Hearings Manager

The Graduate Project; City Of London; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

The Graduate Project is recruiting an experienced Hearings Manager to lead a busy Adjudications function within a Fitness to Practise setting in City of London. You will oversee hearings, committee meetings and a team of hearing coordinators and secretaries to deliver high-quality decisions on time.

Applicants will have operational management experience in a formal decision-making environment, strong leadership skills and the ability to handle sensitive matters with stakeholders and registrants.

Qualifications

• Operational management experience in Fitness to Practise, tribunals, hearings or comparable formal decision-making environments.
• Proven ability to lead teams and deliver high-quality service under pressure.
• Strong communication with stakeholders, registrants and legal representatives.

Responsibilities

• Leading, motivating and developing the Hearings and Adjudications team.
• Managing planning, scheduling and delivery of hearings and committee meetings.
• Ensuring panels are appropriately appointed, quorate and supported.
• Providing clear procedural guidance and resolving operational issues efficiently.
• Monitoring performance against service standards, deadlines and team objectives.
• Reviewing hearing outcomes and determinations and ensuring timely issuance.
• Leading quality assurance activity and using findings to improve processes.
• Collaborating with investigation, case progression and enforcement colleagues to improve the process.
• Supporting recruitment, training and performance management of statutory committee and panel members.
• Producing reports and management information for senior stakeholders.

Job description

We are recruiting an experienced Hearings Manager to lead a busy Adjudications function.

This is a key management role within a Fitness to Practise setting. You will lead a team responsible for the effective delivery of hearings and committee meetings, ensuring every stage is managed professionally, efficiently and in line with policy, procedure and relevant legislation.

The role

As Hearings Manager, you will lead and develop a team of hearing coordinators, scheduling officers and committee secretaries. You will take responsibility for the smooth running of Fitness to Practise hearings and meetings, ensuring a high-quality service for registrants, panel members, legal representatives and internal stakeholders.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Leading, motivating and developing the Hearings and Adjudications team.
• Managing the planning, scheduling and delivery of Fitness to Practise hearings and committee meetings.
• Ensuring panels are appropriately appointed, quorate and supported.
• Providing clear procedural guidance and resolving operational issues efficiently.
• Monitoring performance against service standards, deadlines and team objectives.
• Reviewing hearing outcomes and determinations, ensuring these are robust, clear and issued within agreed timescales.
• Leading quality assurance activity and using findings to improve processes, training and guidance.
• Working closely with investigation, case progression and enforcement colleagues to improve the overall Fitness to Practise process.
• Supporting the recruitment, training and performance management of statutory committee and panel members.
• Producing reports, management information and recommendations for senior stakeholders.
• Deputising for the Head of Professional Regulation where required.

About you

You will be an experienced operational manager with a background in Fitness to Practise, tribunals, hearings or a comparable formal decision-making environment.

You will have proven experience managing a team, working under pressure and delivering a high-quality service against demanding deadlines. You will be confident dealing with sensitive matters and communicating with a broad range of stakeholders, including individuals who may be vulnerable.

We are particularly interested in candidates with experience of:

• Managing hearings, tribunal or adjudications operations
• Leading and developing teams
• Fitness to Practise or disciplinary processes
• Hearing scheduling, panel management and quoracy
• Quality assurance of decisions, determinations or case outcomes
• Process improvement, performance reporting and service delivery
• Working within a statutory, public protection or regulated environment

This is an excellent opportunity to lead an important service that helps uphold professional standards and protects the public.