Director for Science, Research & Development and Data Transformation

Job summary

This is a Nationally based role

Job description

The Director of Science, Research & Development and Data Transformation will report to the Chief Digital and Information Officer. In this role, you will ensure that our research, data, and innovation strategies support the department’s strategic objectives, enhance evidence-based decision-making, drive operational efficiency, and enable a transformation that modernises the foundations of the UK justice system—making it more agile, sustainable, and impactful.

Key Responsibilities

• You'll lead and inspire a high-performing team of research, data, and innovation specialists, creating a culture of collaboration, curiosity, and continuous improvement. By setting a clear vision aligned with MoJ's transformation strategy, you'll empower your team to deliver evidence-based insights and innovative solutions that challenge the status quo. As part of the senior leadership team, you'll help shape strategic direction and foster a shared sense of purpose across the Service Transformation Group.
• You'll lead the transformation of MoJ's research and data services by embracing emerging technologies, modern delivery methods, and flexible working trends. Alongside managing the business-as-usual portfolio, you'll drive major change through programmes such as the Innovation Fund and Data Improvement Programme-scaling up R&D, strengthening data governance, and embedding science-led approaches across the department.
• You'll manage significant budgets, ensuring investment delivers maximum value while driving cost savings and efficiencies. Where needed, you'll secure additional funding by clearly demonstrating return on investment and broader strategic benefits. Working closely with commercial colleagues, you'll oversee supplier performance and risk and shape the future commercial strategy for research and data services through strong, forward-looking relationships with current and prospective partners.
• You'll need exceptional stakeholder management skills, with the ability to build consensus across competing priorities and navigate complex organisational landscapes. As a senior science and data leader, you'll provide expert input and strategic guidance to a wide range of stakeholders-including ministers, agency CEOs, and senior officials-ensuring research and data decisions are well-informed, aligned, and impactful.

Essential criteria

The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate:

• Inspiring and credible leadership, with the ability to set a strategic vision for the new MoJ Science function and a proven track record of leading change across multiple teams.
• Experience in scaling up new functions - including establishing engagement strategies, workforce and financial planning.
• Deep expertise in data science and transformation, with advanced knowledge of research methodologies, analytics, and the application of emerging technologies.
• Proven ability to work as part of a multifunctional Senior Leadership Team, ensuring alignment and a unified voice across diverse functional priorities.

Person specification

Information Session For those interested in finding out more about the role, we encourage applicants to attend the information session on 12 February 2026, 3pm.

• Mark Thompson 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 Ministry of Justice.
• 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 join using this link:

  https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/37761006091510?p=LAc4SrUJUYgEZKksi2

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.

Behaviours

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

• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing
• Changing and Improving
• Making Effective Decisions

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £100,000, Ministry of Justice contributes £28,970 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

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

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/14523?entityId=14523

Attachments

(SCS2) Candidate Information Pack Template (3) Opens in new window (docx, 5734kB)(SCS2) Accessible Candidate Pack_ Opens in new window (docx, 54kB)