Offender Subject Access Request Team - Team Leader

General Information

Salary
£29,303 \- £31,061
Working Pattern
Full Time, Flexible Working
Vacancy Approach
External
Location
Burton\-upon\-Trent
Region
Midlands
Closing Date
12\-Jun\-2026
Post Type
Permanent
Civil Service Grade
EO
Number of jobs available
1
Reserve List
12 Months
Job ID
17949

Descriptions \& requirements

Job description
About the Department

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is one of the largest government departments, employing around 70,000 people (including those in the Probation Service), with a budget of approximately £9 billion. Each year, millions of people use our services across the UK \- including at 500 courts and tribunals, and 133 prisons in England and Wales.

What we do

We work to protect the public and reduce reoffending, and to provide a more effective, transparent, and responsive criminal justice system for victims and the public. We are also responsible for the following parts of the justice system:

• Courts


• Prisons


• Probation services


• Attendance centres.

We also work in partnership with other government departments and agencies to reform the criminal justice system, to serve the public and support the victims of crime. We are also responsible for making new laws, strengthening democracy, and safeguarding human rights.

New entrants to the Civil Service will be expected to join on the minimum of the pay range. Existing Civil Servants will have their salary calculated in accordance with the Department’s pay on transfer/pay on promotion rules.

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 w 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.

Background

The Offender Subject Access Request team sits within the MoJ’s Security, Services and Information Governance Group Directorate, which has a broad range of responsibilities including corporate communications through to information management and records compliance.

As part of the Directorate’s Information Services Division, our aim is to ensure the MoJ holds information in compliance with legislation; that all information is correctly stored, accessible, and shared appropriately; and our information is protected, and the risks managed. We believe that knowing what information and records we have and having the right information available at the right time by those who need it or request it, is at the heart of an excellent justice system.

The Offender SAR team manage and process over 6,000 Subject Access Requests (SARs) on behalf of the MoJ per annum.

About the Role

This is an exciting opportunity to join our team as a Team Leader, providing an expert and dedicated function in the processing of offender Subject Access Requests (SARs).

Our work plays a vital role in supporting individuals through their sentence and rehabilitation by ensuring they have access to the right information at the right time. We are committed to responding to all requests in full and within statutory timescales.

As a Team Leader, you will manage and lead a team of administrative staff responsible for processing offender SARs. This is a people\-focused role, w you will provide day\-to\-day support, guidance, and leadership to ensure your team feel motivated, engaged, and equipped to perform at their best.

You will oversee the assessment of personal data, ensuring disclosures are lawful and exemptions are applied appropriately w necessary. You will ensure work is effectively planned, prioritised, and allocated through our workflow management system, enabling requests to be completed in full, to a high standard, and within statutory deadlines.

You will be part of a large and evolving team exploring new technology to improve efficiency and manage complex workloads. This role offers an excellent opportunity to shape team performance, support staff development, and contribute to continuous improvement.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, manage and motivate a team, ensuring work is organised and delivered on time


• Allocate and monitor workloads using the team’s workflow system, ensuring work is prioritised effectively to meet statutory timescales


• Oversee decision\-making on disclosure of personal information and application of exemptions


• Conduct regular 1\-1 meetings, providing coaching, feedback and support to drive performance and wellbeing


• Manage HR\-related processes including attendance, conduct, performance management, and capability concerns, in line with policy

Set clear expectations and monitor progress against targets to achieve 100% compliance w* ver possible

• Support staff development, identifying training needs and helping individuals reach their full potential

Undertake quality assurance checks and implement improvement or remediation plans w* required

• Recognise and reward high performance and positive behaviours


• Work with EO colleagues to identify opportunities for process and performance improvements


• Support implementation of changes and lead your team through them effectively


• Ensure staff have a strong understanding of the Data Protection Act (DPA) and apply it correctly


• Provide guidance and hold regular team meetings to ensure consistency and best practice

Person Specification

Essential skills:

• Create a supportive, inclusive working environment, promoting staff wellbeing, engagement, and resilience


• People management skills, with the ability to support, motivate and develop staff in a people\-focused environment


• Provide day\-to\-day support, responding to team needs and removing barriers to performance


• Is organised, proactive and able to manage competing priorities


• Communicates clearly and provides constructive feedback


• Takes a flexible, positive, and solutions\-focused approach


• Thrives in a fast\-paced environment


• Working in a digital environment to streamline processes and deliver high quality, value for money services


• Experience of delivering customer service excellence in a processing environment


• Proven capability to manage workloads effectively, prioritising tasks to meet stringent deadlines while maintaining high standards of quality


• Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Teams, Outlook, and Adobe software.


• Excellent command of the English language, with strong reading comprehension and written communication skills.

Desirable skills:

• Working knowledge of the Data Protection Act (DPA) and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)


• Has experience of allocating and managing workloads through a case management or workflow system


• Experience of handing confidential information with sensitivity, professionalism and integrity


• Experience of working in or with HMPPS


• Delivers effective 1\-1s, coaching, and staff development


• Managing HR matters, including performance, attendance and wellbeing

Additional Information
Working Arrangements \& Further Information

The MoJ offers Hybrid Working arrangements w business need allows. This is an informal, non\-contractual form of flexible working that blends working from your base location, different MoJ sites and / or from home (please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas). All employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office, subject to local estate capacity.

Some roles will not be suitable for Hybrid Working. Similarly, Hybrid Working will not suit everyone’s circumstances. Arrangements will be discussed and agreed with the successful candidate(s) and subject to regular review.

For nationally advertised role: all successful candidates will be appointed to the nearest viable office nearest to their home postcode and on its respective pay scale. This will be at either a HQ building (subject to desk allocation, a Justice Collaboration Centre (JCC) or a Justice Satellite Office (JSO) – See Map. All employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office, subject to local estate capacity).

For current MoJ employees, your base location will need to be changed to the nearest viable office (to your home postcode), either at a HQ building, JCC or JSO within the National Office Network and moved its location’s respective pay scale (any legacy arrangements/locations will need to be amended).

Some of MoJ’s terms and conditions of service are changing as part of Civil Service reform. The changes will apply to staff joining MoJ who are new to the Civil Service. Staff joining MoJ from other civil service employers will transfer onto the new MoJ terms if they are already on 'modernised' terms in their current post or onto 'unmodernised' MoJ terms if they are on 'unmodernised' terms at their current post. Details will be available if an offer is made.

MoJ candidates who are on a specialist grade, will be able to retain their grade on lateral transfer.

All candidates who are currently in receipt of Mark Time / Pay Protection should ensure they are familiar with the new policy on permanent and temporary promotion which can be found on the employee intranet.

Flexible working hours

The Ministry of Justice offers a flexible working system in many offices. Standard full time working hours are 37 hours per week. MoJ welcomes part\-time, flexible and job\-sharing working patterns, w they meet the demands of the role and business needs. All applications for part\-time, flexible and job\-sharing working patterns will be considered in accordance with the MoJ’s Flexible Working policy.

Benefits

The MoJ offers a range of benefits:

Annual Leave

Annual leave is 25

This listing is from indeed. View original listing ↗