22813 - Head of Operations (Crime) & Head of Service Performance & Improvement (South West)
| Company: | Ministry of Justice |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £71,381 to £80,419 a year |
| Hours: | Full-time |
| Location: | South West |
| Working pattern: | On-site |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Posting date: | 28 Sept 2026 |
| Closing date: | 12 Oct 2026 |
Summary
Proud to serve. Proud to keep justice going.
We are excited to be offering 2 positions within our South West senior leadership team - Head of Operations for Crime and Head of Service Performance & Improvement (HoSPI).
About us
HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) is responsible for the administration of criminal, civil and family Courts and Tribunals in England and Wales and non-devolved tribunals in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Our roles support our service users and colleagues within HMCTS, where people and businesses access potentially life-changing justice. We’re looking for individuals who are committed to public service and making a difference in people’s lives to deliver justice. If you are interested in developing a career with a real purpose, please apply.
Head of Operations Crime - Your role
The Head of Operations will undertake the strategic leadership and performance of across multiple locations, ensuring a highly effective and consistent service delivery.
The role has considerable influence and responsibility across this service as well as significant people leadership responsibility. The postholder will have direct line management of the Deputy Head of Operations and indirect leadership of several hundred staff across the region.
As the jurisdictional lead for Crime, the Head of Operations will work with colleagues, leadership teams, Judges, stakeholders and senior stakeholders to focus on developing the end-to-end service to maintain and improve performance.
Your skills and experience
Head of Operations will have;
• Excellent leadership and relationship management skills with proven ability of delivering through others and leading large operational teams.
• Experience of operational/service management and supporting stakeholders/partners. The Head of Operations will engage effectively with internal stakeholders, the legal profession and external stakeholders in managing interactions with the wider community and the media.
• The ability to anticipate and identify strategic organisational issues and analyse and interpret statistical information to assess performance. The Head of Operations will be expected to take responsibility for the resolution of a range of complex problems, escalating only those which are outside of current policy area or level of authority.
• Excellent communication and customer service skills, understanding the needs of our end users reflecting the diverse needs of our customer base from professional justice partners to vulnerable victims and witnesses.
• Strong influencing, collaborating and negotiating skills to deliver excellent levels of service within the jurisdiction.
• A demonstrable track record of strategic planning and delivering significant change.
The Head of Service Performance & Improvement (HoSPI) - Your role
The Head of Service Performance & Improvement (HoSPI) is a key strategic leadership role responsible for driving service improvement, performance and change across all jurisdictions within the region. Working alongside the Regional Delivery Director, you will support the delivery of regional priorities, improve operational performance and ensure the effective implementation of new policies, processes and systems.
Your role will encompass several key aspects (but not limited to):
• Lead service improvement and change initiatives across the region.
• Work with operational and legal leaders to analyse performance and drive continuous improvement.
• Act as the link between frontline operations and national Service Owners, providing operational insight to support future service development.
• Support regional business planning and strategic delivery across all jurisdictions.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with senior stakeholders, judiciary and justice partners to deliver service improvements.
• Lead regional change teams and support the successful implementation of national and local change programmes.
• Support the effective allocation of resources and identify opportunities to improve service delivery and performance.
Essential
• Experience of leading people, performance and change within a complex operational environment.
• A proven track record of delivering service improvement and positive business outcomes.
• Excellent leadership, communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to interpret performance information and identify strategic priorities.
• Experience of building effective relationships and influencing senior stakeholders across organisational boundaries.
• The ability to lead through others, motivate teams and deliver results in a changing environment.
Location
The successful candidates can be based in any South West region location as below but will be required to regularly travel across the region, along with other HMCTS locations as required by business needs. Travel expenses will be paid in accordance with organisational policies.
Aldershot, Barnstaple, Basingstoke, Bath, Bodmin, Bournemouth, Bristol, Cheltenham, Exeter, Gloucester, Havant, Newport (Isle of Wight), Newton Abbot, Plymouth, Poole, Portsmouth, Salisbury, Southampton, Swindon, Taunton, Torquay, Truro, Weston-Super-Mare, Weymouth, Winchester, Yeovil.
Further details
New recruits to the Civil Service joining MoJ are expected to join at the band minimum.
These vacancies are full time only due to their nature. Standard full time working hours are 37 hours per week (Monday to Friday). Non-contractual hybrid working is currently available. Hybrid working arrangements will be determined by the business and will only be available when it has been established that delivering the service from home can be done effectively. We cannot facilitate requests for a particular work from home/working in the office schedule.
For a full job description of the roles, please read the supporting documents before applying. If you would like to discuss the roles and the responsibilities, please contact svetlana.orriss@justice.gov.uk
IMPORTANT
You must clearly indicate within your statement of suitability which role you are applying for –
• Head of Operations for Crime
• Head of Service Performance & Improvement
• Both roles