23456 - Application Support Officer

HM Courts and Tribunals Service

Job Title: Application Support Officer

Grade: HEO

Directorate: Digital & Technology Services

Location: National

Contract Type: Permanent

Working Pattern: Full-time/ Flexible Working

This is a full-time position only due to the nature of the role.

Successful applicants will be expected to be office based 3 days per week in any HMCTS Office (subject to business availability).

Level of Clearance: To apply for this role, you will be required to successfully complete Security Clearance (SC) level as a condition of appointment. For further guidance click here

Introduction

HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) is responsible for the administration of criminal, civil and family courts and tribunals in England and Wales. Our roles support our service users and colleagues, where people and businesses access potentially life-changing justice. We’re looking for individuals who are committed to public service and want to make a difference in people’s lives in delivering justice. If you’re interested in developing a career with a real purpose, please apply.

Job Description

As an Application Support Officer, you will act as a point of expertise for designated criminal applications, providing support, guidance and problem resolution to users across HMCTS and external stakeholders. You will investigate and manage incidents, diagnose and resolve application issues, and identify opportunities to improve service performance and user experience. Working within the Digital & Technology Services Directorate, you will collaborate with operational teams, suppliers and criminal justice partners to ensure critical digital services remain reliable, effective and aligned with business needs. Through proactive support, continuous improvement and stakeholder engagement, you will help deliver high-quality digital services that underpin the effective operation of criminal courts and support the administration of justice.

In this role you will

Your role as an Application Support Officer will encompass several key responsibilities listed below (but not limited to):

Application Support and Service Delivery

• Provide specialist support and advice on criminal justice applications and associated business processes, helping users and stakeholders resolve issues and maximise the effective use of supported systems.
• Take ownership of incidents, service requests and operational issues from initial investigation through to resolution, ensuring progress is managed within agreed service levels and stakeholders are kept informed throughout.
• Investigate application issues, identify root causes and collaborate with suppliers, technical teams and business stakeholders to deliver effective resolutions, workarounds or escalations.
• Apply service management processes, including Incident, Problem, Change and Release Management, to support service stability, minimise disruption and prevent recurring issues.
• Maintain accurate and detailed records of incidents, requests, investigations, known errors and resolutions within approved service management tools.
• Monitor application performance, operational processes and service health, identifying and escalating risks, failures, service degradation and emerging trends that may impact operational delivery.
• Monitor scheduled and batch processes where required, coordinating timely corrective action when failures occur.
• Support application testing, releases, upgrades and project implementations, ensuring new and changed services are transitioned effectively into live support.
• Administer user access, application configuration and system administration activities in line with security controls, policies and delegated responsibilities.
• Develop and maintain expert knowledge of supported applications and the operational processes they support.

Service Improvement and Analysis

• Analyse incidents, service performance data, recurring issues and user feedback to identify opportunities to improve service quality, operational efficiency and user experience.
• Develop evidence-based recommendations for changes to processes, procedures and systems that enhance operational effectiveness and service delivery.
• Create and maintain operational procedures, support documentation, user guidance and knowledge base articles.
• Promote the consistent and effective use of criminal justice applications, encouraging the adoption of standard processes and best practice across HMCTS.
• Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives and projects that enhance application reliability, performance and customer satisfaction.

Stakeholder Engagement and Team Working

• Build and maintain effective working relationships with operational colleagues, product teams, technical specialists, suppliers and Criminal Justice System partners to support the delivery of a high-quality end-to-end service.
• Communicate technical and operational information clearly and effectively to a wide range of audiences, adapting communication styles to meet differing needs.
• Manage stakeholder expectations through regular updates, clear communication and informed recommendations.
• Represent the team at meetings, workshops and service reviews, providing specialist knowledge and support where required.
• Share expertise, coach colleagues and contribute to a culture of knowledge sharing, collaboration and continuous learning.
• Positively challenge existing ways of working and contribute ideas that improve team performance, service delivery and organisational outcomes.
• Promote a culture of inclusion, collaboration, continuous improvement and excellent customer service.

Essential skills

• Experience supporting users, stakeholders or operational teams in the effective use of criminal justice applications and associated business processes.
• Proven experience of taking ownership of incidents, service requests and operational issues, ensuring they are progressed through to resolution or appropriate reassignment.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to investigate complex issues, interpret service information, identify risks and drive issues towards effective resolution.
• Understanding of service management disciplines, including Incident, Problem, Change and Release Management.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to adapt communication style and technical information to suit a range of audiences.
• Strong customer and service focus, with a commitment to delivering high-quality, end-to-end support.
• Ability to manage competing priorities and work effectively within a fast-paced operational environment.
• Ability to work collaboratively with internal teams, external suppliers and stakeholders to support effective service delivery.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office applications, including Outlook, Word, Excel and Teams.

The below criteria are desirable only. These will not be assessed throughout the recruitment process, but will be used in the event of tied scores between candidates

Desirable skills

• Experience working within HMCTS Criminal Courts, including Magistrates’ Courts, Crown Courts or a related criminal justice environment.
• Experience working within an IT, application support or service management environment.
• Experience using IT Service Management (ITSM) tools such as Halo, ServiceNow or equivalent systems.
• Practical experience of applying Incident, Problem, Change and Release Management processes.
• Experience supporting application testing, releases, upgrades and service improvement activities.
• Experience creating and maintaining operational procedures, user guidance and knowledge base articles.
• Experience working with third-party suppliers and supporting supplier management activities.

Desirable knowledge

• Knowledge of criminal court operations, including listing, scheduling and case progression processes, and an understanding of the wider Criminal Justice System.
• Working knowledge and practical experience of one or more HMCTS criminal applications, including:
  • Common Platform
  • XHIBIT
  • Libra
  • Digital Case System (DCS)
  • Store and Bench
  • Scheduling and Listing
  • ListAssist
  • Applications Register
  • Rota
  • Digital Mark Up (DMU)

Application process:

This role will be recruited using a combination of Government Digital and Data (GDD) Profession Capability Framework and Success Profiles Frameworks during the sift and interview process. Using GDD we will then determine if you will be paid an additional allowance, on top of your basic salary. This role is within the IT Operations Family Job Family, is an Application Operations Engineer role at Application Operations Engineer level, but carries the title Application Support Officer within DTS.

Stage 1 - Sift:

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

• An anonymised CV, setting out your career history, key responsibilities and achievements. Your CV will be assessed against the essential criteria outlined within the Essential Skills section of this advert.

• A Statement of Suitability which should give us real life examples of how your skills and experience match those needed for this role. We recommend following the STAR

Stage 2 - Interviews:

Successful candidates who passed the sift will be invited to interview via Microsoft Teams (details to be shared along with your invite). At interview stage, you will be assessed against the following - Behaviours. Details can be found under the interview stage assessment section on the advert. For Behaviours you will be expected to align your answers to the Government Digital and Data (GDD) Capability Framework

Important information

Level of Clearance

To apply for this role, you will be required to successfully complete Security Clearance (SC) level as a condition of appointment. To meet these requirements, you will normally need to have been resident in the UK for at least:

• SC - 5 years

For further information please click here

Salary details

New recruits to the Civil Service joining MoJ are expected to join at the band minimum.

Existing Civil Servants applying on promotion, will usually be appointed on the salary minimum of the new pay band, or receive an increase of 10 percent on the current base salary, whichever is higher (This is restricted to the pay maximum of the new band).

Travel requirements

There will be a requirement to travel occasionally to any HMCTS site in line with business needs.

Proud to Serve. Proud to keep justice going.