Head of Delivery

At the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), we design and run user-centred services that make the criminal justice system easier to use, quicker to deliver and fairer for all.

CPS is seeking two experienced Heads of Delivery to build and grow great digital, technology and data services, primarily for CPS users such as lawyers, caseworkers and support staff.

As a Head of Delivery, you are an experienced Agile practitioner, capable of supporting and developing a large team of delivery managers.

The first role leads delivery managers within our major programme to replace legacy case management systems, working with programme managers, suppliers and multidisciplinary squads. The second role focuses on maturing the delivery profession as a whole within CPS, and supporting delivery managers who deliver other critical services for lawyers, CPS corporate functions and victims and witnesses.

CPS delivery is a mixed model involving in-house teams and multiple suppliers. Some teams are newer to agile delivery. Both roles work with multidisciplinary teams to build CPS’s overall agile maturity, delivery pace and quality.

You know what good looks like in digital delivery to government service standards. You are comfortable supporting multiple delivery squads. You enjoy taking a cross-cutting view and planning ahead at scale.

The Crown Prosecution Service is based in England and Wales. If you’re applying for this role and live in Scotland or Northern Ireland, you must let us know when accepting this offer as you need permission to work from your home address if hybrid working is part of your role. There’s no guarantee that we will grant this approval.

You must be aged 16 or over at the point of starting in this role. The expected start date is approximately 8–12 weeks after the application closing date. Candidates are expected to commence employment as soon as possible following the expiry of their notice period. Requests for significantly later start dates may not be accommodated.

As part of this role, you are expected to undertake direct line management responsibilities.

Your roles and responsibilities

• You lead and support delivery managers to scope, kick off, run and close downprojects well, to spot and resolve risks and blockers, and to drive continuous improvement, quality and value.
• You coach and develop delivery managers; grow and mature the delivery management profession. Build understanding, knowledge and maturity of agile delivery practices within the wider digital community and wider CPS.
• You provide clear, visible leadership and strategy for a portfolio of digital change projects, creating the climate for success, managing conflicting priorities, and prioritising and directing cross-functional teams and resources. Improve cross-DID planning and prioritisation processes.
• You manage contracts and suppliers in line with cross-government best practices. You drive quality and value in outsourced and in-house delivery, building commercial awareness in the delivery team.
• With deputy directors and your level E/Grade 6 peers, you provide collective leadership of DID to ensure that CPS digital and technology services meet service standards, are designed around the needs of users and provide good value.

A copy of the full job description is attached.

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

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

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.

Recruitment process

The recruitment process consists of an online application, interview and assessment. These are expected to take place on 17 & 18 September 2026.

Your interview takes place online through Microsoft Teams. A member of our recruitment team will be in touch with guidance. If you have any queries about this, contact benjamin.ross-russell@cps.gov.uk

You should keep these dates free or notify us if you're not available. We'll make every effort to accommodate your date preferences but we can't guarantee it.

Assessment

We ask you to complete an on-the-day practical assessment – not a technical test - as part of the interview recruitment process for this role. This will not require advance preparation. We will provide details immediately before your interview.

Personal statement

We ask you to complete a personal statement of no more than 1,250 words. You need to demonstrate the following experience required for this role:

• To be an experienced agile practitioner at expert level, to the level that you can coach and train others on agile delivery skills.
• Experience of leading and co-ordinating successful delivery of complex, high volume digital, technology or data services
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, able to mediate between people at all levels and explain technical concepts or requirements clearly to non-specialists.
• Strong commercial skills, with experience of working with commercial specialists to lead digital procurement; and of writing briefs, contract management and building strategic relationships with commercial partners.
• Strong understanding of the government service standard, Technology Code of Practice and other standards applicable to public sector digital and technology delivery, and experience of applying these standards in delivery.

In addition, you need to demonstrate the Crown Prosecution Service or Civil Service values.

Behaviours

You are also asked to complete a statement of no more than 250 words for each of the following behaviours, setting out how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience match the specified behaviours and requirements:

• Delivering at Pace (Lead Behaviour)
• Communicating and Influencing

The panel has the right to assess the lead behaviour ‘Delivering at Pace’ first. If the standard on this behaviour isn’t met, the other behaviours won’t be considered and your application won’t progress. The panel also has the right to raise the minimum standard pass mark. The panel may also refer to the lead behaviour at the interview stage to determine merit order.

Interview/Assessment

We use behaviours to help us understand your experience, to see if you're a good fit for the role. You are assessed against G6 in the Civil Service success profiles behaviours framework. We are assessing 6 behaviours at interview / assessment stage:

• Delivering at Pace – interview
• Communicating and Influencing – interview
• Changing and Improving – interview
• Managing a Quality Service – interview
• Seeing the Big Picture – interview
• Making Effective Decisions – assessment

CV

You’re not required to upload your CV. However, when submitting your application there is a ‘CV section’. You are required to provide information about your employment and/or academic history for at least the past three years, skills, and qualification details. The CV section will be assessed.

It’s your responsibility to provide the specified information in the requested format to ensure that you're considered for the post.

If you're unable to cover three years through employment or academic history, you must provide a character reference for clearance purposes.

Strengths

Strengths are tested at interview stage - the strengths tested are not shared before the interview.

Other

This is one campaign for two roles. Please indicate when prompted in your application form whether you are expressing a preference for one or both roles. Appointments will be made in merit order. As there is one post per role, you may not be offered your preferred role. If you are unable to accept the role offered, you will be placed on the reserve list.

Head of Delivery (Programme)

Head of Delivery (Profession)

This is a full-time, part-time or flexible working post. We always consider requests for flexible, part-time working and job share, always considering the operational needs of the department.

Please note that the CPS is unable to offer visa sponsorship. Therefore, if you require visa sponsorship to work in the UK, you will not meet the eligibility criteria for this role.

Clearance

If successful, you are required to secure a Security Check clearance, for which you must have a current valid UK address.

If successfully appointed, we ask you to complete a character enquiry form, and nationality and immigration questionnaire, and national security vetting form.

The job you’re applying for is covered by Article 3(a) of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975, consequently Section 4(2) of that Act doesn’t apply. You’re required to disclose all previous convictions and cautions including spent convictions. Failing to make a full declaration will result in withdrawing your offer of employment if our checks reveal convictions that haven’t been disclosed.

To be cleared to Security Check clearance level, you have to be able to meet the residency requirement in the Cabinet Office guidance. For the Crown Prosecution Service, this is three years within the last five years.

Reserve list

If you're recommended by the selection panel but not appointed to the current vacancy, you’re put on a reserve list for 12 months. You may be offered another Head of Delivery post in the CPS if a vacancy comes up during this period. We may also approach candidates on the waiting list to fill other roles that require similar knowledge and experience.

Fraud check

The Crown Prosecution Service provides a Fair Processing Notice to all new applicants after they’ve been successful at interview. These candidates are informed that, as one aspect of pre-employment screening, their personal details – name, National Insurance number and date of birth – are checked against the Internal Fraud Database. We won't employ anyone included on the database unless they can demonstrate exceptional circumstances.

The Strategic Resourcing team in the Crown Prosecution Service will, on behalf of the vacancy holder, inform applicants when they are refused employment because of their inclusion in the Internal Fraud Database.

Civil Service Commission

If you’re dissatisfied with the recruitment process and wish to make a complaint, please contact Strategic.Resourcing@cps.gov.uk with your concerns.

If you remain dissatisfied and wish to make a further complaint, please click on the following link to the Civil Service Commission complaints page Recruitment Complaints - Civil Service Commission

Civil Service Commission Recruitment Principles can be found at https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/recruitment/

Details of the Civil Service Nationality Rules are located at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-rules

Candidates are subject to UK immigration requirements. For the most up-to-date information on the requirements of working in the UK, please go to the UK Visas and Immigration website at https://www.gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration/work-visas

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.