23706 - Lead Panel Support - Preventative Analytics for Youth Justice Advisory Panel (PAYJAP)

Ministry of Justice; National (WA); Hybrid; USD 60,000 - 74,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension contributions (28.97% through

25 days annual leave + 8 bank holidays

Hybrid working arrangement

Personal and professional development

£1k learning budget

Maternity/adoption/parental leave with

Job summary

Ministry of Justice is seeking a Lead Panel Support for the Preventative Analytics for Youth Justice Advisory Panel (PAYJAP). This national role focuses on secretariat duties, governance, and coordinating expert volunteers within a cross-government context.

The position offers flexible patterns including full- and part-time options and a strong development budget. The role supports the PAYJAP and sub-panels, ensuring timely meetings, accurate records, and compliant communications, while

Qualifications

• Excellent organisational skills required to manage competing priorities and deadlines.
• Strong written and verbal communication abilities for diverse audiences.
• Proven stakeholder management across government, academia, and external partners.
• Ability to operate within a complex multi-agency environment with sound judgement.
• Willingness to be assessed against BPSS clearance requirements.

Responsibilities

• Manage day-to-day operation of PAYJAP and sub-panels.
• Provide high-quality secretariat support: plan meetings, papers, decisions and actions.
• Coordinate contributions of Panel members, volunteers, and government colleagues.
• Maintain governance records: memberships, appointments and terms of reference.
• Document outputs and decisions per governance processes; respond to FOI requests.
• Update GOV.UK pages for the Panel; liaise with content team.
• Build relationships across MoJ, other departments, academia and partners.
• Promote Panel awareness through internal and external engagement.
• Support broader Youth Justice Data projects linked to the Panel.
• Develop understanding of youth justice data and processes.

Skills

Organisational skills

Written & verbal communication

Stakeholder management

Multi-agency collaboration

BPSS clearance requirement

Job description

23706 - Lead Panel Support - Preventative Analytics for Youth Justice Advisory Panel (PAYJAP)

Lead Panel Support - Preventative Analytics for Youth Justice Advisory Panel (PAYJAP)

Location: National*

Closing Date: 21st November 2026

Grade: SEO

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

Working pattern: Full time, Part time, Flexible working

Contract Type: Permanent

Number of vacancies: 1

Vacancy number: 23706

*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 for a Lead Panel Support here at Justice Digital, Data and Science to be part of our warm and collaborative Youth Justice Data team.

The Cross-Government Division within MoJ brings together policy, data, and analytical capability to address complex justice challenges that cut across departmental boundaries. Within the division, Youth Justice Data focuses on using evidence to improve decision-making and outcomes for children and young people.

The preventative analytics portfolio is a response to the government commitments in the recently published youth justice White Paper, 'Cutting youth crime. Changing young lives.’ Advances in machine learning and advanced analytics can strengthen prevention by identifying needs earlier and better allocating support, in line with the long-term interests with the child. The goal is to minimise contact with the justice system and the stigma that can accompany it.

The MoJ established the ministerially-chaired Preventative Analytics for Youth Justice Advisory Panel (PAYJAP) in spring 2026. PAYJAP meets quarterly and is comprised of academics, practitioners and technologists. By suggesting and reviewing proposals for using machine learning and advanced analytics in youth justice, it will provide an additional layer of scrutiny within MoJ. It will ensure that any data science or algorithmic development is safe and appropriate.

This role will provide secretariat and organisational support for PAYJAP and its subcommittees. It will be an exciting and challenging opportunity with the potential to transform long-term outcomes for children through new technologies.

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

Manage the day-to-day operation of the Preventative Analytics for Youth Justice Advisory Panel (PAYJAP) and its sub-panels.

Provide high-quality secretariat support, including planning meetings, preparing papers, recording decisions and tracking actions.

Coordinate the contributions of Panel members, including expert volunteers, Ministry of Justice colleagues and Arm's Length Body representatives.

Maintain the Panel's governance arrangements, including membership records, appointments, terms of reference and supporting documentation.

Ensure the Panel's outputs, decisions and activities are accurately documented and shared in line with agreed governance processes.

Prepare briefings, correspondence and responses to internal enquiries and Freedom of Information (FOI) requests relating to the Panel.

Maintain and update the Panel's GOV.UK webpages, working with the GOV.UK content management team.

Build effective working relationships with colleagues across the Ministry of Justice, other government departments, academia and partner organisations to support the Panel's work.

Promote awareness of the Panel and its work through internal and external engagement activities.

Support the delivery of wider Youth Justice Data projects linked to the Panel's programme of work.

Develop and maintain a good understanding of the youth justice system, its data, and the administrative processes that support preventative analytics.

If this feels like an exciting challenge, something you are enthusiastic about, and want to join our team.

Person Specification

Excellent organisational skills, with the ability to proactively manage competing priorities, meet deadlines and adapt to a fast-paced and changing environment.

Excellent communication skills, with the ability to produce clear written communications and present confidently to a range of audiences, both in person and online.

Strong stakeholder management skills, with experience of building effective working relationships across government, academia and external partner organisations, including with senior stakeholders.

Ability to display sensitivity and judgement within a complex multi-agency environment.

Willingness to be assessed against the requirements for BPSS clearance