Policy and Engagement Lead - Listing Improvement Programme (Ref: 21195)

Job summary

Job description

Introduction

HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) is responsible for the administration of criminal, civil and family courts and tribunals in England and Wales. Our roles support our service users and colleagues, where people and businesses access potentially life-changing justice. We’re looking for individuals who are committed to public service and want to make a difference in people’s lives in delivering justice. If you’re interested in developing a career with a real purpose, please apply.

Job Description

The Policy and Engagement Lead is responsible for leading the Listing Improvement Programme's staff and stakeholder engagement, internal and external communications, and Ministry of Justice (MoJ) policy engagement activities.

The postholder will ensure that colleagues, stakeholders and partners are informed, engaged and supported throughout programme delivery. They will maintain the programme SharePoint site as the single authoritative source of information, develop and deliver comprehensive engagement and communications plans, and act as the principal liaison with Ministry of Justice policy teams.

Working across a complex operational, judicial and policy environment, the role holder will ensure that programme messaging remains clear, accurate, consistent and aligned with strategic priorities while enabling meaningful two-way engagement that influences programme design, implementation and evaluation.

Reporting to the G6 Programme Delivery Manager, the postholder will work closely with HMCTS operational teams, communications colleagues, senior judiciary, Ministry of Justice policy teams, Trade Union representatives and criminal justice partners.

Key responsibilities

The role holder will:

• Own and maintain integrated internal and external communications and engagement plans, including priority audiences, objectives, messages, channels, activity schedules, approvals and clear routes for feedback. Coordinate activity so that communications are timely, consistent and aligned with programme milestones and decisions.

• Lead meaningful two-way engagement with listing officers, court staff, operational managers, regional teams and other colleagues affected by the programme. Ensure frontline experience and staff feedback shape programme design, guidance, implementation, communications and evaluation.

• Create, maintain and continuously improve the programme SharePoint site as the primary single source of programme information. Establish clear content ownership and publishing arrangements, keep material current and accessible, manage version control and archiving, and ensure colleagues can easily find authoritative updates, products and engagement opportunities.

• Produce and coordinate high-quality written and oral products, including speaking notes, briefings, submissions, presentations, Q&A, newsletters, correspondence, stakeholder packs and staff updates, ensuring complex issues are explained accurately, clearly and consistently.

• Draft and coordinate Trade Union Side (TUS) letters and supporting material with the People and Business Change workstream and HR, ensuring content is accurate, timely and follows the appropriate clearance and consultation routes.

• Lead delivery of the programme's internal and external communications plans and maintain its narrative and key messages. Work with HMCTS and Ministry of Justice communications colleagues on announcements, events and wider communications, and identify communications or reputational risks early.

• Build and maintain trusted relationships with the senior judiciary, Judicial Office, HMCTS service and operational leaders, Ministry of Justice teams, linked programmes and criminal justice partners, ensuring they are informed and have effective opportunities to influence delivery.

• Act as the programme's principal policy link with Ministry of Justice criminal justice policy teams. Maintain an understanding of emerging policy, ministerial priorities and wider reform, translate these into advice for programme leadership, and communicate programme evidence, delivery implications and constraints clearly to policy colleagues.

• Develop and deliver engagement and communications approaches for pilots, implementation and national rollout, using stakeholder insight to identify likely barriers to adoption, areas of concern or confusion, and practical action needed to build confidence and readiness.

• Monitor stakeholder and staff feedback, sentiment and use of communications channels, identify themes and emerging issues, and advise the G6 Programme Delivery Manager and workstream leads on how the programme should respond.

• Lead any policy, engagement or communications staff or resource assigned to the function, contribute to a collaborative and inclusive programme team, and support wider Strategy and Analysis and Data, Analysis and Insight priorities where required.

Key Relationships

The postholder will work closely with:

• Listing Officers, Court Staff and Regional Operational Teams

• HMCTS Service Owners and Operational Leaders

• People and Business Change Teams

• Human Resources and Learning & Development Teams

• Trade Union Side Representatives

• HMCTS and Ministry of Justice Communications Teams

• Ministry of Justice Policy, Ministerial and Parliamentary Teams

• Senior Judiciary and Judicial Office Representatives

• Criminal Justice Partners

• Programme Workstream Leads and Delivery Partners

Essential skills

• Significant experience of leading staff and stakeholder engagement for a complex programme, policy or organisational change, including creating opportunities for people affected by change to shape its design and implementation.

• Experience of developing and delivering coordinated internal and external communications and engagement plans for varied audiences, using a range of written, digital and face-to-face channels.

• Excellent written and oral communication skills, with the ability to draft concise, accurate and persuasive TUS correspondence, speaking notes, briefings, submissions, presentations, Q&A and staff communications for senior, specialist and non-specialist audiences.

• Experience of managing digital content or a knowledge hub, ideally using SharePoint, including maintaining clear content governance, accessibility, version control and a reliable publishing cycle.

• Strong stakeholder management skills, with a record of building trust, influencing senior stakeholders and securing cooperation across organisational, professional or regional boundaries.

• Experience of working with government policy teams to understand wider policy and ministerial priorities, develop advice and align delivery activity with the broader strategic context.

• Experience of working in a politically, judicially, operationally or employee-relations sensitive environment and handling communications and relationships with sound judgement and discretion.

• Strong collaborative leadership, analytical and listening skills, including coordinating contributors outside the formal line management chain and using stakeholder insight, operational evidence and data to recommend practical improvements.

The below criteria are desirable only. These will not be assessed throughout the recruitment process, but wil