Policy Adviser

Ministry of Justice; United States; Remote; USD 57,000 - 61,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual Leave

Pension

Training and development

Family friendly arrangements

Flexible benefits

Job summary

The Ministry of Justice is recruiting a Senior Policy Adviser in the Death Management Policy and Casework Team to help shape policy in burial, cremation and coroner matters. You will engage with ministers, lawyers, analysts and other departments, delivering sound policy options and leading on key stakeholder engagement.

You will drive policy development, support casework, and manifest strong leadership while maintaining the highest standards of integrity and public service in a high-profile area.

Qualifications

• You will be self-starting with the ability to prioritise competing demands.
• You will have excellent written and oral communication skills.
• You will be highly organised and able to manage multiple workstreams.
• You will liaise with lawyers, analysts, ministers and private offices and other departments.
• You will translate complex policy issues into clear options for delivery.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement policy in death management activities.
• Advise Ministers and senior leaders to shape strategic policy decisions.
• Lead stakeholder engagement and coordinate with MoJ lawyers and analysts.
• Prepare responses to Parliamentary Questions and ministerial correspondence.
• Provide project management support across policy areas.

Skills

Written & verbal comms

Interpersonal skills

Stakeholder management

Policy advisory

Leadership

Tools

Office 365

Job description

This is an exciting opportunity to undertake a key role in a fascinating, sensitive and often high-profile area of the Ministry of Justice's portfolio. MoJ is the lead department on burial, cremation and coroner law and policy, working closely with other departments which also have a direct interest. The Death Management, Inquiries and Coroners Division (DMIC) therefore delivers a wide range of high-profile policy, and exercises statutory functions on behalf of the Lord Chancellor, working with a number of government departments and a wide range of external stakeholders. Senior Policy Adviser in the Death Management Policy and Casework Team - the role You will have the opportunity to develop a wide range of skills, including policy development, stakeholder management, and leadership, among others. The role will involve regular liaison with lawyers, analysts, ministers and their private offices as well as colleagues in other government departments, in particular the Department of Health and Social Care, Home Office and Cabinet Office. The post holder will report to the Grade 7 and will have responsibility for taking forward policy development and implementation on specific policy issues which may include amongst others:

Key policy areas

• the Government's response to the Law Commission's project on Burial, Cremation and New Funerary Methods - a once in a generation review of the law governing how we dispose of the bodies of our loved ones;
• a range of interesting and often complex issues relating to burial and cremation law and policy;
• MoJ's interest in changes flowing from the introduction in 2024 of the statutory Medical Examiner scheme;
• supporting the team's casework function.

Role responsibilities

• Responsibility for the management and development of at least one HEO.
• Advising Ministers and senior leaders, orally and in writing, to inform strategic decisionsand long-term policy development on issues relating to death management (including in the context of the Government's response to the Law Commission project).
• Leading on engagement with key stakeholders and work closely with MoJ lawyers and analysts to ensure all policy, legislative and operational issues are identified.
• Responsibility for responding to Parliamentary Questions and drafting responses to written correspondence from MPs and the public.
• Legislative work, working closely with MoJ lawyers.
• Providing updates on progress to senior managers, private offices and ministers.
• Providing project management support across their area/s, driving these forward independently.
• Providing advice on ad hoc policy issues and a source of advice and knowledge to departmental and wider government colleagues.

The MoJ is proud to be Level 3 Disability Confident. Disability Confident is the approach through which we offer guaranteed interviews for all people with disabilities meeting the minimum criteria for the advertised role as set out in the job description.

Essential requirements

• You will be self-starting, able to prioritise competing demands and to work proactively.
• You will have excellent written communication and oral communication/interpersonal skills.
• You will be highly organised.
• You will be able to take responsibility for solving problems and using those solutions to develop and improve your own and the team's ways of working.
• The role involves regular liaison with lawyers, analysts, ministers and their private offices as well as colleagues in other government departments. You will therefore have strong interpersonal, negotiation and stakeholder management skills and be able to translate these into policy options that can be delivered in an operational and judicial setting.
• You will also have an aptitude for detailed work, with the ability to communicate complex policy issues clearly to non-experts and senior stakeholders.

Desirable criteria

• Understanding the Parliamentary system, including PQs, secondary legislation etc.
• Knowledge of Office 365 applications
• Knowledge of advising, briefing and drafting policy

MoJ is the largest government department, employing over 90,000 people with a budget of approximately £10 billion. Each year, millions of people use our services across the UK - including at 500 courts and tribunals, and 133 prisons in England and Wales.

The national salary range is £42,914 - £46,182 London salary range is £49,325- £53,081 Your salary will be dependent on your base location, Existing Civil Servants will have their salary calculated in accordance with the Department's pay on transfer / pay on promotion rules.

Benefits

• Annual Leave: Annual leave is 25 days on appointment and will increase to 30 days after five years' service. There is also a scheme to allow qualifying staff to buy or sell up to three days leave each year. Additional paid time off for public holidays and 1 privilege day. Leave for part-time and job share posts will be calculated on a pro-rata basis.
• Pension: The Civil Service offers a choice of pension schemes, giving you the flexibility to choose the pension that suits you best.
• 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 employees.
• 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.

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

Working for the Civil Service: The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

Level of security checks required: Baseline Personnal Security Standard (BPSS)