23388 - Records Management Strategic Lead

The Ministry of Justice is recruiting for a Records Management Strategic Lead within HM Courts and Tribunals Service. This is a permanent, full‑time role in the Digital Technology Services directorate, with an onsite working pattern and a hybrid approach where business needs allow. The base location determines your salary within the civil service ranges, with the London range set at £49,325 to £53,081 and the national range at £42,914 to £46,182. The role requires Security Clearance (SC) as a condition of appointment and involves working across a national footprint.

As Records Management Strategic Lead, you will act as the HMCTS subject matter expert for records management, setting strategic direction and delivering practical improvements to strengthen governance, accountability and compliance. You’ll work with the MoJ Records Management Team to ensure both electronic and paper records are handled in line with statutory and MoJ/HMCTS policy frameworks, including PRA, GDPR, DPA and FOIA. If you enjoy shaping policy, guiding colleagues through complex information governance issues, and driving visible improvements in record keeping across courts and tribunals, this role should appeal to you.

The ideal candidate is someone who has delivered records management programmes in large organisations, communicates clearly with diverse stakeholders, and can balance strategic oversight with hands‑on fixes. You’ll need to explain risks and mitigations in plain language, produce concise reports for senior leaders, and foster a culture where information is managed openly and responsibly.

The day-to-day in the records management realm

You’ll design and continually improve a records management framework for HMCTS, ensuring it aligns with both MoJ standards and regulatory obligations, and you’ll provide assurance to the Departmental Records Officer that HMCTS meets its duties. A core part of the role is coordinating requests and commissions from the Records Management Team, identifying records within scope and offering practical, user‑facing guidance across the organisation. You’ll engage with users to understand their information challenges and lead initiatives to enhance creation, storage, retention, disposal and archiving in line with RRDS. Building strong relationships with stakeholders across HMCTS ensures records considerations are embedded in the requirements for corporate applications, and you’ll drive remediation of control gaps and non‑conformities, turning audit findings into embedded actions.

Reporting and dashboards you deliver will give senior leadership clear visibility on performance, risks and progress, so you can drive continuous improvement and strengthen information governance. You’ll attend HMCTS and MoJ boards and committees to promote best practice, and you’ll scope activities related to the management of courts records while participating in wider MoJ and HMCTS initiatives to stay compliant over time.

Your essential toolkit and desirable extras

• A proven track record delivering records management programmes or information governance initiatives within a large, complex organisation
• Experience shaping and implementing records management strategies, frameworks, policies and standards
• A solid grasp of records management principles, lifecycle governance and related controls
• Strong knowledge of PRA, GDPR, DPA and FOIA
• Experience guiding organisational change and delivering improvement programmes
• Clear communication and influencing skills, with the ability to explain risks and mitigations
• Self‑driven, discreet and highly organized, capable of handling competing priorities calmly
• A track record of building positive relationships across organisational boundaries to drive shared outcomes
• Ability to translate complex records management issues for technical and non‑technical audiences
• Experience producing high‑quality reports, briefings and recommendations for senior leaders

• A professional qualification in records management or information governance
• Membership of a recognised professional body such as IRMS
• Understanding of wider information governance disciplines, including data protection, FOI and information security

Pay, location and working arrangements

The civil service publishes a national salary range of £42,914 to £46,182 and a London range of £49,325 to £53,081; your actual pay is determined by your base location. This role is listed as National, with a permanent post and a full‑time / flexible working pattern. Office attendance is required, with three days per week based in an HMCTS office, subject to business availability. The vacancy is for one post, with a 12‑month reserve list.

Hybrid working is supported where business needs allow, but the role can be UK‑based only and you should expect to spend at least 60% of your time in an office. The standard full‑time hours are 37 per week, and MoJ offers flexible and part‑time arrangements where they meet the role's needs. Security checks are required: Counter Terrorism Check (CTC) and Security Clearance (SC), with usual residency expectations around UK living for SC. The post is within the SEO Civil Service Grade and is open to eligible cross‑government applicants. You’ll also access a range of MoJ benefits and development opportunities.

Specific details include the closing date of 02 November 2026, a single vacancy, and the need to work at the nearest viable office to your home postcode while moving onto the corresponding pay scale. If you’re moving from another civil service post or applying via redeployment, be aware of how terms may change with reform and new pay policies.

Advice for applicants

When you tailor your CV, highlight your experience delivering records management programmes in a large, complex environment, and show how you’ve applied governance controls to meet PRA, GDPR, DPA and FOIA requirements.

In your Statement of Suitability, give real life examples of where you led records management improvements. Use the STAR format to illustrate how you Delivered at Pace and how you Communicated and Influenced, linking each example to those two behaviours.

For interviews, prepare anecdotes that demonstrate Seeing the Big Picture, Changing and Improving, Leadership and Working Together. Practice telling those stories concisely and clearly so a senior audience can follow the impact and outcomes.

Ask a focused question about the role’s hybrid working arrangement and how the team collaborates with the MoJ DRO. For instance, you could ask how the department balances office presence with flexible work while maintaining momentum on RRDS‑driven improvements.

How to apply

Stage 1 requires an anonymised CV that shows your career history, responsibilities and achievements, and a Statement of Suitability that uses real life examples aligned to Delivering at Pace and Communicating and Influencing. The STAR format is recommended. You’ll also be asked to review application guidance before applying, and you should quote the job reference 23388 on your materials.

Stage 2 involves interviews conducted via Microsoft Teams, with the assessment focusing on your strengths and behaviours. Interviews are expected in the week commencing 16 November, though dates may change. If you need help during the process, you can contact the MoJ recruitment team at 0345 241 5359 or [email protected], and please quote the job reference 23388.

For more information on the application process itself, there are guidance pages available through the Civil Service careers resources. The role requires SC level vetting as part of appointment, and additional information about nationality rules and redeployment considerations is available through the links provided in the job materials.