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20055 Prison Security Policy Adviser (up to 2 posts available)


Job Location:

London - UK

Monthly Salary: £ 42914 - 46182
Posted: 21 July 2026 (30+ days ago)
Application Deadline: 18 October 2026
Vacancies: 1 Vacancy

Job Summary

General Information
Salary
The national salary is 42914 - 46182. London salary is 49325 - 53081. Your salary will be dependent on your base location
Working Pattern
Full Time Part Time Part Time/Job Share Flexible Working
Vacancy Approach
Internal
Location
Leeds London
Region
London Yorkshire and the Humber
Closing Date
30-Jul-2026
Post Type
Permanent
Civil Service Grade
SEO
Number of jobs available
2
Reserve List
12 Months
Job ID
20055
Descriptions & requirements
Job description

Prison Security Policy Adviser (up to 2 posts available)

SEO

Prison Policy

The Prisons Policy Directorate is recruiting permanently for a SEO Senior Policy Advisor in the Prison Security Policy team. This campaign is open to all staff within the Ministry of Justice and is available on level transfer and substantive promotion.

Location:

Successful candidates will have the option to be based at one of the following locations:

  • 102 Petty France London
  • 5 Wellington Place Leeds

Occasional travel between the two locations may be required. We offer a hybrid working model allowing for a balance between remote work and time spent in your base location (102 Petty France or 5 Wellington Place Leeds).

Ways of Working

At the MoJ we believe and promote alternative ways of working these roles are available as:

  • Full-time part-time or the option to job share
  • Flexible working patterns

If we receive applications from more suitable candidates than we have vacancies for at this time we may hold suitable applicants on a reserve list for 12 months and future vacancies requiring the same skills and experience could be offered to candidates on the reserve list without a new competition.

We welcome and encourage applications from everyone including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce and pride ourselves as being an employer of choice. To find out more about how we champion diversity and inclusion in the workplace visit:

Salary

Existing Civil Servants will have their salary calculated in accordance with the Departments pay on transfer / pay on promotion rules.

Security Clearance

This role requires UK Security Vetting (Security Check) given the access to sensitive information afforded by the job role. You can find more information by reviewing the information held in the following links:

United Kingdom Security Vetting: Applicant - ()

The vetting charter - ()

If you do not hold the appropriate level of vetting you may still apply but must meet the required criteria as you will be required to undergo vetting to attain the enhanced vetting requirement. If you are not cleared at the required NSV level you will not be able to take up the role and the offer will be withdrawn.

To be eligible to apply for this role you should have been resident in the UK continuously for the past 5 years

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ)

MoJ is the largest government department employing over 90000 people with a budget of approximately 10 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.

Further information can be found at

The Work of the Prison Safety Security Behaviour Management & National Security (SSB&NS) Division

The Safety Security Behaviour Management & National Security (SSB&NS) division is a key part of the Directorate and has responsibility for one of the most important social policy issues in Government developing policies for how the prison system works and ensuring that the safety and security of both staff and prisoners is upheld. We work hand in hand in everything we do with HM Prison Service (HMPPS) - one of the biggest delivery organisations in government.

We are a friendly enthusiastic and collaborative division with a strong emphasis on ensuring team members feel happy supported and engaged in their work. We are keen to make a difference working closely with partners and supporting everyone to play their part to improve prisons and the outcomes for prisoners. We have a strong commitment to personal and career development helping everyone to grow and fulfil their potential. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone including groups underrepresented in our workforce and pride ourselves as being an employer of choice.

Senior Policy Advisor - the role

The Prison Security Policy Team works to tackle prisons security risks in order to protect the public (e.g. stopping crime in the community from being orchestrated from within prison). Providing an environment in which prisoners can be rehabilitated (e.g. by stopping the flow of drugs into prisons) also ultimately contributes to public protection by helping to reduce the risk of re-offending on prisoners release from work closely with HMPPS Directorate of Security to improve the Governments response to the key security issues facing prisons:

  • The threat both of escape and continued criminality within prison posed by individuals and groups such as serious and organised criminals (SOC) gangs and corrupt staff.
  • The enablers (tools and techniques) they use to cause harm such as drones secreting items in postal mail throwing items over the prison wall and conditioning and manipulating staff; and
  • The commodities they bring into prisons such as drugs mobile phones and weapons.

This is a high-profile policy area with significant ministerial interest and the Deputy Prime Minister has asked us to consider how to better tackle the threat posed by Serious and Organised Crime (SOC) drones and where else we could go further to improve prison security more broadly. We would welcome someone interested in supporting the delivery of our ministerial objectives including our legislative priorities.

Responsibilities will include:

  • Supporting the delivery of prison security-related policy and legislative reforms for introduction during this and the next parliamentary session.
  • Collecting analysing interpreting and presenting evidence to form sound policy proposals and approaches and to identify which activities are likely to have an impact.
  • Developing and building strong partnership working with colleagues across MoJ and HMPPS both in the centre and operationally to better understand how our policies and approaches will work at an operational and practical level.
  • Establishing and developing strong working relationships with agencies across the criminal justice system and OGDs to deliver policy and legislative reforms.
  • Driving forward and taking ownership of the development and delivery of key strands of policy work.
  • Producing high-quality written and oral briefing for senior officials and Ministers.
  • Actively contributing to higher level decision-making for business planning policy and project implementation to progress strategic objectives.
  • Responding flexibly to competing and complex demands working at pace to deliver highquality outputs under pressure and to tight deadlines.

Skills and Experience

Essential:

  • Experience of working in a policy environment.
  • Experience collaborating with a range of colleagues or stakeholders to achieve tangible outcomes.
  • Strong communication skills both written and verbal and an ability to explain information clearly and concisely.
  • Ability to make sound judgments and provide well-articulated advice using and interpreting data and evidence in decision-making.
  • Confidence and skill to act independently and quickly get to grips with a complex area in order to drive forward work ensuring colleagues and stakeholders are engaged as appropriate.
  • Strong organisational skills and the ability to plan and deliver outcomes according to agreed priorities.

Desirable:

  • An interest in or knowledge of prisons or probation.
  • An interest in or experience of working on primary and secondary legislation.
  • An understanding of the governmental and parliamentary processes.
  • Experience of cross-government working.

Candidates applying from HMPPS should note that the Ministry of Justice does not have the same conditions of employment as HMPPS. It is the candidates responsibility to ensure they are aware of the terms and conditions they will adopt should they be successful.

The MoJ is proud to be Level 3 Disability Confident. Disability Confident is the approach through which we offer guaranteed interviews for all people with disabilities meeting the minimum criteria for the advertised role as set out in the job description.

Application process

You will be assessed against the Civil service success profiles framework.

You must ensure that any evidence submitted as part of your application including your CV statement of suitability and behaviour examples are truthful and factually accurate. Please note that plagiarism can include presenting the ideas and experiences of others or generated by artificial intelligence as your own.

Experience

You will be asked to provide a CV during the application process in order to assess any demonstrable experience career history and achievements that are relevant to the role.

You will also be asked to upload a Statement of Suitability of no more than 500 words stating what you would bring to the role with reference to the Skills and Experience listed above.

Behaviours

During the application process you will be asked to provide an example of how you have met the following behaviours (see Annex A for more information):

  • Delivering at Pace
  • Working Together

Please also refer to the CS Behaviours framework for more details at this grade:

CS Behaviours 2018

Should we receive a large number of applications we will sift primarily on the Statement of Suitability. Successful applicants will then be invited to an interview testing both behaviours and strengths.

Candidates invited to Interview

Please note that interviews will be carried out remotely.

You will be assessed against the following behaviours at the interview stage where you will be asked to provide examples of how you have demonstrated addition you will also be asked strength-based questions.

Behaviours:

  • Working Together
  • Making Effective Decisions
  • Communicating and Influencing

It may help to use one or more examples of a piece of work you have completed or a situation you have been in and use the WHO or STAR model to explain:

  • WHO - Whatit wasHowyou approached the work/situation What theOutcomeswere what did youachieve Or
  • STAR - What was theSituation What were theTasks WhatActiondid you take What were the Results of your actions

Strengths:

It is difficult to prepare for strength type questions. However you can think through your answers focus on your achievements and aspects you enjoy and decide how these can be applied in the organisation and role. While strengths questions are shorter and we do not expect a full STAR response the panel is interested in your first reaction to the question and information or reasoning to support this. Further information on Civil Service Strengths can be found here.

Interviews are expected to take place in early August 2026.

Contact information

Please do get in touch with if you would like to know more about the role or what it is like working in our team.

Additional Information

Working Arrangements & Further Information

The MoJ offers Hybrid Working arrangements where 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 everyones circumstances. Arrangements will be discussed and agreed with the successful candidate(s) and subject to regular review.

For nationally advertised roles: 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 locations respective pay scale (any legacy arrangements/locations will need to be amended).

Some of MoJs 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 where 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 MoJs Flexible Working policy.

Benefits

The MoJ offers a range of benefits:

Annual Leave

Annual leave is 25 days on appointment and will increase to 30 days after five years service.

There is also a scheme to allow qualifying staff to buy or sell up to three days leave each year. Additional paid time off for public holidays and 1 privilege day. Leave for part-time and job share posts will be calculated on a pro-rata basis.

Pension

The Civil Service offers a choice of pension schemes giving you the flexibility to choose the pension that suits you best.

Training

The Ministry of Justice is committed to staff development and offers an extensive range of training and development opportunities.

Networks

The opportunity to join employee-run networks that have been established to provide advice and support and to enable the views of employees from minority groups to be expressed direct to senior management. There are currently networks for employees of minority ethnic origin employees with disabilities employees with caring responsibilities women employees and lesbian gay bisexual and transgender employees.

Eligibility

Staff on fixed term appointments must have been recruited through fair and open competition.

Vacancies advertised cross-government are only open to all Civil Service employees and employees of accredited non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) who were appointed on merit following a fair and open competition; or were appointed to a permanent post through an exception in the Civil Service Commissioners rules.

Support

Working for the Civil Service

TheCivil Service Codesets 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 Commissionsrecruitment principles.Should you feel that the recruitment process has breached the recruitment principles you are able to raise a formal complaint in the following order

  • To Transformative Business Services (0 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail);
  • To Ministry of Justice Resourcing team();
  • To the Civil Service Commission (details availablehere)

As a Disability Confident employer MoJ are committed to providing everyone with the opportunity to demonstrate their skills talent and abilities by making adjustments throughout all elements of the recruitment process and in the workplace. MoJ are able to offer an interview to disabled candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria except in a limited number of campaigns.

You will be able to request reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process within the application form. If you need additional help completing the application form please contact the TBS Recruitment Enquiries Team.

For more information on applying for a role as a candidate with a disability or long-term condition please watch our animated videos.

Diversity & 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 Planand theCivil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy.

Redeployment Interview Scheme

Civil Service departments are expected to explore redeployment opportunities before making an individual redundant. The MoJ is committed as part of the Redeployment Interview Scheme to providing opportunities to those who are at risk of redundancy.

MoJ is able to offer an interview to eligible candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria except in a limited number of campaigns. Candidates will not be eligible for the Redeployment Interview Scheme if they are applying on promotion.

Civil Service Nationality Rules

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Reserve list

A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made for the same or similar roles.

Contact Information

MoJ:

If you require any assistance please call 0 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail

Please quote the job reference - 20055

HMPPS

If you require any assistance please call 0 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail

Please quote the job reference

Job Description Attachment
Select new file
Application form stage assessments
Behaviours
Behaviours Application Form Question Word Limit
250
Delivering at Pace
Working Together
Experience
We will assess your experience for this role via the following methods
CV or Work History Statement of Suitability
Statement of Suitability
Guidance for the Statement of Suitability
You will also be asked to upload a Statement of Suitability of no more than 500 words stating what you would bring to the role with reference to the Skills and Experience listed above.
Evidence of Experience
CV or Work History Statement of Suitability
Interview stage assessments
Interview Dates
Interviews are expected to take place in early August 2026.
Behaviours
Working Together
Making Effective Decisions
Communicating and Influencing
Strengths
Strengths will be assessed but these are not shared in advance. To learn more about Strengths and how they are assessed please click here.
Level of security checks required
Baseline Personnal Security Standard (BPSS)

Use of Artificial Intelligence (Al)

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 see ourcandidate guidancefor more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.


Required Experience:

Unclear Seniority


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The Ministry of Justice’s Office of the Deputy Attorney General (International Law) handles a broad range of issues in the field of international law, including public international law, economic law and international humanitarian law. The Office is also at the forefront of advocating ... View more

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