23420 - Senior Casework & Improvement Lead, Judicial Conduct Investigations Office
Ministry of JusticeThe Ministry of Justice is recruiting on behalf of the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office (JCIO) for a Grade 7 Senior Casework & Improvement Lead in London. This is a permanent, on-site role with the option of hybrid working, designed for someone who can lead complex casework, policy and improvement work in a high-trust environment that supports the Lord Chancellor, the Lady Chief Justice and the wider judiciary. The JCIO handles complaints about the personal conduct of judicial office holders and provides expert casework and operational support in sensitive matters, working closely with HM Courts & Tribunals Service, the MoJ and other government partners. The team currently comprises 21 civil servants who handle around 4,000 complaints each year.
If you have a track record of guiding senior staff, managing sensitive or high-profile caseloads, and delivering change in a busy operational setting, you’ll likely enjoy this role. It’s a leadership position that asks for sound judgement, strong communication and the ability to build durable relationships with colleagues across the judiciary, counsel and government lawyers. It’s based in London, with flexible working patterns and a clear path to shape the JCIO’s response to growing demand while delivering a vital public service.
Key details to know up front: this is a permanent, full-time (with flexible options) position that sits in the JCIO within the Judicial Office. The salary range is £63,343 to £70,725 per year, and the role follows Civil Service terms and conditions with a minimum time in the base location required for hybrid working. A closing date of 02 November 2026 applies, and there is one vacancy with a reserve list valid for 12 months.
Guiding high-stakes casework and reform
The JCIO supports the Lord Chancellor and the Lady Chief Justice in handling judicial discipline. It operates as part of the Judicial Office, maintaining independence in its operations while collaborating with colleagues across government and the judiciary. The postholder will join a team responsible for senior casework, policy and stakeholder engagement, helping to balance sensitive information with practical outcomes in a high-profile environment.
In this role, you’ll have scope to shape how the JCIO responds to demand and to drive improvements across casework, litigation responses and engagement with senior stakeholders. Your leadership will be pivotal in ensuring the office delivers high-quality, proportionate and timely advice and outcomes in complex settings.
Your day-to-day in this job
You’ll support the Grade 6 Head of JCIO and collaborate with the Grade 7 Head of Casework to provide senior leadership across the JCIO’s casework and business support teams. A core part is delivering high-quality guidance to the senior judiciary and the Lord Chancellor on disciplinary matters, while steering policy, project and reform work aligned with the judiciary’s priorities.
Part of the role involves handling responses to pre-action correspondence and litigation in partnership with Government Legal Department lawyers, and building strong relationships with colleagues across the Judicial Office, the Ministry of Justice, legal advisers and other stakeholders. You’ll help ensure senior coverage within the JCIO throughout the working week and represent the office at meetings and events to explain the JCIO’s remit clearly and confidently. You’ll provide clear, balanced and appropriately scaled advice on sensitive issues, and champion a positive, inclusive culture that reflects the organisation’s values. The post also includes line-managing one Senior Executive Officer and contributing to cross-Judicial Office working groups to support the wider leadership team.
Must-have versus nice-to-have
- Experience leading or developing teams in a complex operations setting, including providing senior professional leadership
- Record of managing complex, sensitive or high-profile casework, policy, operational or legal matters
- Good judgement with the ability to offer clear, balanced and proportionate guidance on difficult or sensitive issues
- Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the talent to explain intricate issues to senior colleagues and stakeholders
- Strong organisational abilities, handling competing priorities and delivering high-quality results in a fast-paced environment
- Proven ability to build collaborative relationships across boundaries, including with legal, policy, operational and stakeholder partners
- Experience leading improvement initiatives and change within an operational setting
- Experience planning, managing and delivering significant projects
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office tools, including experience using Microsoft Copilot to boost productivity
- Experience working with sensitive and complex information and handling it responsibly
- A legal qualification or substantial experience in a legally complex, regulatory or statutory environment, with the ability to apply rules and advice fairly and clearly
- Senior-level experience handling complaints
- Knowledge of the judicial disciplinary system and the wider justice system
Pay, benefits and practical details you should know
The role sits in London, with the base pay scale set at £63,343 to £70,725 per year. The job is permanent, full-time with flexible working patterns available, and there is also a hybrid working arrangement that requires a minimum 60% of time spent in the office, subject to business needs.
The Civil Service standard is 37 hours per week for full-time roles, and leave starts at 25 days per year, rising to 30 days after five years of service. The Civil Service offers a pension choice and a broad training program, plus networks and family-friendly policies. The appointment will be to the nearest viable office to the applicant’s home postcode, with the home office location affecting the pay scale where applicable, and a minimum 60% time in the office remains a baseline constraint.
Security clearance options for this post include DBS, CTC, SC or DV, with residence requirements tied to the level of clearance. Nationality rules for eligibility apply, including UK nationals and several other categories such as Irish nationals, Commonwealth nationals with the right to work in the UK, EU/EEA/Swiss nationals with settled or pre-settled status, and Turkish nationals with eligible status. A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months to fill similar roles.
Additional information notes that flexible working is available and that the MoJ offers a variety of policies and benefits, including training opportunities, employee networks, and general support for staff development. Some postings may be in an HQ building, a Justice Collaboration Centre or a Justice Satellite Office, and all staff are expected to spend the 60% minimum in an office location, subject to capacity.
Advice for applicants
Lead with your leadership and staff-management experience. In your CV, put your track record of guiding teams, including any direct line management of staff, and your ability to plan and deliver complex work with minimal supervision up front so a reviewer sees it quickly.
Back up your claims with concrete examples of handling sensitive or high-profile casework and giving clear, balanced guidance to senior colleagues or stakeholders. Describe the context, the actions you took and the outcomes you delivered, particularly where your work influenced policy or operational change.
Show how you’ve driven improvement or change in an operational setting, including planning and delivering major projects. Mention any cross-team or cross-organisational collaboration you’ve led and the results you achieved.
Prepare a thoughtful question for interview that ties to this role’s scope, for example asking how success is measured in the JCIO and how this senior lead collaborates with cross-Judicial Office working groups to deliver improvements.
How to apply
To apply, submit a CV and a Statement of Suitability. Your application will be assessed at the application stage, and the interview will be the sole stage of assessment. The expected interview week is the week commencing 7 December 2026. Please quote the job reference 23420.
If you need assistance, you can contact MoJ recruitment at 0345 241 5359 (Monday to Friday, 8am–6pm) or email [email protected]. For national security clearances, the process will determine which clearance is required, and candidates may be asked to provide additional information. You may request reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process within the application form.