Head of Security Incident Response and Operational Liaison, Judicial Security Office


Ministry of Justice
Location 

Leeds

Employment Hours 

New Jobs

Employment Type 

Permanent, Temporary, Contract, Contract

Salary 

£50,001 - £60,001 a year

Job Highlights
  • Lead the Security Incident Response and provide strategic operational liaison within the Judicial Security Office, ensuring robust safety measures are maintained.
  • Ideal candidates will possess significant experience in security management, leadership skills, and a strong analytical mindset.
  • This permanent, full-time position is based in Leeds with flexible working options and a competitive salary range of £58,511 - £65,329.
Job Requirements/Description
This vacancy is only available to existing Civil Servant employees and employees of accredited non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs). Please review the "Eligibility" section before you apply.

General Information

Salary
The national salary range is £58,511 - £65,329, London salary range is £63,343 - £70,725. Your salary will be dependent on your base location
Working Pattern
Full Time, Flexible Working
Vacancy Approach
Cross Government
Location
Leeds, London, Loughborough
Region
London, Midlands, Yorkshire and the Humber
Closing Date
17-Sep-2026
Post Type
Permanent
Civil Service Grade
Grade 7
Number of jobs available
1
Reserve List
12 Months
Job ID
21666

Descriptions & requirements

Job description

Role title

Head of Security Incident Response and Operational Liaison

Team/Directorate

Judicial Office: Strategy, Information and Digital

Location

This position can be based at RCJ, London WC2A 2LL, Loughborough Magistrates Court, or 5, Wellington Place, Leeds, LS1 4AP.

Judicial Office expectation is for minimum 60% office attendance over each quarter, with some travel to other offices and courts, subject to business requirements

Overview of the role:

The Judicial Office

The Judicial Office (JO) reports and is accountable to the Lady Chief Justice (LCJ) and was established in 2006 to provide support to the LCJ and to the wider judiciary following the Constitutional Reform Act 2005. In addition, we support, and are accountable to, the Senior President of Tribunals, whose responsibilities extend to Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The JO is an interesting and unique place to work. Everything we do is in support of upholding the independence and impartiality of the judiciary. We work ly with HMCTS, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and others across Government as well as with the legal professions.

We are an Arm’s Length Body sponsored by the MoJ. This creates an interesting and complex environment in which to work w we agree our priorities with the senior judiciary and receive our funding to deliver them from the MoJ. The JO has been through a period of significant growth resulting from an expansion of our remit and responsibilities.

Judicial Security Office

This is an exciting time to join the JO, helping to establish a new, dedicated, intelligence-led Judicial Security Office, which will be responsible for leading on out-of-court/hearing centre judicial security.

With the risk/threat landscape evolving, you will lead a team that will work alongside Judicial HR, HMCTS, and a wide network of national security, law enforcement and Government partners to identify, assess and respond to a broad range of security threats, helping to protect those at the heart of the justice system.

Delivered through three specialist teams, the Judicial Security Office will support around 24,000 judicial office holders, including judges, magistrates and tribunal members across England and Wales.

This is a great opportunity to join a new and growing function, with a high-profile mission: safeguarding judicial independent by ensuring judicial office holders receive the security support they need, when they need it, in an increasingly complex threat environment.

Summary:

This role offers the opportunity to make a direct contribution to judicial independence and the effective administration of justice by helping ensure that judicial office holders can carry out their duties safely and confidently.

Responsibilities, Activities & Duties:

Key responsibilities include:

The Head of Security Incident Response and Operational Liaison will lead their team’s delivery of the following core services:

o Entry point and triage: Support delivery of a 24/7/365 response service: including receiving and recording relevant information; making an initial assessment of the nature, severity and potential impact of the incident/concern, considering threats, vulnerabilities and associated risks; advising judicial office holders on any next steps; and liaising with the appropriate operational partner(s) to take any action(s).

o Key point of contact for judicial office holders reporting security incidents, concerns or threats: Maintain ongoing contact with judicial office holders throughout the lifecycle of incidents, ensuring they are informed, supported and updated as appropriate.

o Liaison with operational partners: This will involve:

. Building and maintaining strong, collaborative relationships with key operational partners including the police, other law enforcement agencies, the National Protective Security Authority, intelligence agencies, HMCTS, MoJ, and the Government Security Group; and

. Requesting that operational partners investigate and mitigate security incidents/concerns.

  • Procuring protection: W proportionate, request the provision of protection officers for specific events, temporary periods, or on a longer-term basis for some judicial office holders at highest risk.
  • Build and lead a high-performing team initially comprising 1 x SEO and 1 x HEO.
  • Within six months, support the Head of the Judicial Security Office to conduct a review of the team’s demand, threat and risk to determine whether it needs to be scaled up.
  • Set strategic direction for the team.
  • Play an active role in the Judicial Security Office’s senior management team.
  • Promote an inclusive culture within the team and the wider Judicial Security Office.
  • Contribute to the wider development and success of the Judicial Security Office, and the Judicial Office overall.
  • Build collaborative relationships with the judiciary, HMCTS, MoJ, law enforcement and other security organisations.
  • Participate in an on-call rota for the wider Judicial Security Office to support the 24/7/365 incident response service. Any relevant MoJ allowance and overtime policies will apply, w appropriate.

Behaviours & Strengths (for Recruitment/Success Profiles):

Core behaviours

  • Leadership (LEAD)
  • Seeing the Big Picture
  • Communicating and Influencing
  • Working together
  • Making Effective Decisions
  • Delivering at Pace

These will be tested in your application and at interview.

Strengths will also be tested at interview

Essential Knowledge, Experience and Skills:

  • Experience of leading and developing staff.
  • Experience working in a personal security, risk, resilience, investigations, law enforcement or operational response environment.
  • Experience of working in and contributing to an inclusive and collaborative working culture.
  • Strong stakeholder engagement skills with the ability to develop productive relationships across organisational boundaries.
  • Strong organisational skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and deliver high-quality outcomes in a fast-paced environment.
  • Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal with the ability to explain complex issues clearly and confidently.
  • Ability to provide clear, balanced and proportionate advice to a range of stakeholders.
  • Ability to remain calm, resilient and professional when responding to sensitive or challenging situations.
  • CTC clearance will be required when taking up post. SC or DV clearance may be required in due course.
  • If not already a member, willing to work towards becoming a member of the Security Institute.

Desirable Knowledge, Experience and Skills:

  • Membership of the Security Institute

Qualifications:

N/A

Security clearance required:

  • CTC

Please note:

Central Government policy dictates that applicants for National Security Clearance must be a resident in the UK for these minimum periods:

- CTC - 3 years

Additional Information

T may be a need to attend meetings with the judiciary before or after court (before 9.30am and after 4.30pm) so t will be the need for flexibility in this regard.

Our selection process ensures a comprehensive assessment of each applicant's skills, and potential fit within our organisation. This vacancy is using Success Profiles and will assess Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.

The selection process for this role will be:

Application Stage: Sift of CV and behaviour question(s) responses.

Interview Stage: Interview

You must be successful at each stage to progress to the next stage.

Application stage

Experience: You will be asked to submit an anonymous copy of your CV.

Behaviours: You will be asked to provide 250-word statements on the following:

  • Leadership (Lead)
  • Seeing the Big Picture
  • Communicating and Influencing
  • Working together
  • Making Effective Decisions
  • Delivering at Pace

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead Behaviour; Leadership

Feedback will not be provided at application or short-list stages.

Interview stage

All applicants that progress to interview will be assessed on Behaviours, Strengths and Experience in line with Civil Service Success Profiles, as set out above. It is anticipated that interviews will take place via MS Teams mid September, but please note that these dates are subject to change.

A reserve list may be held for a period up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made.

If you would like to speak with someone about the role, please contact peopleserviceteam@judicidary.uk

Additional Information

Working Arrangements & Further Information

The MoJ offers Hybrid Working arrangements w 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 roles: 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, w 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.

T 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. T 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.

Eligibility

Staff on fixed term appointments must have been recruited through fair and open competition.

Vacancies advertised “cross-government” are only open to all Civil Service employees and employees of accredited non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) who were appointed on merit following a fair and open competition; or were appointed to a permanent post through an exception in the Civil Service Commissioners' rules.

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.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
  • )

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.

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.

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

Diversity & Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wver it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy.

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 21666

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

Job Description Attachment

  • JD Template JSO - G7 Head of Security Incident Response and Operational Liaison.docx (Job Description Attachment)

Select new file

Application form stage assessments

Behaviours
A sift based on the lead behaviour, Leadership, may be held if a large number of applications are received. If a large number of applications remain after the initial sift, your application will be progressed to a full sift, w all behaviours will then be considered.
Behaviours Application Form Question Word Limit
250
Seeing the Big Picture
Making Effective Decisions
Leadership
Communicating and Influencing
Working Together
Delivering at Pace
Experience
We will assess your experience for this role via the following methods
CV or Work History
Evidence of Experience
CV or Work History

Interview stage assessments

Interview Dates
Expected Mid September
Behaviours
Seeing the Big Picture
Making Effective Decisions
Leadership
Communicating and Influencing
Working Together
Delivering at Pace
Strengths
Strengths will be assessed but these are not shared in advance. To learn more about Strengths and how they are assessed .
Level of security checks required
Counter Terrorism Check (CTC)

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. W 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.

Ministry of Justice
Location 

Leeds

Employment Hours 

New Jobs

Employment Type 

Permanent, Temporary, Contract, Contract

Salary 

£50,001 - £60,001 a year

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