Location
Central London (Nationally based role)

Hours
Full Time

Salary
£99,000 per annum

About the Role
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is a leading Project Delivery Department in Government, responsible for building new prisons, transforming the justice system, and upgrading IT technologies. As Head of Project Assurance and Governance, you will lead the delivery and strengthening of assurance, project governance, and corporate oversight across the Project Delivery Function (PDF). Your key challenge will be to ensure robust delivery confidence, effective application of Project Delivery Functional Standards, and provide strategic insight in an increasingly complex and high-profile delivery environment.

You will be a passionate and credible Project Delivery leader, able to influence senior stakeholders, build strong relationships across complex stakeholder groups, and lead high-performing teams. This is a unique opportunity to work at the heart of the MoJ, directly contributing to the successful delivery of one of the largest and broadest portfolios across Government.

Reporting to the Chief Project Delivery Officer, your responsibilities will include accountability for second-line assurance services, coordination of effective second-line representation on MoJ’s project, programme and portfolio boards, and departmental sub-committees. You will lead the delivery of Keyholder, Gateway, and Functional Maturity Reviews to assess control strength in line with Functional Standards, including an annual capability assessment.

You will provide expertise to NISTA on project assurance and continuous improvement, represent the PDF at departmental sub-committees, manage the flow of information between project boards and assurance forums, and provide an independent functional view of project performance. You will also oversee PDF’s Business and Corporate services, monitor MoJ Corporate Assurance activities, and ensure alignment of the Function Strategy with departmental and cross-government initiatives.

Engaging with Senior Responsible Owners (SROs) and other senior stakeholders, you will ensure robust third-line assurance and provide advice on governance and control frameworks. You will deliver PDF objectives, business and transformation plan outcomes, and key performance indicators related to assurance quality.

Collaboration with the Senior Leadership Team is essential to produce a cohesive functional view represented effectively at departmental committees and senior boards. You will respond effectively to changing priorities and lead a geographically dispersed team.

Experience
- Delivering Project Delivery assurance and governance in large, complex environments with a strong understanding of assurance frameworks, controls, and effective governance.
- Credibility in advising and influencing senior stakeholders, including SROs and Departmental Governance Boards, providing constructive challenge and clear insight into delivery confidence, risk, and performance.
- Strong understanding and practical application of Project Delivery Functional Standards and best practices.
- Proven success in leading high-performing teams.
- Excellent stakeholder engagement and collaboration skills, with the ability to navigate complex environments, build relationships, and influence senior stakeholders within and outside the department.

About you
You are a passionate and credible leader with the ability to influence at senior levels and build strong relationships across complex stakeholder groups. You are adaptable to changing priorities and capable of leading a geographically dispersed team. You are committed to fostering an inclusive and high-performing team culture.

Qualifications
For full details about the role, key responsibilities, and person specification, candidates are encouraged to review the official candidate information pack.