Ministry of Justice UK
Operational Support Officer (Ref: 19266)
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Operational Support Officer (Ref: 19266)
HM Courts & Tribunals Service – Operational Support Officer
Location: Derby Combined Court, Morledge, Derby, DE1 2XE
About the Role
Job Summary Proud to serve. Proud to keep justice going. Operational Support Officers provide exceptional customer service and administrative support to court and tribunal users, judiciary, and management. Play a crucial role in advancing justice and supporting the public.
Key Responsibilities
Working as part of a coordinated team, you will:
- Process and progress cases through the court/tribunal system
- Support members of the public, judiciary, legal professionals, and representatives of other organisations
- Ensure smooth court proceedings by:
- Preparing papers and files for hearings, with attention to sensitive information
- Responding accurately to court file queries
- Preparing and updating digital records commensurately with justice processes
- Serve as the first point of contact for court users, including vulnerable individuals
- Multi-task across office-based and court-based duties while upholding operational and performance targets
Specific Tasks Include:
- Handling administrative functions with accuracy
- Communicating both internally (duty-changeover, colleagues) and externally (public/agencies)
- Managing knowledge and files (document preparation, record keeping)
- Supporting paper processes and courtroom efficiency
About HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS)
HMCTS administers criminal, civil and family courts as well as tribunals in England and Wales. Our teams help individuals and businesses access life-changing justice. We value candidates who are dedicated to public service and meaningful impact.
Ideal applicants express a commitment to personal responsibility in British communities, demonstrating ethical standards and an inclination towards civic duty. If you’re passionate about clear justice and career growth, apply today.
Your Working Environment
- Base location: Derby Combined Court
- Standard hours: 37/week, Monday to Friday. Flexible part-time (with minimum 30 hrs/week across 4 days) supported through MoJ’s Flexible Working policy—include a requested pattern in your application.
- Scheduled court work: Requires regular hours-based court attendance.
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Selection Criteria
Lead Criterion: [Statement of Suitability (SoS) described below]
Application assessors evaluate your:
- Abilities (fitness for the role)
- Existing background (relevant experience, education)
- Adaptability (working within demands and goals)
Note: If submitted applications exceed internal targets, an SoS assessment may be required before considering further progress.
Person Specification
Core Qualities & Skills
A customer-service focused professional skilled in:
- Attention to detail during administrative and digital processes
- Communication (face-to-face contact with tolerance for sensitive or diverse client needs) (Including liaising with the public, judicial services, legal professionals.)
- Problem-solving under pressure (Handling sensitive judgment matters, diverse audiences, priorities balancing.)
- Organisation (managing deadlines, meeting shifts, assisting others)
Attributes
- Empathy
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel)
- Teamwork alignment
- Willingness to undertake regular on-site court service involvement
Lead Criterion: Statement of Suitability focus—clarify your research, creativity, commitment to clarity, trust-building, understanding, integrity, and systematic application in meaningfully just decisions.
Eligible Experience
- Prove relevant experience in customer service or administrative support work
- Document through key responsibilities (most recent tasks first) directly referencing your job title, duration, responsibilities. Maximum 250 words.
Preparatory Note: Knowledge gained through comparable public-facing roles (administrative offices, legal assisting, etc.) is welcome as evidence of alignment with role requirements.
Key Technical Behaviours & Competences
Assessed through the application process: 1. Managing a Quality Service (Deliver high-quality customer support, maintain excellent standards, independence.)
2. Communicating and Influencing (Interact professionally with public, legal entities, and commanding partners.)
3. Delivering at Pace (Efficient responsiveness to core tasks under demanding conditions.)
Contact & Next Steps
Application Requirements:
- Statement of Suitability (soS)
- Relevant Experience Section (immediately below Role Overview)
- Behaviours/technical skills clarity (through examples in application)
Get help with your application
Your very own career expert that helps elevate your application to the next level.
Contact Enquiries: SSCL Recruitment Enquiries Team 📧 moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@resourcing.soprasteria.co.uk 📞 0345 241 5359
Protecting National Security
Successful posts require:
- Passing-through Degree 1 criminal record checks
- Baseline personnel security standard baseline checks (if applicable)
Security & Eligibility
Ensure retained suitability meeting immigration requirements:
- UK Nationals
- EU Settlement Scheme (pre-settled/settled)民國 or aligned annex partners
- Detailed exceptions and enquiry instructions available [here](#Include Conditional-Note-Clarification-Religion-Inclusion)
Ignored All Candidates – Scope Change
From 22 July 2025, HMCTS involves UKRI in strict Skilled Worker route adherence, focusing sponsorship on preexisting eligibles.
Benefits Summary
- Salary: £25,582/year + contributions to Civil Service Pension Scheme (market-leading employer offering £7,411/year employer-designated allocations)
- Pension: Full-funded annuity, accident-sickness supplement, state pension offset (base rates clarified in employment terms)
- Priority-quality pension offset trigger
- National/Scottish specific entitlements
- Diversified Support: Flexible working, bonding scheme, Diversity & Inclusion resources (including focus on neurodiversity safety assurances)
- Annual leave, public holidays, flexible non-conventional day off replacement benefits
Policies Enforced: Civil Service Code Compliance, Equal Opportunity Uphold, Disability Confident Protection for underserved groups.
Explore further details on theFull Benefits Package here.
Application Contact & Enquiries
For further details, guidance, or consideration transcripts, visit these documents/pages:
Candidate Portal: Civil Service Health & Employee Access Support Unit (opens in new link)
Proceed Further: Enable navigation via applicant ID justicejobs.tal.net/vx/candidate/cms/About%20the%20MOJ—access disabled integration solutions and career assistance.
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