if they are on 'unmodernised' terms at their current post. Details will be available if an offer is made.

Standard full time working hours are 37 hours per week excluding breaks which are unpaid. HMPPS welcomes part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns, where they meet the demands of the role and business needs. All applications for part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns will be considered in accordance withthe HMPPS’ Flexible Working policy.

The MoJ offers a range of benefits:

Annual leave is 25 days on appointment and will increase to 30 days after five years’ service, plus public holidays.Leave for part-time and job share posts will be calculated on a pro-rata basis

Pension

The National Probation Service is covered by the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) run through the Greater Manchester Pension Fund (GMPF).Please visit www.gmpf.org.uk for further information.

Please note: Any current Civil Servant who is a member of the PCSPS, by accepting an offer of employment to the National Probation Services will be opted out of the PCSPS and auto enrolled into the Local Government Pension Scheme.

Training

The Ministry of Justice is committed to staff development and offers an extensive range of training and development opportunities.

Networks

The opportunity to join employee-run networks that have been established to provide advice and support and to enable the views of employees from minority groups to be expressed direct to senior management. There are currently networks for employees of minority ethnic origin, employees with disabilities, employees with caring responsibilities, women employees, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender.

Staff on fixed term appointments must have been recruited through fair and open competition.

All candidates are subject to security and identity checks prior to taking up post.

Vacancies advertised “cross-government” are only 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; or were appointed to a permanent post through an exception in the Civil Service Commissioners' rules.

Support

• A range of ‘Family Friendly’ policies such as opportunities to work reduced hours or job share.
• Access to flexible benefits such as voluntary benefits, retail vouchers and discounts on a range of goods and services.
• For moves to or from another employer or moves across the Civil Service this can have implications on your eligibility to carry on claiming childcare vouchers. You may however be eligible for alternative government childcare support schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. More information can be found on www.GOV.UK or Childcare Choices .You can determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.
• Paid paternity, adoption and maternity leave.
• Free annual sight tests for employees who use computer screens.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles .Should you feel that the recruitment process has breached the recruitment principles you are able to raise a formal complaint in the following order

• To the Civil Service Commission (details available here )

As a Disability Confident employer, MoJ are committed to providing everyone with the opportunity to demonstrate their skills, talent and abilities, by making adjustments throughout all elements of the recruitment process and in the workplace. MoJ are able to offer an interview to disabled candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns.

You will be able to request reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process within the application form. If you need additional help completing the application form, please contact the TBS Recruitment Enquiries Team.

For more information on applying for a role as a candidate with a disability or long-term condition, please watch our animated videos .

Civil Service departments are expected to explore redeployment opportunities before making an individual redundant. The MoJ is committed, as part of the Redeployment Interview Scheme, to providing opportunities to those who are 'at risk of redundancy'.

MoJ is able to offer an interview to eligible candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns. Candidates will not be eligible for the Redeployment Interview Scheme if they are applying on promotion.

Civil Service Nationality Rules

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) https://www.gov.uk/settled-status-eu-citizens-families
• 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

A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made for the same or similar roles.

There will be a Information briefing about the role and the Team on Thursday 17 th July – 4pm-5pm – if people would like to join and hear more, please send an email to [e-mail] and we will send you the link.

Job Description Attachment

Role Profile.docx(Job Description Attachment)

A sift based on the lead behaviour, Leadership, may be held if a large number of applications are received. If a large number of applications remain after the initial sift, your application will be progressed to a full sift, where all behaviours will then be considered.

250

Changing and Improving

Communicating and Influencing

Delivering at Pace

Leadership

Working Together

Experience

We will assess your experience for this role via the following methods

Statement of Suitability

Evidence of Experience

Statement of Suitability

Interview stage assessments

Interview Dates

To Be Confirmed

Behaviours

Changing and Improving

Communicating and Influencing

Delivering at Pace

Leadership

Working Together

Strengths

Strengths will be assessed but these are not shared in advance. To learn more about Strengths and how they are assessed please click here .

Other Assessments

Which assessment methods will be used?

Presentation

Use of Artificial Intelligence (Al)

You must ensure that any evidence submitted as part of your application, including your CV, statement of suitability and behaviour examples, are truthful and factually accurate. Please note that plagiarism can include presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own.