7055 - Head of Information Access Rights
| Posting date: | 24 June 2025 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £47,657 to £52,040 per year |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 08 July 2025 |
| Location: | London, UK |
| Remote working: | On-site only |
| Company: | Ministry of Justice |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | 7055 |
Summary
ABOUT THE ROLE:
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
The main responsibilities of the role include but are not limited to:
Engaging with senior managers regarding the management and access to information requests including taking ownership of FOI’s, information requests and DPA compliance and reporting.
Managing and monitoring the progress of requests under the Freedom of Information Act, Data Protection Act and Environmental Information Regulations to meet statutory deadlines
Providing advice and guidance to business groups on requests, applications of exemptions and appeals.
Briefing ministers and senior officials on complex information access requests involving public interest tests and restrictions on disclosure of sensitive information.
Raising awareness within the NIO and the Wales Office, promoting information management, ensuring delivery of staff training in information access and personal and that staff awareness remains high.
Ensuring a collaborative and joined up approach to managing requests for information that impact on the work of the Legacy team
Assisting records and information management projects and providing input to overall departmental objectives, management, NIO Board and relevant external organisations.
Collaborating with the Data Protection Officer (DPO) to ensure GDPR compliance.
ESSENTIAL CRITERIA:
Thorough understanding of the Freedom of Information Act (2000); this will include but not be restricted to:
Strong understanding of the exemption provisions provided under the FOI Act and how they are applied and a good understanding of Public Interest Tests and when and how they should be applied
Strong written and oral communication skills
DESIRABLE CRITERIA:
Certified Data Protection Practitioner qualification
Demonstrable experience of managing electronic document and records management systems
A sound understanding of the Data Protection Act (2018), in particular a good understanding of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
Certified Data Protection Practitioner qualification
BEHAVIOURS:
We will assess you against the following Success Profiles behaviours at the SEO level during the application sift and interview process:
Delivering at Pace (lead behaviour)
Managing a Quality Service
Communicating and Influencing
EXPERIENCE:
Please provide a statement of suitability no longer than 500 words outlining how you meet the essential and desirable criteria and a work history. Both will be used in order to assess any demonstrable experience, career history and achievements that are relevant to the role.
Your statement of suitability needs to set out evidence of how your experience meets the requirements set out above. Your layout is entirely your preference; you may choose narrative, bullets, etc. One narrative example may cover the requirements needed. You don’t have to explain the whole process, just what you have done and the skills and experience you have used. Share with us what makes you suited to this role and why. What you can do, the skills you have that are transferable and the life experience or passion you have that are linked to this role.
If you don’t have work-based examples then give examples from school/college, clubs, volunteering or other activities you have been involved in.
You will also be asked to complete a CV with details of your education, professional qualifications, previous skills and full employment history. Your CV will not be formally assessed so please put the main evidence of your skills into your personal statement. Your CV will be used to add context to your personal statement.
More information on behaviours and success profiles can be found here.
Please note that in the event of a large number of applications being received we may run the initial sift on the lead Behaviour Delivering at Pace.
NTERVIEW:
You will be assessed against the same behaviours at the interview stage and will be asked to provide examples of how you have demonstrated the behaviours.
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- What it was? How you approached the work/situation? What the Outcomes were, what did you achieve? or
STAR- What was the Situation? What were the Tasks? What Action did you take? What were the Results of your actions?
OFFER
Once all interviews have been completed, you will be notified of the outcome by email. Offers will be made in strict merit order to the highest scoring candidate first.
The successful candidate will be notified of a start date following successful security checks.
Additional information received after the closing date will not be considered. Failure to provide sufficient information in support of an application prior to the closing date will not be considered as grounds for an appeal if an applicant is not shortlisted for interview.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
The main responsibilities of the role include but are not limited to:
Engaging with senior managers regarding the management and access to information requests including taking ownership of FOI’s, information requests and DPA compliance and reporting.
Managing and monitoring the progress of requests under the Freedom of Information Act, Data Protection Act and Environmental Information Regulations to meet statutory deadlines
Providing advice and guidance to business groups on requests, applications of exemptions and appeals.
Briefing ministers and senior officials on complex information access requests involving public interest tests and restrictions on disclosure of sensitive information.
Raising awareness within the NIO and the Wales Office, promoting information management, ensuring delivery of staff training in information access and personal and that staff awareness remains high.
Ensuring a collaborative and joined up approach to managing requests for information that impact on the work of the Legacy team
Assisting records and information management projects and providing input to overall departmental objectives, management, NIO Board and relevant external organisations.
Collaborating with the Data Protection Officer (DPO) to ensure GDPR compliance.
ESSENTIAL CRITERIA:
Thorough understanding of the Freedom of Information Act (2000); this will include but not be restricted to:
Strong understanding of the exemption provisions provided under the FOI Act and how they are applied and a good understanding of Public Interest Tests and when and how they should be applied
Strong written and oral communication skills
DESIRABLE CRITERIA:
Certified Data Protection Practitioner qualification
Demonstrable experience of managing electronic document and records management systems
A sound understanding of the Data Protection Act (2018), in particular a good understanding of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
Certified Data Protection Practitioner qualification
BEHAVIOURS:
We will assess you against the following Success Profiles behaviours at the SEO level during the application sift and interview process:
Delivering at Pace (lead behaviour)
Managing a Quality Service
Communicating and Influencing
EXPERIENCE:
Please provide a statement of suitability no longer than 500 words outlining how you meet the essential and desirable criteria and a work history. Both will be used in order to assess any demonstrable experience, career history and achievements that are relevant to the role.
Your statement of suitability needs to set out evidence of how your experience meets the requirements set out above. Your layout is entirely your preference; you may choose narrative, bullets, etc. One narrative example may cover the requirements needed. You don’t have to explain the whole process, just what you have done and the skills and experience you have used. Share with us what makes you suited to this role and why. What you can do, the skills you have that are transferable and the life experience or passion you have that are linked to this role.
If you don’t have work-based examples then give examples from school/college, clubs, volunteering or other activities you have been involved in.
You will also be asked to complete a CV with details of your education, professional qualifications, previous skills and full employment history. Your CV will not be formally assessed so please put the main evidence of your skills into your personal statement. Your CV will be used to add context to your personal statement.
More information on behaviours and success profiles can be found here.
Please note that in the event of a large number of applications being received we may run the initial sift on the lead Behaviour Delivering at Pace.
NTERVIEW:
You will be assessed against the same behaviours at the interview stage and will be asked to provide examples of how you have demonstrated the behaviours.
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- What it was? How you approached the work/situation? What the Outcomes were, what did you achieve? or
STAR- What was the Situation? What were the Tasks? What Action did you take? What were the Results of your actions?
OFFER
Once all interviews have been completed, you will be notified of the outcome by email. Offers will be made in strict merit order to the highest scoring candidate first.
The successful candidate will be notified of a start date following successful security checks.
Additional information received after the closing date will not be considered. Failure to provide sufficient information in support of an application prior to the closing date will not be considered as grounds for an appeal if an applicant is not shortlisted for interview.