Programme Manager at Ministry of Justice in Coventry: Visa Sponsorship Available

The Ministry of Justice is hiring a Programme Manager across Coventry, Stoke-on-Trent, and Worcester. This pivotal full-time Support role is ideal for experienced professionals, with visa sponsorship available, making it explicitly open to foreign and overseas applicants. The position offers a competitive salary ranging from £46,746 to £48,760, alongside the stability and impactful work within a government ministry.

Job Description

As a Programme Manager at the Ministry of Justice, you will be regionally based, reporting directly to the Head of Programmes. Your primary responsibility will involve implementing and managing the strategic direction and effective delivery of various interventions, including Accredited Programmes, Structured Interventions, and Senior Attendance Centres for individuals on probation. This work adheres strictly to the Interventions Integrity Framework and all relevant HMPPS accreditation standards.

You will hold direct line management responsibility for a mobile and dispersed team operating across the region. Key duties include allocating team resources efficiently to ensure quality intervention delivery and meeting performance targets within a defined resource allocation framework. Collaboration with other agencies and stakeholders is crucial to maintain coordinated service delivery, ensuring all health and safety protocols and scheduling arrangements are in place to achieve positive outcomes for people on probation.

Requirements

• Understanding of the key principles of programmes.
• Substantial experience working in a variety of settings, including offender risk assessment and management.
• Understanding of the role of the Probation Service in the Criminal Justice System and in a multi-disciplinary setting.
• Evidence of ability to evaluate practice and work under pressure, meeting demanding deadlines.
• Ability to demonstrate well-developed IT skills, including interpreting and applying performance reports.
• Experience of proactively championing diversity and inclusiveness both internally and externally.
• Applicants must meet UK visa sponsorship requirements, with Skilled Worker (Tier 2) sponsorship available, making this role open to foreign applicants needing a UK work visa.

Benefits

• Competitive salary with incremental progression opportunities.
• Opportunity for hybrid working arrangements, blending office, site, and home-based work (within the UK).
• Generous annual leave allowance and public holidays.
• Access to Civil Service pension scheme.
• Professional development and training opportunities within the Ministry of Justice.

How to Prepare

For Nigerian and African immigrants targeting this Programme Manager role in the UK, it's crucial to tailor your application to the specific nuances of the UK public sector. Focus on demonstrating your leadership and programme management experience with clear, quantifiable achievements, ensuring your CV aligns with UK format expectations. Highlight any experience with offender rehabilitation, risk management, or multi-agency collaboration, as these are highly relevant to the Ministry of Justice's work.

When crafting your cover letter, articulate your understanding of the UK's criminal justice system, even if your experience is international. Emphasise your proactive approach to diversity and inclusion, as this is an essential behaviour for the role. For the interview, be prepared to discuss your eligibility for visa sponsorship confidently and how your skills translate directly to the UK context, especially regarding managing diverse teams and delivering complex interventions.

• Ensure your CV is polished, concise, and uses UK-centric terminology, highlighting programme management achievements with metrics.
• Update your LinkedIn profile to reflect your UK job search, showcasing relevant experience and skills.
• Prepare for behavioural questions, providing specific examples that demonstrate 'Working Together', 'Delivering at Pace', and 'Leadership'.
• Research the Ministry of Justice and the Probation Service thoroughly to demonstrate genuine interest and understanding.
• Gather professional references that can speak to your leadership and programme delivery capabilities, ideally from supervisors.

Visa Sponsorship & Foreigner Eligibility

Visa / Skilled Worker (Tier 2) sponsorship is explicitly AVAILABLE for this Programme Manager role. This means the Ministry of Justice is open to foreign and overseas applicants who require a UK work visa. If you are uncertain about your eligibility or current immigration status, it is advisable to consult the official UK government guidance on Skilled Worker visas or seek immigration advice before applying.