Location
Central London, with requirement to be office based 3 days per week in any HMCTS Office (subject to business availability). Travel to any HMCTS site may be required in line with business needs.

Hours
Full-time position only due to the nature of the role. Flexible working available.

Salary
£70,725 per annum

About the Role
HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) is responsible for the administration of criminal, civil and family courts and tribunals in England and Wales. This national role within the Development Directorate offers the opportunity to lead service strategy, operational policy, and modernisation of criminal courts and tribunals. You will be part of the Criminal Courts Reform and Improvement team, playing a key strategic role in shaping and coordinating HMCTS input to the implementation of the Leveson Independent Review of the Criminal Courts (IRCC) and wider Criminal Justice System (CJS) efficiency reforms.

As Service Manager, you will be responsible for service management relating to the criminal court, including the design and development of digital-enabled, user-focused processes that deliver operational results to court users and stakeholders. You will lead continuous improvement of existing services and reformed products and processes, driving progress in complex policy areas and influencing internal and external stakeholders.

Your role will include translating ministerial and senior leadership priorities into coherent delivery plans, identifying cross-system dependencies, risks and operational impacts, and working collaboratively with MoJ, the judiciary, HMCTS operations, and CJS partners to ensure proposals are practical, evidence-based and deliverable. You will provide strategic leadership, build effective relationships across multiple organisations, develop and maintain delivery plans, assess operational and financial implications of reforms, establish governance arrangements, and provide high-quality analysis and advice to senior leaders and ministers.

This is an excellent opportunity to work in a fast-paced, high-priority environment contributing to the delivery of justice and reform of the criminal courts system.

Experience
- Demonstrable experience leading complex strategic change or reform programmes, translating policy or organisational priorities into deliverable outcomes.
- Proven ability to operate strategically, understanding wider organisational and system impacts of change and using evidence to inform decision-making.
- Strong stakeholder engagement and influencing skills, with experience building effective relationships across organisational boundaries and securing buy-in from senior leaders and partners.
- Experience designing or improving services, processes or operating models, ensuring solutions are user-focused, operationally viable and deliverable.
- Experience managing complex risks, dependencies and competing priorities within high-profile programmes or portfolios.
- Excellent communication skills, including producing high-quality briefings, submissions and recommendations for senior leaders and governance boards.
- Demonstrated ability to lead through ambiguity and deliver results within a complex and fast-moving environment.
- Proven ability to see the strategic picture, understanding how individual initiatives contribute to wider organisational, ministerial and criminal justice system objectives.

About you
- Strategic thinker with strong leadership skills.
- Collaborative and able to build effective partnerships across multiple stakeholders.
- Resilient and adaptable in a fast-paced environment.
- Committed to public service and delivering justice.
- Able to provide clear, evidence-based advice and challenge senior stakeholders constructively.

Qualifications
- No specific qualifications required, but experience and skills as outlined above are essential.
- Knowledge of the criminal courts, criminal justice system or wider justice landscape is desirable.
- Experience in service design methodologies, user-centred design, operating model design or business architecture is advantageous.
- Experience working on legislative, policy or justice reform programmes is desirable.
- Understanding of public sector governance and decision-making processes is beneficial.