Capability Manager (Ref: 20489)

Job summary

Job description

Capability Manager

Location: National*

Closing Date: 17 August 2026

Interviews: From 27 August 2026

Grade: SEO

(MoJ candidates who are on a specialist grade, will be able to retain this grade on lateral transfer)

Salary**: London: £49,325 - £53,081; National: £42,914 - £46,182

Working pattern: Full-time, Part-time, Flexible working, Job share

Contract Type: Permanent

Number of vacancies: 2

Vacancy number: 20489

*We offer a hybrid working model, allowing for a balance between remote work and time spent in your local office. Office locations can be found ON THIS MAP

Please note that unless you are an existing member of staff at Justice Digital, Data and Science, the only London location being recruited to is 10 South Colonnade, E14 4PU. We are no longer recruiting to 102 Petty France, SW1H 9AJ.

The Role

We’re recruiting for a Capability Manager here at Justice Digital, Data and Science to be part of our warm and collaborative Capability team.

The Capability Team sits within the Enabling Services directorate in Justice Digital, Data & Science (JDDS). The Capability Manager plays a key role in ensuring JDDS has the right skills, knowledge, and professional development structures to deliver its priorities. At SEO level, the role combines both strategy and delivery: shaping long-term capability plans while also implementing initiatives that directly support people and teams. The Capability Manager works across teams to identify capability needs and fosters a culture of continuous learning. The postholder will partner with colleagues across JDDS.

This role is central to talent development, capability uplift and skills growth across Justice Digital, Data & Science. For example, our Capability Managers have been responsible for building the Assessment and Allowance process, Capability Hub, embedding a strong Continuous Professional Development culture; and implementing vocation programmes to support emerging talent and early career professionals. This role uses a range of tools for example Excel, SharePoint, PowerPoint. In this role, success will be measured not just by delivery, but by the impact you create through improved capability, stronger engagement and tangible shifts in performance and culture. We’ll define a specific meaningful metric at the start of a project.

You’ll receive a range of excellent benefits when you join our department, including:

• A generous employer pension contribution of 28.97% through the Civil Service Pension Scheme.

• 25 days of annual leave, (increasing to 30 days once you have reached 5 years of service),plus 8 bank holidays and a privilege day for the King’s birthday.

• Flexible working arrangements including hybrid working, working part time or compressed hours. Designed to support a positive work–life balance.

• Employees are allocated 10% of their working time for personal and professional development.

• A £1k per person learning budget is in place to support all our people, with access to best-in-class conferences and seminars, accreditation with professional bodies, fully funded vocational programmes and e-learning platforms.
• Compassionate maternity, adoption, and shared parental leave policies, with up to 26 weeks leave at full pay, 13 weeks with partial pay, and 13 weeks further leave. And maternity support/paternity leave at full pay for 2 weeks, too!

You can find more details of the Benefits we offer here. To help picture your life at Justice Digital, Data and Science please take a look at our blog.

Key Responsibilities:

• Shape and deliver capability and talent programmes that align with the MoJ Talent Strategy and Justice Digital, Data & Science Talent Plan (2024–27) and annual business plans.

• Build and maintain key products such as the Job Role Catalogue (JRC) and Justice Digital, Data & Science Capability Framework, ensuring they are accurate, governed, and widely used.

• Partner with Heads of Profession, leaders, and teams to co-design capability tools, professional communities and role pathways that meet business and professional needs.

• Foster a culture of continuous learning through initiatives like the Capability Hub, Continuous Professional Development and Talent Academies for apprentices and emerging talent.

• Monitor, analyse and report on programme outcomes using data, metrics and feedback to justify investment and support continuous improvement i.e. post Government Digital & Data assessment rounds.

• Collaborate with People Group, commercial colleagues, senior leaders, technical specialists and external suppliers to ensure development activity is high quality and business relevant.

• Engage with other government departments (including CDDO) to share best practice, link communities of practice, and align capability approaches across government.

• Act as a collaborative leader within the Capability Team, supporting wider workstreams and embedding inclusive, effective ways of working.

• Communicate effectively across diverse audiences, adapting style and tools (written, presentation, facilitation) to maximise engagement and impact.
• A commitment to displaying and promoting a culture of inclusivity.

If this feels like an exciting challenge, something you are enthusiastic about, and want to join our team please read on and apply!

Person Specification

Essential

• Experience in capability-building contexts: (Learning & Development, Recruitment, HR, Pay or digital and data talent programme design/delivery in large complex organisations).

• Project / Programme Management experience: Planning, governance, compliance (e.g. GDPR), data analysis, performance tracking, and delivery to time/budget as needed.

• Data and Insight: Experience of acquiring, managing, analysing and using data to inform decisions, monitor outcomes and guide future approaches.

• Communicating & Influencing

• Leadership

• Working Together

Willingness to be assessed against the requirements for BPSS clearance

We welcome the unique contribution diverse applicants bring and do not discriminate based on culture, ethnicity, race, nationality or national origin, age, sex, gender identity or expression, religion or belief, disabi