Ministry of Justice UK
Head of Data Ethics and Literacy Hub (Ref: 20765)
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Job Summary
East Midlands (England), East of England, London (region), North East England, North West England, Scotland, South East England, South West England, Wales, West Midlands (England), Yorkshire and the Humber
Job Description
Head of Data Ethics and Literacy Hub
Location: National*
Closing Date: 24th August 2026
Interviews: Week commencing 7th September 2026
Grade: Grade 6
(MoJ candidates who are on a specialist grade, will be able to retain this grade on lateral transfer)
Salary:
- National: £71,381 - £80,419
- London: £75,674 - £85,257
Working pattern: full-time, part-time, flexible working
Contract Type: Permanent
The Role
We’re recruiting for a Head G6 Data Ethics and Literacy Hub here at Justice Digital, Data and Science to be part of our warm and collaborative team.
This is an exciting, high profile and key role within heading up our growing Data Ethics and Literacy Hub. The mission of the hub is to build trust and confidence in how the MoJ uses data and AI by strengthening data literacy skills and embedding ethical principles into data and AI work across the organisation.
You will be leading and setting out the future direction of a growing multidisciplinary team of data ethicists and literacy professionals who provide operational, coordination and engagement across the organisation on data ethics and literacy. A big part of the role will be providing leadership to enable the strengthening of organisational engagement, culture change and visibility of data ethics and literacy.
You will be joining at a pivotal moment where the wider directorate and division is growing and the opportunities, innovation and complexities of the things data and AI forward teams are delivering and transforming across Justice is happening at pace. The Data Ethics and Literacy team will be key to enabling success in this space and your leadership will be essential to maturing, refreshing and continuing to embed the MoJ AI & Data Science Ethics Framework and the hub’s data literacy offer whilst building a collaborative, enthusiastic, supportive and high performing environment to do so.
Benefits
You’ll receive a range of excellent benefits when you join our department, including:
- A generous employer pension contribution of 28.97% through the Civil Service Pension Scheme.
- 25 days of annual leave, (increasing to 30 days once you have reached 5 years of service), plus 8 bank holidays and a privilege day for the King’s birthday.
- Flexible working arrangements including hybrid working, working part time or compressed hours. Designed to support a positive work–life balance.
- Employees are allocated 10% of their working time for personal and professional development.
- A £1k per person learning budget is in place to support all our people, with access to best-in-class conferences and seminars, accreditation with professional bodies, fully funded vocational programmes and e-learning platforms.
- Compassionate maternity, adoption, and shared parental leave policies, with up to 26 weeks leave at full pay, 13 weeks with partial pay, and 13 weeks further leave. And maternity support/paternity leave at full pay for 2 weeks, too!
You can find more details of the Benefits we offer here. To help picture your life at MoJ Justice Digital, Data and Science please take a look at our blog.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership
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- Provide leadership, oversight and set direction for the Data Ethics and Literacy Hub and its people.
- Oversee the implementation, maturity and iteration of the MoJ AI and Data Science Ethics Framework across MoJ’s Service Transformation Group and agreeing expectations more widely across the organisation, Justice Data and other priority areas.
- Be an authoritative voice on data ethics and literacy advocating for and championing the work of the hub, including delivering the mandatory use of the MoJ AI and Data Science Ethics Framework and promotion of the right culture to raise awareness of ethical considerations and increasing data literacy across the organisation and it partners.
- Act as a trusted advisor to senior colleagues, ministers and across our partners on data ethics and data literacy.
- Play an active role in the Senior Management Team within the Deputy Director for Prisons Data area (who acts as sponsor for the hub) and across MoJ, including the Service Transformation Group and Justice Digital, Data and Science Directorate.
- Develop the ability for horizon scanning and strengthening links with cross-government partners within the hub to enable it to keep pace and ideally ahead of change given the speed at which AI, data science and technology develops.
Line Management
- Provide day to day line management of 2x Grade 7s who lead the hub (currently 5x SEOs with a view to growing the hub significantly this year) and support their development as well as providing oversight, support, advice and an escalation route for the operational and strategic work of the hub.
- Create and maintain a collaborative and supportive environment where the hub leads and their teams work together and are encouraged and enabled to work collaboratively across the Directorate and organisation.
- Provide leadership and line management of data ethicists and data literacy professionals and support their professional development and growth.
- Act as G6 head of profession for Data Ethics and Literacy.
Stakeholder Engagement And Advocacy
- Build and maintain trust with teams, senior colleagues and ministers across digital, data, AI and science areas as well as with wider policy and operational colleagues.
- Promote and champion the importance of data literacy and data ethics to support the embedding of high-quality data practices and knowledge and ethical data approaches to a range of areas including AI, technology and wider policy and operational topics and teams.
- Play an active role in cross-government forums and groups promoting and contributing to data ethics and literacy considerations and building networks with cross-government partners and groups.
- Lead in any cross-directorate conversations on behalf of the hub on future iterations of the hubs operating model, structure and remit as the directorate grows and matures.
Person Specification
Essential
- Experience leading, developing and managing multidisciplinary teams including supporting well being, performance and professional development
- Experience and knowledge of building collaborative teams, ways of working and driving delivery ideally in a data related context.
- Experienced in setting a strategic direction and vision and winning support for and articulating these across directorates, teams and at organisational level.
- Experience in using judgment to make and articulate clear and impactful decisions at pace.
- Experience in advocating for and negotiating and influencing on behalf of your team or area.
- Experience of building networks to achieve delivery outcomes, communicating with and influencing senior stakeholders.
- Working knowledge and experience of applying data ethics considerations across data and AI contexts or championing and delivering improvements in data literacy across organisations and teams.
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Willingness to be assessed against the requirements for SC clearance
Diversity and Inclusion
We welcome the unique contribution diverse applicants bring and do not discriminate based on culture, ethnicity, race, nationality or national origin, age, sex, gender identity or expression, religion or belief, disability status, sexual orientation, educational or social background or any other factor.
Our values are Purpose, Humanity, Openness and Together. Find out more here about how we celebrate diversity and an inclusive culture in our workplace.
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy.
Salary Information
Base salary for this role is from £71,381 - £80,419 (National) £75,674 - £85,257 (London)
New entrants to the Civil Service joining the MoJ are expected to start at the minimum of the pay band. Existing Civil Servants moving on a level transfer will retain their current base salary or move to the minimum of the pay band for the role, whichever is higher. Existing Civil Servants who are promoted will either move to the bottom of the new grade’s pay band or receive a 10% uplift, whichever provides the greater increase.
Use of Artificial Intelligence
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 action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.
Terms & Conditions
Please review our Terms and Conditions which set out how we recruit and provide further information related to the role and salary arrangements.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact digitalanddatarecruitment@justice.gov.uk
How To Apply
In Justice Digital, Data and Science, we recruit using a combination of the Government Digital and Data Profession Capability and Success Profiles Frameworks. We shall assess a combination of your Experience, Technical skills and Behaviours during the assessment process.
Stage 1 - Application And Sift:
To apply for this position, you must submit the following as part of your application.
- A CV detailing your career history (including any relevant qualifications). Your CV will be assessed against the essential criteria outlined within the Person Specification of this advert.
- A Personal Statement (no more than 1000 words) which should outline your experience and skills, giving clear examples of work undertaken
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