Service Justice System and Policing Governance Risk and Assurance Lead

The Conduct, Justice & Legislation Directorate provides strategic leadership, policy direction and assurance across Defence's conduct, discipline, policing, complaints, legislation and casework systems. It is Defence's core route for service justice and casework reform, sustaining statutory and operationally critical activity while underpinning operational effectiveness and institutional credibility. It brings together policy, assurance and programme delivery across the Service Justice System, Service and Civilian Complaints, conduct and discipline frameworks and major legislative reform, the Directorate strengthens accountability and provides end-to-end oversight of how Defence prevents, manages and responds to misconduct and grievance. Operating in a high-profile and scrutinised environment, the Directorate enables timely, transparent and consistent handling of conduct and justice issues, reinforces the highest standards of behaviour, and ensures Defence meets its legal, moral and societal obligations. Through sustained delivery of legislative reform, system transformation and rigorous oversight, it strengthens Defence's grip on conduct and justice risk, improves confidence among personnel, Parliament and the public, and supports a disciplined, accountable and values-led organisation underpinned by fair and credible justice and conduct systems.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

The Conduct and Justice Directorate sets direction and provides assurance for Defence's conduct, discipline and justice systems, ensuring they are fair, robust and command confidence. It brings together policy, system oversight and legislative reform to strengthen accountability, improve case handling and support delivery of Defence's legal obligations.

The post holder will lead the development and operation of a Directorate-wide risk and assurance function across Conduct, Justice and Legislation. Establish and maintain a single view of strategic and delivery risk, design proportionate assurance arrangements, strengthen controls, provide evidence-based reporting and support senior leaders to make timely, defensible decisions.

The role will operate alongside programme and sponsorship teams to ensure risks, issues, dependencies, recommendations, actions, benefits and evidence are visible, actively managed and escalated through the right governance routes. It will provide senior-level advice on the health of the Directorate portfolio and help embed disciplined, proportionate and auditable delivery controls.

The post holder will be accountable for leading the Directorate risk model and assurance framework, ensuring effective use of risk and control information to support governance, escalation, senior reporting, assurance activity and continuous improvement.

The post holder will be expected to work flexibly across the Directorate and wider Defence People, providing support to other directorate priorities and emerging business requirements as required to create an agile workforce.

Key responsibilities:

• Lead the design, implementation and continuous improvement of a Directorate-wide risk model, including risk appetite, ownership, scoring, controls, mitigations, review rhythm and escalation routes.
• Establish and maintain a proportionate assurance framework aligned to Directorate governance, portfolio priorities, delivery milestones, performance reporting and senior decision points.
• Provide strategic oversight of risks, issues, assumptions, dependencies, opportunities and controls across the Conduct, Justice and Legislation portfolio, ensuring timely escalation and resolution.
• Produce decision-ready reporting for senior leaders and governance boards, including consolidated risk reports, assurance summaries, control assessments and evidence-based recommendations.
• Work with programme, sponsorship, policy and operational teams to create clear audit trails for decisions, risks, controls, approvals, actions and delivery evidence.
• Lead assurance activity across high-priority programmes, implementation activity and emerging business requirements, identifying gaps, weaknesses, duplication and opportunities for improvement.
• Coordinate risk and assurance inputs for ministerial, parliamentary, senior board or external scrutiny requirements where required.
• Strengthen portfolio controls, including action tracking, recommendation tracking, benefits evidence, dependency management and governance reporting.
• Provide leadership and direction to any supporting risk or assurance resource, setting standards for analysis, reporting, escalation and assurance products.
• Build risk and assurance capability across the Directorate by coaching colleagues, improving templates, embedding consistent standards and supporting organisational learning.

Essential criteria

• Significant experience leading risk, assurance, governance, controls, PMO, programme delivery or portfolio management activity in a complex organisation.
• Experience developing and operating risk management frameworks, assurance approaches, governance products and senior-level reporting.
• Experience providing evidence-based advice to senior leaders, including clear analysis of risks, controls, dependencies, options and recommended action.
• Strong understanding of risk management, assurance, internal controls, delivery governance, dependency management, escalation and audit trails.
• Experience working with multidisciplinary teams and senior stakeholders to improve delivery grip, reporting quality and accountability.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to turn complex or sensitive information into clear, balanced and actionable advice.
• Ability to work at pace, manage ambiguity and maintain professional judgement in high-profile or scrutinised environments.

Desirable criteria

• Experience in Defence, wider public sector, regulated, statutory, assurance, audit or high-scrutiny environments.
• Professional project delivery, risk, assurance, audit or governance qualification, or equivalent experience.
• Experience designing assurance frameworks, portfolio controls, benefits evidence, recommendation trackers or senior board reporting products.
• Experience coaching teams, embedding standards and improving risk, assurance or project delivery maturity.

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

• Leadership
• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace

• 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%

The post does not offer relocation expenses.

External recruits who join the MOD who are new to the Civil Service will be subject to a six-month probation period.

Please Note: Expenses incurred for travel to interviews will not be reimbursed.

Please be advised that the Department is conducting a review of all pay related allowances which could impact on those allowances that the post currently being advertised attracts.

Any move to MOD from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.

The Ministry of Defence is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for its staff which includes educating them on the benefits of not smoking, protecting them from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke and supporting those who want to give up smoking. Under the Smoke-Free Working Environment policy, Smoking and the use of all tobacco products (including combustible and chewing tobacco products) will not be permitted anywhere in the Defence working

environment however some exemptions are in place, please refer to local guidance. The policy is Whole Force and includes all Defence personnel, contractors, visitors and other non-MOD personnel. All applicants seeking, considering, or accepting employment with the Ministry of Defence should be aware of this policy and that it is already in place at a number of Defence Establishments.

MOD Recruitment Satisfaction Survey - We may contact you regarding your experience to help us improve our customer satisfaction. The survey is voluntary and anonymous. You may however be given the opportunity to provide additional information to help us improve our service which includes the collection of some personal data as defined by the United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). The MOD Privacy Policy Notice sets out how we will use your personal data and your rights.

Job contact :

• Name : Julie Grugel
• Email : Julie.Grugel100@mod.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : DBSCivPers-Resourcingteam3@mod.gov.uk

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