The Crown Prosecution Service has hired a firm of headhunters to help line up its next director of public prosecutions, and is offering a salary of up to £225,978 to the successful applicant.
Current director of public prosecutions Max Hill KC is due to step down from the permanent-secretary level role in October, after five years in post. His salary was bracketed at £215,00-£220,000 in the CPS’ annual report and accounts for 2021-22.
Announcing the recruitment drive for the next DPP, which is being overseen by recruitment company Gatenby Sanderson, attorney general Victoria Prentis – who is also a barrister – paid tribute to Hill’s “strong leadership” during his term in office as CPS head.
“He has successfully navigated the challenges brought by the pandemic and made significant progress in transforming the organisation’s approach to prosecuting rape and serious sexual offences. The CPS is also improving victim support in these complex cases,” she said.
“I’d like to thank him for his service and have no doubt he will be greatly missed by his CPS colleagues.
“In recruiting the next DPP we will be looking for a similarly accomplished candidate. The job requires excellent legal judgement, the ability to lead a large organisation and the capacity to work with others in improving the criminal justice system as a whole.”
The CPS employs around 7,000 people and prosecutes criminal cases that have been investigated by the police and other organisations, such as the National Crime Agency and HM Revenue and Customs.
The candidate brief states that a minimum of 10 years’ experience as a barrister or solicitor is a statutory minimum requirement for the DPP role.
It adds that the successful candidate is likely to have had “significant and extensive criminal litigation practice experience” in the judiciary, the bar, the Government Legal Service and prosecution departments, or a law firm.
“You will be a respected legal professional with the ability to shape a large organisation, manage and build a high-performing senior team, galvanise and motivate technical experts, set clear standards and encourage a results-focused culture to achieve strategic objectives,” the advertisement states.
“We are looking for an excellent communicator, with the ability to form positive, effective and trusted relationships with a range of senior stakeholders, including ministers.
“You will be a strong decision maker on legal matters, supported by a rigorous and analytical capability. Confident, resilient and energetic, you will be able to operate effectively in a complex, political environment, at pace.”
The DPP role is open to applications until 11.55pm on 12 June.