Deputy Head of Office, Cheltenham

**General Information**:

- Salary
- £58,511 - £65,329
- Working Pattern
- Full Time
- Vacancy Approach
- External
- Location
- Cheltenham
- Region
- South West
- Closing Date
- 10-Sep-2025
- Post Type
- Permanent
- Civil Service Grade
- Grade 7
- Number of jobs available
- 1
- Reserve List
- 12 Months
- Job ID
- 9295

**Descriptions & requirements**:

- Job description

**Job Summary**

**Key Responsibilities**:
The role holder is responsible for the leadership and management of performance of the PDS in the office(s) for which they are accountable, including:

- managing key business processes;
- managing the performance of the team, including using management information to improve service delivery;
- legal supervision of direct reports and the wider team;
- management of resources to ensure an efficient, cost-effective service;
- ensuring delivery of a quality cost-effective service;
- business development activities;
- health and safety and business continuity for the team;
- implementing the strategic PDS direction as set out by the Senior Management Team.

The postholder will also maintain a legal caseload including:

- equal participation on the office out of hours rota.

The postholder will also:

- use their legal expertise and experience to contribute to the development of policy and practice that will improve the quality and efficiency of the criminal defence market in England and Wales;
- provide input as and when required to various projects within the LAA and wider Government.

**Essential Criteria**:

- Leadership experience and willingness to develop management competence by attending management training courses and working with management coach.
- Communication skills and personal presence that enable rapport-building with all stakeholders, line reports and teams.
- Financial and operational management skills including budget preparation, budget and performance profiling, execution, monitoring and review.
- Solicitor, Barrister or CILEX with 5-7 years PQE, fully qualified to practice as a Solicitor in England and Wales with excellent practical knowledge of criminal law, evidence and procedure.
- Excellent advocacy skills and experience in preparing a range of cases to trial in both the Magistrates and Crown Courts.
- Excellent practical knowledge of current Criminal law, evidence and procedure.
- Personal resilience with a commitment to personal care, to maintain mental and physical wellbeing of self and line reports in a working environment that may present emotional and other challenges.
- Commitment to the wider aims of the PDS to become an exemplar of best practice in criminal litigation and advocacy and its remit to act as a test-bed for innovation, increased efficiencies and quality improvements for the benefit of the wider criminal defence community.
- Sound IT hardware and Microsoft Office software skills, particularly in Word and Excel, and the ability and willingness to operate in a self-sufficient, efficient manner in the creation of high quality documentation and other business information
- Flexibility, w appropriate, to work unsociable hours.
- Possession of a full driving licence and access to a motor vehicle, together with flexibility and preparedness to travel to cover cases across England and Wales if required.
- Additional Information

**Working Arrangements & Further Information**

For current MoJ employees, your base location will need to be changed to the nearest viable office (to your home postcode), either at a HQ building, JCC or JSO within the National Office Network and moved its location’s respective pay scale (any legacy arrangements/locations will need to be amended).

**Flexible working hours**

**Benefits**

The MoJ offers a range of benefits:
**Annual Leave**

Annual leave is 25 days on appointment and will increase to 30 days after five years’ service.

T is also a scheme to allow qualifying staff to buy or sell up to three days leave each year. Additional paid time off for public holidays and 1 privilege day. Leave for part-time and job share posts will be calculated on a pro-rata basis.

**Pension**

The Civil Service offers a choice of pension schemes, giving you the flexibility to choose the pension that suits you best.

**Training**

The Ministry of Justice is committed to staff development and offers an extensive range of training and development opportunities.

**Networks**

The opportunity to join employee-run networks that have been established to provide advice and support and to enable the views of employees from minority groups to be expressed direct to senior management. T are currently networks for employees of minority ethnic origin, employees with disabilities, employees with caring responsibilities, women employees, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees.

**Support**
- A range of ‘Family Friendly’ policies such as opportunities to work reduced hours or job share.
- Access to flexible benefits such as voluntary benefits, reta