Senior Project Manager

Location: National*

Closing Date: 7^th September 2026

Interviews: 16^th September onwards

Grade: Grade 7

(MoJ candidates who are on a specialist grade, will be able to retain this grade on lateral transfer)

Salary**: London: £63,343 – £70,725

National: £58,511 – £65,329

Working pattern: Full-time, Part-time, Flexible working

Contract Type: Permanent

Number of vacancies: 4

Vacancy number: 21370

*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
Please note that unless you are an existing member of staff at Justice Digital, Data and Science, the only London location being recruited to is 10 South Colonnade, E14 4PU. We are no longer recruiting to 102 Petty France, SW1H 9AJ.

The Role

Please note this role requires you to pass Security Check clearance. Please click on the link for details.

We’re recruiting for Senior Project Managers here at Justice Digital, Data and Science to be part of our warm and collaborative Project Delivery team.

The Justice Digital, Data and Science Project Delivery Team is responsible for the delivery of digital and technology projects across the whole of the Ministry of Justice.

We are recruiting four Senior Project Managers to take full responsibility for the definition, documentation and satisfactory completion of either a single major project, or several smaller initiatives.

Senior Project Managers ensure teams have the right environment to deliver the vision, products and services, iteratively and ensure the team collaborates, communicates and focuses on what is most important. They work at the heart of teams to provide direction within a project, service or programme. They are accountable for building, motivating, supporting and facilitating teams as well as removing obstacles and blockers that get in their way. They challenge approaches inside and outside of the team they are working with and facilitate a focus on the outcome.

Senior Project Managers proactively manage dependencies, identify and manage priorities, overcome obstacles and get the best value against constraints managing risks, budgets and people. They also assess and evaluate the business readiness for change and manage all aspects of the governance of projects ensuring continued integrity and coherence is maintained and are responsible for working proactively, effectively and collaboratively with several external supplier organisations

You’ll receive a range of excellent benefits when you join our department, including:

• A generous employer pension contribution of 28.97% through the Civil Service Pension Scheme.
• 25 days of annual leave, (increasing to 30 days once you have reached 5 years of service), plus 8 bank holidays and a privilege day for the King’s birthday.
• Flexible working arrangements including hybrid working, working part time or compressed hours. Designed to support a positive work–life balance.

You can find more details of the Benefits we offer here. To help picture your life at MoJ Justice Digital, Data and Science please take a look at our blog.

Key Responsibilities:

• The Senior Project Manager takes responsibility for the definition, documentation and safe execution of a single major project or several smaller initiatives, actively participating in all phases of the project and identifies, assesses and manages risks to its success.
• Identifying and comparing the best processes or delivery methods to use and recognise when something does not work and encourage a mindset of experimentation. You will adapt and reflect, are resilient and can see outside of the process.
• Use a blended approach depending on the context, measure and evaluate outcomes and help teams to manage and visualise outcomes.
• Work with Change Management professionals to implement business change.
• Manage stakeholder expectations, with proactive and reactive communication skills, facilitating difficult discussions within the team or with diverse senior stakeholders.
• Facilitate the delivery flow of a team, managing the pace and tempo and actively addressing internal and external risks, issues and dependencies including where ownership exists outside the team.
• Add value and coach the organisation to inspect and adapt processes. Guide teams and the business through the implementation of a new process.
• Understand the environment and prioritise the most important or highest value tasks. Use data to inform planning and manage complex internal and external dependencies. Provide delivery confidence. Remove blockers or impediments that affect the plan and develop a plan for difficult situations. Ensure teams plan appropriately for their capacity.
• Empower and bring people together to form a motivated team. Help create the right environment for a team to work in, recognise and deal with issues and facilitate the best team makeup depending on the situation.
• Act as the point of contact for contracted suppliers. Understand appropriate internal contacts and processes within a government department. Understand how and when third parties should be brought into Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) projects. Experience of managing a procurement as part of a project either as a G Cloud offering or meeting OJEU regulations.
• Balance cost versus value. Consider the impact of user needs. Report on financial delivery. Monitor cost and budget and escalate issues.
• Develop and manage government Business Cases with input from specialists. Manage and deliver the Business Case process including through to delivery of an appropriate Benefits Realisation Strategy.
• Develop, support, and manage appropriate governance, assurance and decision making at all points throughout a project lifecycle.
• Recognise when to move from one stage of a project lifecycle to another. Ensure the team is working towards the appropriate service standards for the relevant phase. Manage the delivery projects or services at different phases.

If this feels like an exciting challenge, something you are enthusiastic about, and want to join our team please read on and apply!

Person Specification

Essential

• Experience working in digital, waterfall or hybrid methodologies and able to recognise and influence the correct methodologies for delivery
• Experience of taking ownership of problems and show initiative in aligning the necessary resources to bring about a successful outcome for the business.
• You’ll understand user needs, based upon evidence and engage in meaningful interactions and relationship, to translate user stories and propose design approaches or services to meet these needs.
• Have a good understanding and experience of working in complex business/operational environments, and be able to demonstrate for example the activities, structures, and position in the organisation of the teams or departments for which services are provided.
• You’ll demonstrate a passion for digital and technology and how it can be used to enable new ways of working, increase efficiencies and productivity and reduce costs. Staying abreast of new and emerging tools and technologies that would allow MoJ to deliver its priorities
• Experience of working to relevant Project Management certification or equivalent levels and experience of using recognised methodologies and tools to develop and deliver technology projects and maintaining financial controls.
• You'll use sound judgement to make timely, evidence-based decisions in complex and ambiguous environments, balancing competing priorities, risks and dependencies. You'll confidently challenge assumptions, analyse available information, and make recommendations that deliver the greatest value for users and the organisation.
• You'll understand how projects contribute to wider organisational objectives and government priorities, ensuring delivery decisions align with strategic outcomes. You'll identify opportunities, dependencies and risks across teams and programmes, building alignment and influencing stakeholders to achieve successful outcomes.

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.

Salary Information**

Base salary for this role is from £63,343 – £70,725 (London) and £58,511 – £65,329 (National).

• New entrants to the Civil Service joining the MoJ are expected to start at the minimum of the pay band.
• Existing Civil Servants moving on a level transfer will retain their current base salary or move to the minimum of the pay band for the role, whichever is higher.
• Existing Civil Servants who are promoted will either move to the bottom of the new grade’s pay band or receive a 10% uplift, whichever provides the greater increase.

How to Apply

In Justice Digital, Data and Science, we recruit using the Success Profiles Frameworks. We shall assess a combination of your Experience, Technical skills and Behaviours during the assessment process.

Stage 1 - Application and sift:

To apply for this position, you must submit the following as part of your application:

• A CV detailing your career history (including any relevant qualifications). Your CV will be assessed against the essential criteria outlined within the Person Specification of this advert.
• A Personal Statement (no more than 1000 words) which should outline your experience and skills, giving clear examples of work undertaken. It should specifically address the following 4 criteria listed below, using a separate paragraph for each.

• Experience of taking ownership of problems and show initiative in aligning the necessary resources to bring about a successful outcome for the business.
• Have a good understanding and experience of working in complex business/operational environments, and be able to demonstrate for example the activities, structures, and position in the organisation of the teams or departments for which services are provided.
• Experience of working to relevant Project Management certification or equivalent levels and experience of using recognised methodologies and tools to develop and deliver technology projects and maintaining financial controls.
• You'll understand how projects contribute to wider organisational objectives and government priorities, ensuring delivery decisions align with strategic outcomes. You'll identify opportunities, dependencies and risks across teams and programmes, building alignment and influencing stakeholders to achieve successful outcomes.

Candidates who do not adhere to the Personal Statement directions above may be rejected on this basis.

A diverse sift panel will review the information in your CV and Personal Statement to assess the sift criteria specified above. We operate an anonymous shortlisting process. Please ensure your CV and Personal Statement do not include your name or any other identifying details.

Should we receive a high volume of applications, a pre-sift based on your experience of “Taking ownership of problems and show initiative in aligning the necessary resources to bring about a successful outcome for the business” will be conducted before the sift.

Please access the following link for guidance on how to apply - Application Guidance

Stage 2 - Interviews:

Successful candidates who meet the required standard will then be invited to a panel interview held via Microsoft Teams. At interview stage, you will be assessed against the following Success Profile elements - Experience, Technical and the following Behaviours:

• Changing & Improving
• Leadership
• Making Effective Decisions
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Working Together

Appointments are made strictly in merit order. In the event that two or more candidates receive identical interview scores, the Leadership behaviour will be applied as the primary lead criterion to determine the final merit order.

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