15644 - Head of Operational Excellence

General Information

Salary £58,511 - £65,329 Working Pattern Full Time, Flexible Working Vacancy Approach External Location Glasgow Region Scotland Closing Date 30-Mar-2026 Post Type Permanent Civil Service Grade Grade 7 Number of jobs available 1 Reserve List 12 Months Job ID 15644

Descriptions & requirements

Job description

Head of Operational Excellence

The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) is an executive agency of Ministry of Justice. We receive over 40,000 applications a year for compensation, from people who have lost loved ones or have been injured as a result of violent crime. We know financial compensation can never fully redress what they have suffered. Nevertheless, what we do is an important part of providing justice for victims and we take pride that the compensation we pay helps people move forward with their lives.

Some of the material you will access may include upsetting personal accounts of harm inflicted by others. This could include sexual assault and violence against children. We recognise the personal impact this may have and we provide resilience training, to promote wellbeing.

We employ around 350 people and are based in Glasgow city centre, with excellent transport links. We are a small, engaged, productive workforce with a real sense of corporate community. We want to keep improving our services and the way we work to best serve the public, meet new challenges, deliver value for money and ensure CICA is a great place to work.

This position is based at Buchanan Wharf, 10 Clyde Place, Glasgow, G5 8AQ. We currently operate a hybrid working business model, where you will be expected to work 50% of your time in the office and the remainder at home.

The Role

The Head of Operational Excellence is responsible for enabling high-quality, consistent, and well-governed operational delivery through leadership of quality assurance, learning and development, communications and engagement, operational business planning coordination, and payments and administrative services. Line management of a team of approx. 25.

The role ensures operational teams are supported, skilled, informed, and aligned, with strong control over quality, customer experience, and delivery of organisational priorities.

Key Responsibilities

Quality Assurance, Coaching & Learning

• Own and lead the operational quality assurance framework, ensuring consistency, fairness, and defensibility of decision-making.
• Set quality standards in line with legislation, the CICA Scheme, and MoJ requirements.
• Use QA insight to identify systemic issues, risks, and improvement opportunities.
• Lead coaching, feedback, and continuous professional development activity for operational staff.
• Oversee operational training design, delivery, and evaluation, ensuring staff capability is maintained and developed.
• Work closely with Heads of Operational Delivery to embed learning into day-to-day delivery.

Communications & Engagement

• Lead internal operational communications, ensuring clear, timely, and consistent messaging to frontline teams.
• Coordinate engagement activity across Operations, supporting change, wellbeing, and staff engagement initiatives.
• Act as the operational interface with Corporate Communications, ensuring alignment of messaging.
• Support senior leaders with briefings, key messages, and engagement plans.

Business Planning & Delivery Coordination

• Coordinate the development, tracking, and delivery of the operational business plan, ensuring actions are clearly owned and progress is monitored.
• Support prioritisation, sequencing, and dependency management across operational and support activity.
• Provide assurance to senior leadership on delivery risks, progress, and mitigations.
• Ensure operational objectives align with strategic, financial, and workforce plans.

Payments & Administrative Services

• Lead teams responsible for payments processing and operational administrative support, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and compliance.
• Ensure strong controls are in place to manage financial risk, fraud prevention, and audit requirements.
• Oversee continuous improvement of payment and administrative processes to improve customer experience and efficiency.
• Act as senior escalation point for complex or sensitive payment-related issues.

Governance, Risk & Assurance

• Maintain oversight of operational risks related to quality, capability, payments, and delivery.
• Support operational audit activity, inspections, and reviews, ensuring timely and effective responses.
• Ensure operational support functions meet MoJ governance and assurance expectations.

Leadership & Collaboration

• Provide visible leadership to operational support teams, fostering a culture of professionalism, learning, and accountability.
• Build strong partnerships with Heads of Operations, Digital, Transformation, HR, Finance, and Policy teams.
• Deputise for the Director of Operations as required.

Essential criteria

• Senior leadership experience across quality assurance, learning and development, or operational support functions.
• Strong understanding of regulated operational environments and assurance requirements.
• Experience using insight and data to drive improvement in quality and performance.
• Excellent communication, engagement, and influencing skills.

Desirable criteria

• Experience in justice, compensation, or MoJ-aligned organisations.
• Background in coaching-led performance improvement or workforce capability development.
• Experience overseeing payments or financially sensitive operational processes.

How to apply

The selection process for this vacancy will utilise Civil Service Success Profiles and will assess your Experience, Behaviours and Strengths.

Stage 1

Applicants should provide a Curriculum Vitae (CV) and a Statement of Suitability of no more than 1000 words, which demonstrates evidence of the essential criteria for this role and of the behaviours listed below.

Stage 2

If successful at Stage 1, you will be invited to interview, which will incorporate a short presentation. You will be notified of the presentation topic in your invitation to interview. At the interview we will assess you against the behaviours listed below:

• Leadership
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Changing and Improving
• Communicating and Influencing

At interview you will be asked a number of behaviour and strength-based questions.

Interviews are likely to take place in May at our office at 10 Clyde Place, Buchanan Wharf, Glasgow G5 8AQ.

Following the closing date, this job advertisement will no longer be available to view. You may wish to retain a copy for your records.

A reserve list will be created and will be valid for 12 months. If further vacancies arise for this or similar roles within the organisation, candidates may be appointed from the reserve list in order of merit.

We offer flexible working 7am – 7pm, Monday to Friday. However, we ask that candidates make themselves available to attend the office on a full-time, fixed hours basis (9am to 5pm) for the initial training period which takes up to 10 weeks. This is to ensure the best training and consolidation experience for new colleagues.

This role is offered on a full-time (37 hours per week) basis.

For queries about the role, please contact our Corporate Support Team by email Corporate.Support@cica.gov.uk.

Reasonable Adjustments

Please tell us if you have a disability when you apply, and we can offer reasonable adjustments to help with the selection process. 

Additional Information

Working Arrangements & Further Information

The MoJ offers Hybrid Working arrangements where business need allows. This is an informal, non-contractual form of flexible working that blends working from your base location, different MoJ sites and / or from home (please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas). All employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office, subject to local estate capacity.

Some roles will not be suitable for Hybrid Working. Similarly, Hybrid Working will not suit everyone’s circumstances. Arrangements will be discussed and agreed with the successful candidate(s) and subject to regular review.

For nationally advertised role: all successful candidates will be appointed to the nearest viable office nearest to their home postcode and on its respective pay scale.  This will be at either a HQ building (subject to desk allocation, a Justice Collaboration Centre (JCC) or a Justice Satellite Office (JSO) – See Map. All employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office, subject to local estate capacity). 

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).

Some of MoJ’s terms and conditions of service are changing as part of Civil Service reform. The changes will apply to staff joining MoJ who are new to the Civil Service. Staff joining MoJ from other civil service employers will transfer onto the new MoJ terms if they are already on 'modernised' terms in their current post or onto 'unmodernised' MoJ terms if they are on 'unmodernised' terms at their current post. Details will be available if an offer is made.

MoJ candidates who are on a specialist grade, will be able to retain their grade on lateral transfer.

All candidates who are currently in receipt of Mark Time / Pay Protection should ensure they are familiar with the new policy on permanent and temporary promotion which can be found on the employee intranet.

Flexible working hours

The Ministry of Justice offers a flexible working system in many offices. Standard full time working hours are 37 hours per week. MoJ welcomes part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns, where they meet the demands of the role and business needs. All applications for part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns will be considered in accordance with the MoJ’s Flexible Working policy.

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.

There 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. There 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, retail vouchers and discounts on a range of goods and services.
• For moves to or from another employer or moves across the Civil Service this can have implications on your eligibility to carry on claiming childcare vouchers. You may however be eligible for alternative government childcare support schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. More information can be found on www.GOV.UK or Childcare Choices. You can determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.
• Paid paternity, adoption and maternity leave.
• Free annual sight tests for employees who use computer screens.

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles. Should you feel that the recruitment process has breached the recruitment principles you are able to raise a formal complaint in the following order

• To Transformative Business Services (0345 241 5359 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@resourcing.soprasteria.co.uk);
• To Ministry of Justice Resourcing team (resourcing-management-office@justice.gov.uk);
• To the Civil Service Commission (details available here)

As a Disability Confident employer, MoJ are committed to providing everyone with the opportunity to demonstrate their skills, talent and abilities, by making adjustments throughout all elements of the recruitment process and in the workplace. MoJ are able to offer an interview to disabled candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns.

For more information on applying for a role as a candidate with a disability or long-term condition, please watch our animated videos.

You will be able to request reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process within the application form. If you need additional help completing the application form, please contact the TBS Recruitment Enquiries Team.

Diversity & Inclusion

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 Diversity and Inclusion Strategy.

A Great Place to Work for Veterans

The "Making the Civil Service a Great Place to work for veterans" initiative includes a guaranteed interview scheme to those who meet the minimum criteria to provide eligible former members of the Armed Forces with opportunities to secure rewarding jobs. Allowing veterans to continue to serve their country, and to bring highly skilled individuals with a broad range of experience into the Civil Service in an environment, which recognises and values your previous service in the Armed Forces.
For further details about the initiative and eligibility requirements visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/making-the-civil-service-a-great-place-to-work-for-veterans

Redeployment Interview Scheme

Civil Service departments are expected to explore redeployment opportunities before making an individual redundant. The MoJ is committed, as part of the Redeployment Interview Scheme, to providing opportunities to those who are 'at risk of redundancy'.

MoJ is able to offer an interview to eligible candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns. Candidates will not be eligible for the Redeployment Interview Scheme if they are applying on promotion.

Civil Service Nationality Rules

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window) https://www.gov.uk/settled-status-eu-citizens-families
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-rules

Reserve list

A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made for the same or similar roles.

Contact Information

MoJ:

If you require any assistance please call 0345 241 5359 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@resourcing.soprasteria.co.uk

Please quote the job reference 15644

HMPPS:

If you require any assistance please call 0345 241 5358 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@resourcing.soprasteria.co.uk

Please quote the job reference 15644

Job Description Attachment

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Application form stage assessments

Experience We will assess your experience for this role via the following methods CV or Work History, Statement of Suitability Evidence of Experience CV or Work History, Statement of Suitability

Interview stage assessments

Interview Dates Expected May 2026 Behaviours Leadership Seeing the Big Picture Changing and Improving Communicating and Influencing Strengths Strengths will be assessed but these are not shared in advance. To learn more about Strengths and how they are assessed please click here.

Other Assessments

Which assessment methods will be used? Presentation Level of security checks required Baseline Personnal Security Standard (BPSS)

Use of Artificial Intelligence (Al)

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.