Deputy Director – PECS Generation 5 Programme

Job summary

This is a Nationally based role

Job description

The Role

This postholder will act as the Senior Responsible Owner (SRO) for the PECS Generation 5 programme, a major national initiative shaping the future delivery of prisoner escort and custody services.

PECS Generation 5 represents a once‑in‑a‑decade opportunity to re‑design a mission‑critical service underpinning the Criminal Justice System. It is a complex and high‑profile programme, involving early market engagement, service design, procurement and mobilisation.

The programme operates within a highly constrained and specialist supplier market, in a context of significant operational, financial and political scrutiny. It requires sustained senior leadership to ensure that future arrangements are deliverable, affordable and resilient.

The successful candidate will:

• Provide strategic leadership from early programme scoping through to procurement and mobilisation
• Shape the future PECS operating model in response to changing system demand and policy direction
• Establish and lead a programme capability of approximately 30 staff, supported by matrixed expertise across multiple functions
• Engage confidently with senior stakeholders across HMPPS, MoJ, HMCTS, policing and supplier market

This role requires strong leadership, sound judgement and the ability to operate effectively in conditions of uncertainty and complexity.

Key Responsibility

Reporting to the Executive Director – Contracted Operational Delivery, you will:

• Act as Senior Responsible Owner for the PECS Generation 5 programme, setting strategic direction and ensuring delivery of a national, system‑critical service
• Lead the design and development of the future PECS operating model, balancing continuity of service with opportunities for transformation and improvement
• Establish and maintain programme governance, assurance and reporting arrangements, ensuring clear oversight of risk, affordability and deliverability
• Provide timely, evidence‑based advice to senior leaders, including Director Generals and Ministers, on programme progress and key decisions
• Build and lead a multidisciplinary programme team, setting expectations and fostering a strong delivery culture across a geographically dispersed workforce
• Engage effectively with stakeholders across the Criminal Justice System, including HMCTS, policing partners, judiciary and commercial providers
• Maintain market confidence through senior‑level engagement with suppliers and support the development of viable, sustainable delivery models

Additional Responsibilities

• Ensure effective integration across programme functions including commercial, finance, digital, legal and operational policy
• Maintain alignment between PECS Generation 5 and wider HMPPS and MoJ strategic priorities
• Promote a strong culture of accountability, inclusivity and continuous improvement across the programme
• Ensure robust risk management, including early identification and mitigation of delivery, commercial and reputational risks
• Represent the programme in internal and cross‑government governance forums as required
• In addition to leading the PECS Generation 5 programme, the postholder will be expected to contribute as a member of the Directorate Senior Leadership Team, the wider contract management community, and relevant organisational change leadership forums.

It is important through the recruitment process that you give evidence and examples of proven experience of each of the essential and desirable criteria.

Later on in the pack you will be told what is being assessed at which stage of the process.

Essential Experience:

• A strong track record of leading complex, high‑risk programmes or portfolios, delivering in environments characterised by ambiguity, scale and external scrutiny
• Experience of operating credibly at senior levels, including engagement with Director General and Ministerial stakeholders
• Demonstrable ability to shape and deliver strategic outcomes across organisational boundaries, including through matrix management and influence rather than direct control
• Experience of balancing competing priorities, including affordability, operational performance and risk, to inform defensible decision‑making
• Strong leadership capability, including building and leading multidisciplinary teams and establishing effective delivery cultures

Desirable Experience:

• Experience of commissioning, procurement or delivery of large‑scale contracted services
• Experience of operating within, or alongside, the Criminal Justice System or similarly complex public service environments
• Experience of engaging with supplier markets at a senior level to shape viable and sustainable delivery solutions
• Understanding of programme governance, assurance and delivery methodologies within a government context

MoJ SCS Pay Band 1 Behaviours:

You will also be assessed against the following Behaviours during the Recruitment Process:

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace

Person specification

Recruitment Process

Given the scale and expected lifecycle of the PECS Generation 5 programme, the intention is for the postholder to provide continuity of leadership across the programme. Candidates should therefore expect to remain in post for a minimum assignment duration of 3 years. This is an expectation only and is not written into your terms and conditions or otherwise binding.

Support during the selection process

If you need any support or have any questions during any stage of the selection process, please contact the SCS Recruitment Team scsrecruitment@justice.gov.uk.

Stages of the selection process

Information Session

• For those interested in finding out more about the role, we encourage applicants to attend the information session on 17 June from 15:00-15:30hrs.
• Robin Seaton (Executive Director – Contracted Operational Delivery), Tim Coates (Head of PECS) and an HR Lead will be present to discuss the position in more depth, as well as provide information about what you can expect while working in the PECS Generation 5 Programme.
• The session will also give you the chance to ask any questions you may have before applying to the role.
• To attend the session, please email ExecutiveDirectorDOCOD@justice.gov.ukto request an invite.

Internal Stakeholder Conversations

You are invited to arrange an informal discussion with Robin Seaton to learn more about the role and the organisation before applying. If you would like to request an invite, please email: ExecutiveDirectorDOCOD@justice.gov.uk

This is not part of the assessed elements of the selection process.

Application

You will need to complete the online application process accessed via the advertisement for this role.

This should be completed no later than 23:55 on 29 June 2026. As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete:

1. Responses to the eligibility questions to check you are eligible to apply for the role.
2. A response to whether you would like to request reasonable adjustments during the selection process. The Disability Support section explains how adjustments can be made to the selection process to accommodate a disability.
3. You will also need to complete a CV and Statement of Suitability. It is important that your CV and Statement of Suitability give evidence and examples of how you meet the essential experience and any other requirements required for the role set out on page 8 and 9. The Statement of Suitability should be no more than 1,000

Other Assessment(s)

Panel Interview and Presentation:

You will be invited to attend an interview and presentation with the selection panel. You will be asked to prepare a short 10-minute verbal presentation based on a topic that will be provided in advance. The interview and presentation will last approximately 70 minutes.

We encourage applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that represents the wider society that we serve. We pride ourselves on being an employer of choice. We champion diversity, inclusion and wellbeing and aim to create a workplace where everyone feels valued and a sense of belonging. To find out more about how we do this visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversity.

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.

For full details about the Role, Key Responsibilities and Person Specification, please download and review the Candidate Information pack

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Leadership
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Delivering at Pace

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £86,000, Ministry of Justice contributes £24,914 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Access to learning and development
• A working environment that supports a range of flexible working options to enhance your work life balance
• A working culture which encourages inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
• Annual Leave
• Public Holidays
• Season Ticket Advance

For more information about the recruitment process, benefits and allowances and answers to general queries, please click the below link which will direct you to our Candidate Information Page.

Link: https://justicejobs.tal.net/vx/candidate/cms/About%20the%20MOJ

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

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 (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.For full details of the Selection Process and Recruitment Timeline, please view the Candidate Information pack.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.This role has a minimum assignment duration of 3 years. An assignment duration is the period of time a Senior Civil Servant is expected to remain in the same post to enable them to deliver on the agreed key business outcomes. The assignment duration also supports your career through building your depth of expertise.

As part of accepting this role you will be agreeing to the expected assignment duration set out above. This will not result in a contractual change to your terms and conditions. Please note this is an expectation only, it is not something which is written into your terms and conditions or indeed which the employing organisation or you are bound by. It will depend on your personal circumstances at a particular time and business needs, for example, would not preclude any absence like family friendly leave. It is nonetheless an important expectation, which is why we ask you to confirm you agree to the assignment duration set out above.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

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)
• 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)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) 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 (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : SCS Recruitment Team
• Email : scsrecruitment@justice.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : scsrecruitment@justice.gov.uk

Further information

Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. If you feel a department has breached the requirement of the Recruitment Principles and would like to raise this, please contact SSCL (Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com) in the first instance. If the role has been advertised externally (outside of the Civil Service) and you are not satisfied with the response, you may bring your complaint to the Commission. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web pages: http://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/civil-service-recruitm…

https://jobs.justice.gov.uk/careers/JobDetail/18756?entityId=18756

Attachments

(SCS1) Business Information Pack PECS Gen 5 SCS1 Opens in new window (docx, 4791kB)(SCS1) Accessible Candidate Pack PECS Gen 5 SCS1 Opens in new window (docx, 65kB)