21927 - Engagement and Strategy Manager

Engagement and Strategy Manager

Location: National*

Closing Date: 21st September 2026

Interviews: Week commencing 5th October 2026

Grade: SEO

(MoJ candidates who are on a specialist grade, will be able to retain this grade on lateral transfer)

Salary**: National: £42,914 - £46,182

London: £49,325 - £53,081

Working pattern: Full-time, Part-time, Flexible working

Contract Type: Permanent

Number of vacancies: 2

Vacancy number: 21927

*We offer a hybrid working model, allowing for a balance between remote work and time spent in your local office. Office locations can be found ON THIS MAP

Please note that unless you are an existing member of staff at Justice Digital, Data and Science, the only London location being recruited to is 10 South Colonnade, E14 4PU. We are no longer recruiting to 102 Petty France, SW1H 9AJ.

The Role

We’re recruiting for Engagement and Strategy Managers here at Justice Digital, Data and Science to be part of our warm and collaborative Connecting Criminal Justice Data programme team, within the CJS & Victims Data Division

As an Engagement and Strategy Manager you will lead on engagement initiatives and storytelling across the CJS and help shape our ways of working/culture. You will be proactive and adaptable, working with the Strategy and Engagement Lead to help promote and socialise the new Connecting Criminal Justice Data programme. This role would suit someone who can operate in a fast-paced environment, enjoys variety, and can build high-quality relationships with stakeholders across a wide stakeholder landscape.

The Connecting Criminal Justice Data programme is looking to tackle cross-cutting CJS data and technology challenges through delivery of projects such as; Justice ID, a single identity that allows us to reliably recognise and link the same individual so that the right information follows them through the system; and a flagship linked dataset that brings together data from police, CPS and courts to improve how we understand journeys through the justice system.

This is an exciting opportunity to join a growing multidisciplinary team working across professions, departments, agencies and the wider Criminal Justice System to deliver transformational change at a national scale. Your work will span organisational boundaries and some of the most complex challenges facing public services today, helping to create a more connected, effective and user-centred Criminal Justice System that improves outcomes for victims, frontline staff and the wider public. The programme is a rare opportunity to work on genuinely cross-system transformation, bringing together colleagues from across government to solve complex problems and improve outcomes across the Criminal Justice System.

In order to deliver this new and exciting programme we need two excellent Engagement and Strategy Managers to help set the programme up for success.

The Connecting Criminal Justice Data programme sits within the CJS & Victims Data Division. We are committed to creating an environment where all our people feel valued for who they are and the work they contribute. Working in the CJS & Victims Data Division offers the opportunity to be at the forefront of data transformation in government, while being part of an inclusive workplace that provides flexible working arrangements and competitive benefits as part of our people offer.

You’ll receive a range of excellent benefits when you join our department, including:

• A generous employer pension contribution of 28.97% through the Civil Service Pension Scheme.
• 25 days of annual leave, (increasing to 30 days once you have reached 5 years of service), plus 8 bank holidays and a privilege day for the King’s birthday.
• Flexible working arrangements including hybrid working, working part time or compressed hours. Designed to support a positive work–life balance.
• Employees are allocated 10% of their working time for personal and professional development.
• A £1k per person learning budget is in place to support all our people, with access to best-in-class conferences and seminars, accreditation with professional bodies, fully funded vocational programmes and e-learning platforms.
• Compassionate maternity, adoption, and shared parental leave policies, with up to 26 weeks leave at full pay, 13 weeks with partial pay, and 13 weeks further leave. And maternity support/paternity leave at full pay for 2 weeks, too!

You can find more details of the Benefits we offer here. To help picture your life at MoJ Justice Digital, Data and Science please take a look at our blog.

Key Responsibilities:

• Support high-profile engagement workstreams that introduce and socialise the Connecting Criminal Justice Data programme both internally and externally
• Build and maintain strong and productive relationships with a wide range of stakeholders from operational to senior, to strengthen collaboration, influence decisions and support delivery
• Design and deliver targeted engagement that builds understanding of the programme and brings teams, agencies and stakeholders together
• Help shape and deliver a clear, compelling narrative for the programme, ensuring consistent and confident messaging across the teams and key stakeholders
• Lead and own the creation of a stakeholder register and update regularly
• Design and embed effective ways of working across MoJ and Home Office, ensuring the development of a cohesive and high-performing joint programme culture
• Support the programme’s resourcing approach, coordinating recruitment across CCJD projects to ensure a consistent, efficient, and compelling offers to candidates
• Support forward planning, working closely with the Grade 6 to prepare for Spending Review 2027 (SR27) and future programme priorities
• Lead and own the creation of our shared knowledge management and documentation site

If this feels like an exciting challenge, something you are enthusiastic about, and want to join our team please read on and apply!

Person Specification

Essential

• Proven experience in engagement, communications or stakeholder management, ideally in a complex organisation
• The ability to tailor messages and engagement approaches to different audiences and deliver with confidence
• The ability to translate complex and technical concepts into clear, accessible and engaging narratives for a range of audiences
• A proactive and self-motivated approach to take ownership of ideas and drive them through to successful delivery

Willingness to be assessed against the requirements for BPSS clearance

We welcome the unique contribution diverse applicants bring and do not discriminate based on culture, ethnicity, race, nationality or national origin, age, sex, gender identity or expression, religion or belief, disability status, sexual orientation, educational or social background or any other factor.

Our values are Purpose, Humanity Openness and Together. Find out more here about how we celebrate diversity and an inclusive culture in our workplace.

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 D&I Strategy.

Salary Information**

Base salary for this role is from £42,914 - £46,182 (National) or £49,325 - £53,081 (London)

• New entrants to the Civil Service joining the MoJ are expected to start at the minimum of the pay band.
• Existing Civil Servants moving on a level transfer will retain their current base salary or move to the minimum of the pay band for the role, whichever is higher.
• Existing Civil Servants who are promoted will either move to the bottom of the new grade’s pay band or receive a 10% uplift, whichever provides the greater increase.

How to Apply

In Justice Digital, Data and Science, we recruit using a combination of the Government Digital and Data Profession Capability and Success Profiles Frameworks. We shall assess a combination of your Experience and Behaviours during the assessment process.

Stage 1 - Application and sift:

To apply for this position, you must submit the following as part of your application

• A CV detailing your career history (including any relevant qualifications). Your CV will be assessed against the essential criteria outlined within the Person Specification of this advert.
• A Personal Statement (no more than 750 words) which should outline your experience and skills, giving clear examples of work undertaken. It should specifically address the criteria listed below.
• Describe a time where you inspired others and brought diverse stakeholders together behind a shared vision

A diverse sift panel will review the information in your CV and Personal Statement to assess the sift criteria specified above. We operate an anonymous shortlisting process. Please ensure your CV and Personal Statement do not include your name or any other identifying details.

Should we receive a high volume of applications, a pre-sift based on Proven experience in engagement, communications or stakeholder management, ideally in a complex organisation will be conducted before the sift.

Please access the following link for guidance on how to apply - Application Guidance

Stage 2 - Interviews:

Successful candidates who meet the required standard will then be invited to a panel interview held via Microsoft Teams. At interview stage, you will be assessed against the following Success Profile elements - Experience and the following Behaviours:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Leadership

As part of your interview, you will be asked to deliver a short presentation that assesses the Communicating and influencing behaviour. Further details will be provided if successful at sift.

Appointments are made strictly in merit order. In the event that two or more candidates receive identical interview scores, the Communicating and Influencing behaviour will be applied as the primary lead criterion to determine the final merit order.

Should you be unsuccessful in the role that you have applied for but demonstrate the capability for a role at a lower level, we reserve the right to discuss this opportunity with you and offer you the position without needing a further application.

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

Use of 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 for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Terms & Conditions

Please review our Terms and Conditions which set out how we recruit and provide further information related to the role and salary arrangements.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact digitalanddatarecruitment@justice.gov.uk