About this role
Job description
The Role
As Senior Responsible Owner (SRO) for the Small Secure Houseblocks (SSHB) Programme, the postholder is personally accountable for successful delivery and operational integration of new prison accommodation across multiple live establishments. This requires leadership across design, construction, infrastructure, security, operational readiness, mobilisation, asset handover, affordability, risk and benefits realisation.
This is a six-month SRO appointment at an important stage in the programme. The immediate priority will be to establish firm programme grip, maintain momentum across delivery and operational readiness, and ensure that the programme has clear governance, integrated plans, robust management of cost and risk, and effective arrangements for delivery and handover.
Key Responsibilities:
Reporting into the Executive Director responsible for Prison Supply you will:
- Provide clear strategic direction and personal SRO accountability for the SSHB Programme, including scope, business case, governance, delivery, benefits, risk, affordability and value for money.
- Lead delivery of new prison accommodation and associated infrastructure across multiple operational establishments, ensuring individual projects form a coherent programme and remain aligned to HMPPS capacity priorities.
- Ensure effective integration across construction, utilities and enabling works, security, digital, operational readiness, mobilisation, Government Soft Landings, asset information and handover.
- Provide timely, evidence-based advice to senior officials, governance boards and Ministers on programme performance, delivery risks, choices and decisions.
Additional Responsibilities
- Provide visible leadership across multidisciplinary teams spanning programme delivery, strategy, property and land, including teams and specialists outside the postholder's direct management chain.
- Build alignment across HMPPS, MoJ and wider government where stakeholders have different priorities, risk appetites and accountabilities.
- Provide authoritative advice where decisions involve significant uncertainty, competing priorities, public expenditure and operational or political risk.
Persons Specification:
Throughout the selection process, you should provide clear evidence and examples that demonstrate how you meet the essential and desirable criteria for the role.
Essential Experience:
- Significant experience of leading complex programmes, portfolios or major organisational priorities with substantial operational, financial, delivery and reputational risk, demonstrating SRO-level capability, including governance, assurance, integrated planning, benefits, risk, affordability and value for money.
- Experience of leading complex delivery across the interface between capital investment and operational readiness, ensuring new assets or services can be safely and effectively brought into use.
- Strong strategic capability and judgement, with the ability to translate complex and changing requirements into clear priorities, investment decisions and credible delivery plans.
- Ability to integrate and challenge specialist advice across multiple disciplines and build alignment across organisational boundaries, with the credibility to influence and advise senior leaders, Ministers and external stakeholders.
- Visible and inclusive leadership of nationally dispersed, multidisciplinary teams, including delivery through matrix arrangements and across organisational boundaries.
Desirable Experience:
- Experience of major infrastructure is advantageous, together with an understanding of the Criminal Justice System and prison operating environment.
- Completion of the Major Project Leadership Academy (MPLA) or Project Leadership Programme (PLP) and Project leadership chartership is desirable.
Additional Information
Applications must be submitted online via the link in the advertisement for this role.
Applications must be received by 23:55 on 3 November 2026. As part of your application, you will be asked to provide:
- Eligibility responses confirming that you meet the requirements to apply.
- An indication of whether you wish to request reasonable adjustments during the selection process. The Disability Support section explains the support available.
CV and Statement of Suitability setting out clear evidence of how you meet the essential experience. The Statement of Suitability should be no more than 750 words.
Please note that if you do not submit both a CV and a Supporting Statement, the panel may have insufficient evidence on which to assess your application against the person specification.
Contract Type
This role is offered through expression of interest for a period of up to 6 months.
For an existing civil servant this will be managed through a loan or detached duty arrangements. If appointed on promotion you will revert back to your substantive grade on return to your home department or team.
### Contact Information
If you require any assistance please contact us on [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]). Please quote the job reference in your email to enable us to support you more quickly.
### Guidance for the Statement of Suitability
Please provide your CV and Statement of Suitability (max 750 words) outlining relevant experience against job description included in this advert.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (Al)
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.