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The Independent Inquiry into Grooming Gangs has been established to investigate systemic failures in the protection of children and young people from group-based sexual exploitation and abuse. Established following Baroness Louise Casey's National Audit on Group-based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, the Inquiry will undertake targeted investigations across England and Wales, identifying where institutions and services failed to protect vulnerable children and making recommendations to deliver meaningful and lasting change. The Inquiry operates independently of government and will be chaired by Baroness Anne Longfield CBE.

Job description

This is an exceptional opportunity to lead one of the most significant public inquiries in recent years. Reporting directly to the Chair, the Secretary will serve as the Inquiry's chief executive and principal adviser, responsible for establishing and leading a new organisation capable of delivering a complex, high-profile and nationally important programme of work. Operating at the intersection of public policy, law, politics and public accountability, you will provide strategic leadership across every aspect of the Inquiry's operations while ensuring that the voices and experiences of victims and survivors remain at the heart of its work.

The successful candidate will bring outstanding leadership credentials, commercial and operational acumen, and a proven ability to deliver complex programmes in highly scrutinised environments. You will have the judgement and confidence to advise and challenge senior stakeholders, the credibility to build trust with victims and survivors, and the resilience to lead through difficult and often sensitive issues. Working closely with the Chair, Counsel and Solicitor to the Inquiry, you will be responsible for building a high-performing multidisciplinary team, establishing robust governance and financial controls, managing significant risks, and ensuring delivery to time, quality and budget.

We are interested in hearing from outstanding leaders who have demonstrated strategic and operational excellence in complex public, regulatory, investigative, oversight or mission-driven organisations. Whilst experience of public inquiries, reviews or statutory investigations would be valuable, we are particularly interested in individuals who combine strong organisational leadership with authenticity, courage, sound judgement and a deep commitment to public service. The role calls for a leader who is both compassionate and resolute, capable of navigating public scrutiny while maintaining the confidence of victims, survivors and stakeholders across government and beyond.

Person specification

Essential Criteria

The successful candidate will need to demonstrate:

Significant senior leadership experience leading complex organisations, programmes or operations in highly scrutinised, politically sensitive environments, with a strong track record of delivering high-quality outcomes through multi-disciplinary teams.
Exceptional strategic judgement, resilience and delivery grip, with the ability to navigate complexity, manage risk, oversee substantial budgets, ensure value for money, and operate effectively under significant public, political and media scrutiny.
Outstanding communication, influencing and relationship management skills, with the credibility to build trust and work effectively with a diverse range of stakeholders, including senior leaders, legal advisers, victims and survivors, and external partners.
Demonstrated ability to engage sensitively and compassionately with individuals from diverse backgrounds, ensuring victims' and survivors' experiences inform organisational decision-making and delivery.
A strong commitment to inclusive leadership and organisational excellence, creating high-performing teams and fostering a culture of integrity, professionalism and accountability.

Desirable Criteria

Experience of a public inquiry, review, commission or similarly complex organisation
Experience overseeing legal professionals or working closely with legal professionals
Operational experience or knowledge of local government, police and criminal justice system or safeguarding children
Familiarity with handling classified or sensitive material.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £105,000, Home Office contributes £30,418 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

Learning and development tailored to your role
An environment with flexible working options
A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

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

Please apply online at the following link: www.gatenbysanderson.com/job/GSe134632 by 23:55hrs on 16 August 2026. You will be asked to provide:

A CV – setting out your career history, highlighting specific responsibilities and achievements that are relevant for this role. Please provide reasons for any gaps within the last two years.
A Statement of Suitability – (limited to 1250 words) providing examples of how your experience meets the essential criteria. This is your opportunity to give examples and show how your skills and experience fit the job requirements.

Please note;

Appointment Term:

The appointment is offered on the basis of a 2-year loan, secondment, or fixed-term appointment to deliver a defined programme of work, with the possibility of a 12-month extension by mutual agreement of all parties (forming a 2+1 arrangement.

Existing Civil Servants are eligible to apply on either a level transfer (loan) or promotion basis, and secondees from accredited NDPBs are also eligible to apply.

Where an internal candidate is successful through the recruitment process, they will be appointed to the role on a substantive basis, subject to the relevant departmental policies and approvals.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.This role has a minimum assignment duration of 2 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 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.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

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

Salary range

£105,000 - £140,000 per year