Job Description
Head of Data, Legal Aid Digital
Location: National*
Closing Date: 20th March 2026
Interviews: w/c 30th March 2026
Grade: Grade 6
(MoJ candidates who are on a specialist grade, will be able to retain this grade on lateral transfer)
Salary: London: £75,674 – £85,25 (which may include an allowance up to £9,151)
National: £71,381 – £80,419
Working Pattern: Full-time/Part-time/Flexible working
Contract Type: Permanent
Vacancy number: 15433
*We offer a hybrid working model, allowing for a balance between remote work and time spent in your local office. Office locations can be found ON THIS MAP
The Role
We’re recruiting for a Head of Data here at Justice Digital, to be part of our warm and collaborative LAA Digital team.
This role aligns against Head of Data Governance from the Government Digital and Data Frameworkfrom the Government Digital and Data Framework
As Head of Data, you will ensure that LAA Digital department and associated business unit can effectively use data to make better decisions, policies, and services. You will foster an environment where data protection and privacy are balanced with access, sharing, and innovation
To help picture your life at MoJ Justice Digital please take a look at our blog and our Digital and Technology strategy 2025
Key Responsibilities:
Contribute to defining and implementing a departmental data strategy aligned with wider government data strategy.
Collaborate with senior leaders to align priorities and secure support for data initiatives.
Identify the data and data technologies needed within the department and support sourcing strategies.
Promote the use, reuse, and sharing of data across teams.
Improve the quality of data used within the department.
Ensure ethical use of data and compliance with standards and regulations.
Increase data literacy and support data management practices across teams.
Work with cyber security to ensure data is secure yet accessible.
Support the development of data skills within the department.
Lead digital’s data stewardship teams and take responsibility for GDPR recovery.
Please not, this list is not exhaustive and may evolve over time.
If this feels like an exciting challenge, something you are enthusiastic about, and want to join our team please read on and apply!
Benefits
37 hours per week and flexible working options including working from home, working part-time, job sharing, or working compressed hours.
A £1k per person learning budget is in place to support all our people, with access to best in class conferences and seminars, accreditation with professional bodies, fully funded vocational programmes and e-learning platforms
Staff have 10% time to dedicate to develop & grow
Generous civil service pension based on defined benefit scheme, with employer contributions of 28.97% from April 1st 2024 (Contribution Rates)
25 days leave (plus bank holidays) and 1 privilege day usually taken around the Kings’ birthday. 5 additional days of leave once you have reached 5 years of service.
Compassionate maternity, adoption, and shared parental leave policies, with up to 26 weeks leave at full pay, 13 weeks with partial pay, and 13 weeks further leave. And maternity support/paternity leave at full pay for 2 weeks, too!
Wellbeing support including access to the Calm app.
Nurturing professional and interpersonal networks including those for Carers & Childcare, Gender Equality, PROUD and SPIRIT
Bike loans up to £2500 and secure bike parking (subject to availability and location)
Season ticket loans, childcare vouchers and eye-care vouchers.
5 days volunteering paid leave.
Some offices may have a subsidised onsite Gym.
Person Specification
Essential
Data Innovation – investigate emerging trends in data-related approaches, perform horizon-scanning for the organisation and introduce innovative ways of working
Data Governance – define the data governance strategy for the organisation, and connect it with the wider organisational strategy
Communicating between the technical and non-technical – mediate between people and strengthen relationships, adopting the appropriate communication method with stakeholders at all levels
Data Management – champion and lead data management and governance processes within your team and across your organisation
Enabling and informing risk-based decisions – apply risk methodologies at the most complex levels of risk
Data Literacy improvement – encourage a data-driven culture within the organisation by strengthening data literacy skills among all employees
Willingness to be assessed against the requirements for SC clearance
We welcome the unique contribution diverse applicants bring and do not discriminate based on culture, ethnicity, race, nationality or national origin, age, sex, gender identity or expression, religion or belief, disability status, sexual orientation, educational or social background or any other factor.
Our values are Purpose, Humanity, Openness, and Together. Find out more here about how we celebrate diversity and an inclusive culture in our workplace.
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service D&I Strategy.
How to Apply
Candidates must submit CV and Statement of Suitability (500 words max), divided into two clear sections. The sections must address the criteria from the Person Specification below and be a maximum of 250 words each (giving a maximum total of 500 words for both answers):
Data Innovation - investigate emerging trends in data-related approaches, perform horizon-scanning for the organisation and introduce innovative ways of working (250 words).
Data Governance - define the data governance strategy for the organisation and connect it with the wider organisational strategy (250 words).
Application Guidance
Please access the following link for guidance on how to apply and how to complete a Personal Statement
In Justice Digital, we recruit using a combination of the Government Digital and Data Profession Capability and Success Profiles Frameworks. We will assess your Experience, Technical Skills and the following Behaviours during the assessment process:
Seeing the big picture
Leadership
Managing a quality service
Make effective decisions
Communicating and Influencing
A diverse panel will review your application against the Person Specification above.
Successful candidates who meet the required standard will then be invited to a 1-hour panel interview held via video conference.
Should we receive a high volume of applications, a pre-sift based on “Data Management - champion and lead data management and governance processes within your team and across your organisation” will be conducted before the sift. The panel will be conducting a sift based on the Statement of Suitability requested above.
Candidates who do not demonstrate examples/details of their experience of the requirements stated under the Person Specification above in their Cover Letter will be rejected on this basis.
Should you be unsuccessful in the role that you have applied for but demonstrate the capability for a role at a lower level, we reserve the right to discuss this opportunity with you and offer you the position without needing a further application.
A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months, from which further appointments may be made.
Use of Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.
Terms & Conditions
Please review our Terms and Conditions which set out how we recruit and provide further information related to the role and salary arrangements.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact digitalanddatarecruitment@justice.gov.uk
