The Ministry of Justice is offering a potential six-figure salary for a new group chief technology officer to oversee the IT used by more than 90,000 staff and an annual budget of close to £1bn.
The successful candidate will be expected to deliver the digital and tech strategy for the MoJ and its delivery agencies across the justice system, according to the job advert. The new group CTO will assume “responsibility for technology choices that inform decisions across several business units, including the delivery of the tech strategy, architecture, and technology capabilities underpinning prisons, the probation service, legal aid services, agencies supporting victims and vulnerable people, and the ministry’s headquarters”.
In doing so, the chosen applicant will be tasked with providing the MoJ and its agencies with “leadership [that] will unite and organise a vast and diverse community of technical professionals, ensuring our services are seamlessly integrated and operate cohesively”.
The group CTO will work closely with director-level leaders in the fields of product and digital. This senior collaboration will be hoped to “cultivate a culture centred on product thinking, innovation, and efficient delivery”.
The possible salary range is listed as £97,000 to £162,500, although the advert adds that the salary will be £97,000, with MoJ pension contributions of £28,100 per year. The advert stipulates that “this is a nationally based role”.
“The group chief technology officer will be responsible for leading the technology strategy for the Ministry of Justice, the largest department in Whitehall, which has a budget of over £13bn annually and employs over 90,000 staff,” it adds. “They will be responsible for the technology strategy and delivery spanning a budget of over £900m.”
Applications are open until 11.55pm on 20 May, and the recruitment process is being managed by Russell Reynolds Associates.
The position comes with an expectation of “a minimum assignment duration of three years”, and prospective candidates are advised that “as part of accepting this role you will be agreeing to the expected assignment duration… [but] this will not result in a contractual change to your terms and conditions”.
The advert says: “We encourage applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that represents the wider society that we serve. We pride ourselves on being an employer of choice. We champion diversity, inclusion and wellbeing and aim to create a workplace where everyone feels valued and a sense of belonging.”
You can hear from the MoJ’s director of digital Kamal Bal, who is appearing as a speaker at the PublicTechnology Live conference on Monday 12 May, delivering the morning keynote on how the ministry is using digital to support better outcomes for the whole justice system. The one-day event – which is free to attend for public-sector attendees and includes food, drink and a full agenda of CPD-certified content – will conclude with an exclusive session featuring two of the leaders and architects of government’s new digital centre, discussing the role and remit of the expanded GDS
Find out more and register for your free place here