Head of Professional Delivery Group

Role overview

The Ministry of Justice is seeking a senior project delivery leader to head its Professional Delivery Group. This nationally based post sits at the centre of a major government portfolio, supporting the delivery of new prisons, justice system transformation, and technology upgrades.

You will oversee a team of roughly 300 to 375 project delivery professionals, with responsibility for deploying them across projects and programmes within the Ministry of Justice and its agencies. The role calls for a strong people leader who can shape capability, support inclusive ways of working, and influence senior sponsors and directors across the department.

This is a high-profile opportunity to contribute directly to one of the largest and widest-ranging portfolios in government while helping build a high-performing, diverse and collaborative function.

Key responsibilities

• Provide leadership for four or five clusters covering approximately 300 to 375 full-time project delivery professionals within the Professional Delivery Group.
• Oversee the delivery of projects and programmes through line management, maintaining strong first-line controls and ensuring project delivery standards are followed on a comply-or-explain basis.
• Strengthen the capability of project delivery staff by supporting training, learning pathways, professional accreditation, and chartership in line with the Project Delivery Capability Framework.
• Make sure projects and programmes are resourced effectively based on capability, including efficient recruitment, onboarding, workforce planning, demand forecasting, and management of consultancy and contingent labour contracts to limit external spend.
• Lead the rollout and embedding of the Transformation Plan, helping deliver business outcomes, cultural change, stronger project performance, and improved resourcing and capability.
• Work closely with senior responsible owners, project and programme directors, and other senior stakeholders to improve forecasting, resource allocation, and professional support, while building strong relationships across government and with NISTA.
• Deliver functional objectives, transformation priorities, OKRs, KPI targets, and standards compliance outcomes in partnership with the wider leadership team.
• Contribute to the Senior Leadership Team by bringing specialist insight and helping shape a unified functional position for senior committees and boards.
• Respond quickly and effectively to shifting departmental priorities.
• Lead and support a team spread across multiple locations.
• Share collective responsibility with the Senior Leadership Team for key delivery areas, including project performance insight, professional standards, resource prioritisation, and transformation priorities.

Experience and requirements

• Demonstrated success in leading project delivery services and managing the recruitment, development, and leadership of project delivery professionals in an environment of comparable scale and complexity.
• Strong judgement in giving strategic advice, constructive challenge, and practical support on project delivery matters.
• Ability to build trusted relationships with stakeholders at all levels and handle politically sensitive, complex negotiations.
• Experience working across organisational boundaries and drawing on resources from within the Ministry of Justice, wider government, and external partners.
• Proven ability to build high-performing teams and provide inspirational leadership, backed by strong communication and engagement skills.
• Background in human resources policies and practices.
• Strong motivation to help advance the project delivery profession across government.
• Desirable: project delivery qualifications, or a willingness to work towards them, such as PRINCE2, APM PMQ, Chartered Project Professional, or Project Delivery Accreditation.
• The selection process will assess behaviours, strengths, and experience, with emphasis on leadership, managing a quality service, communicating and influencing, developing self and others, and working together.

Additional information

This is a nationally based role and can be associated with the following regions: East Midlands, East of England, London, North East England, North West England, Scotland, South East England, South West England, Wales, West Midlands, and Yorkshire and the Humber.

The post has an expected minimum assignment duration of 3 years. This expectation is not a contractual change to terms and conditions, but it does reflect the period the role holder is expected to remain in post to support delivery and build expertise.

Applicants should note that successful candidates will need to pass a criminal record check and meet security clearance requirements at Security Check level before appointment. People working with government assets must also complete baseline personnel security standard checks.

This role is open to UK nationals, Republic of Ireland nationals, Commonwealth nationals with the right to work in the UK, eligible EU/Swiss/Norwegian/Icelandic/Liechtenstein nationals and certain family members under the EU Settlement Scheme, individuals with eligible limited or indefinite leave to remain, and Turkish nationals and certain family members with the right to work in the Civil Service.

The Civil Service recruits on merit through fair and open competition and supports diversity, inclusion, disability confidence, and redeployment opportunities for eligible civil servants.

Benefits

• Salary of £86,000, plus an employer contribution of £24,914 toward the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution rate of 28.97%.
• Access to learning and development opportunities.
• Flexible working options designed to support work-life balance.
• An inclusive working culture that values diversity and belonging.
• Annual leave and public holidays.
• Season Ticket Advance.

Selection process

The recruitment process uses Success Profiles and will evaluate behaviours, strengths, and experience. Applicants are advised to review the candidate information pack for full details of the role, the selection process, and the recruitment timeline. Feedback will be provided only to candidates who attend an interview or assessment.

Artificial intelligence guidance

AI tools may be used to support an application, but all examples and statements must be truthful, factually accurate, and drawn from the applicant’s own experience. Applications may be withdrawn if plagiarism or misrepresentation is identified.