Head of Intelligent Client Capability

Ministry of Justice; City of Westminster; Hybrid; GBP 71,000 - 81,000; Full time

Job summary

A governmental body in charge of justice is seeking a Senior Head of Intelligent Client Capability to oversee critical services and manage supplier relationships. The role requires excellent commercial acumen and negotiation skills, leading a team of around 20 staff. Key tasks include ensuring effective contract management and strategic engagement with high-level stakeholders. This position offers a competitive salary and the option for hybrid working arrangements.

Benefits

Generous annual leave

Contributory pension scheme

Childcare benefits

Season ticket loans

Bicycle loans

Qualifications

• Strong commercial acumen and the ability to negotiate effectively.
• Experience in managing supplier relationships and operational contracts.
• Ability to navigate a complex organization and influence stakeholders at all levels.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a high-performing team of ~20 staff.
• Provide oversight of critical contracts and ensure value for money.
• Build and maintain relationships with senior stakeholders and suppliers.
• Identify and respond to strategic issues within the justice system.
• Lead on risk management and proactively mitigate service delivery risks.

Skills

Commercial acumen

Negotiation skills

Influencing skills

Stakeholder management

Job description

Overview

The Senior Head of Intelligent Client Capability role is varied, high profile, and central to the effective delivery of HMCTS's contracted services. It leads operational contract management and supplier relationships to ensure critical services perform effectively for users. The role spans operational delivery, commercial and market insight, and the ability to anticipate and respond to political and justice-related issues. It requires navigating a complex organisation and working closely with partners across the wider justice system. You will lead the operational contract and supplier management for several critical services to HMCTS and justice partners, including Language Services (interpreting and translation), Court Reporting & Transcription, Intermediaries, and other specialist services. Working with HMCTS operations colleagues and the commercial function, you will ensure these services deliver for users, resolve issues, and drive continuous improvement. You will lead strategic engagement with suppliers and external stakeholders, including senior leaders across industry forums and legal professional groups, ensuring strong relationships, effective performance, and influential communication at the highest levels. You will retain oversight of high value contracts with an annual spend of approximately £50m, working with senior commercial leads and HMCTS managers. You will lead a team of around 20, spanning grades from EO to G7, providing expert input on critical contracts and guiding the portfolio. As a key part of the Contracted Services Senior Leadership Team, you will contribute to the leadership of a wider division of more than 70 colleagues, driving an ambitious agenda to improve contract management capability across HMCTS and supporting frontline teams to maximise the benefits of contracted services. Succeeding in this role requires strong commercial acumen, excellent negotiation and influencing skills, and the confidence to hold suppliers and partners to account. A typical day may involve chairing a supplier performance meeting, resolving service issues with Operations colleagues, representing the contract management perspective at a project board, or developing approaches for establishing and sourcing new services.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a team of ~20 staff, fostering a high-performing, inclusive culture, while contributing to the leadership of the wider team of ~70 colleagues.
• Provide strategic and operational oversight of critical contracts and suppliers, ensuring value for money, performance against contractual commitments, and effective management of commercial risks.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with senior stakeholders, both within HMCTS and external stakeholders, acting as a trusted partner across HMCTS and the wider justice ecosystem.
• Identify and respond to strategic issues and emerging trends within relevant markets and across the justice system, ensuring the organisation is well-positioned to manage change and complexity, and that we have the appropriate contracts with suppliers to respond to these issues.
• Lead on risk management, proactively identifying, assessing and mitigating risks to service delivery, commercial outcomes, and our organisational objectives.
• Work collaboratively with HMCTS, suppliers, and other partners to ensure services are aligned with organisational priorities and consistently deliver for users and customers.
• Contribute to wider corporate leadership, supporting strategic planning, governance, wellbeing, and continuous improvement across the function.

Qualifications and Evidence

• Be factually accurate – submit evidence that is truthful and factually accurate. Plagiarism concerns (including ideas or experiences generated by AI) should be avoided.
• Include your qualifications, highlighting any modules or accreditation relevant to the role.
• Include your relevant experience, providing dates.
• Provide detail on how your knowledge, skills, and experience demonstrate the capabilities we are looking for.
• Statement of suitability demonstrating how you meet the essential criteria (up to 1000 words). The statement should be no more than 1000 words and give real-life examples of how your skills and experience match the role. Consider addressing the person specification requirements and key responsibilities. Follow the STAR format where possible.
• Ensure that any evidence submitted as part of your application is truthful and factually accurate. Plagiarism concerns apply.

Interview and Working Arrangements

• If successful at sift, you will be invited to a remote interview via Microsoft Teams. You will be assessed against Civil Service Success Profiles, including: a role-play exercise based on contract and/or supplier management, and questions on Leadership, Communicating and Influencing, Working Together, Seeing the Big Picture. Strengths will be assessed but not shared in advance.
• The MoJ offers Hybrid Working arrangements where business need allows. This is an informal, non-contractual flexible working arrangement. All roles require a minimum of 60% of working time in an office, subject to local estate capacity. Some roles may not be suitable for Hybrid Working; arrangements will be discussed with the successful candidate(s) and reviewed regularly. Nationally advertised roles align with the nearest viable office to your home postcode.
• Flexible working patterns (part-time, flexible, job-share) will be considered in line with MoJ policy.

Benefits and Other Details

• Salary: national £71,381 - £80,419; London £75,674 - £85,257. Salary depends on base location. A range of family-friendly and flexible working policies, and employee benefits including generous annual leave, a contributory pension scheme, childcare benefits, season ticket and bicycle loans.
• Leave and Pension: 25 days annual leave on appointment (increasing to 30 days after five years); public holidays and a privilege day; pro-rata leave for part-time roles. Pension options available. Training and development opportunities.
• Networks and Support: employee networks for minority groups; information on disability adjustments and civil service accessibility.

Additional Information

• Disability Confident employer commitment and interview support where eligible.
• Details on recruitment and interpretation of Civil Service reform and terms will be provided if an offer is made.
• For more information on veterans’ interview schemes, see the Civil Service Make the Civil Service a Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative.