ROLE: SENIOR LEGAL ADVISER

DIRECTORATE: RESOURCES, FINANCE AND TRANSFORMATION

LOCATION: BRISTOL or LONDON

PAY BAND: 10

£57,350 - £61,651 depending on experience + London Weighting of £3,371 where appropriate

About us

The Office for Students is a new regulatory body, established in April 2018. We work in the interests of anyone in England who has the ability and desire to access higher education – particularly those from the most disadvantaged backgrounds. We’re here to make sure that every higher education student in England:

• is able to access, succeed in, and progress from higher education
• receives a high-quality academic experience
• has his or her interests protected while they study
• can progress to employment or further study
• receives value for money.
   

Working within our newly established legal team, you’ll have the chance to work on novel legal issues and create precedent. This is a real and rare chance for you to make your mark by applying your existing skills across bespoke and complex areas of law.

Here, you won’t focus solely on advisory, litigation or investigatory work: you’ll cover all three – forging solutions to cases as diverse as the students who seek your expertise. There are opportunities to manage caseloads with significant responsibility, beyond what you would normally expect in private practice, but without the stress of that environment.

Should you choose to join us, we believe you’ll be surprised by the extent of what we’re doing, and impressed by the positive differences you could make for our diverse and exciting group of clients.

The role

As Senior Legal Adviser, you’ll head up the provision of legal advice and support for a range of legal matters across the regulatory body, including our internal corporate activities.

Crucially, you’ll play a role in supporting our Head of Legal Services and Principal Legal Adviser in establishing and maintaining the operation of our legal function, and you’ll lead on specific initiatives, too.

Additionally, you’ll spend a significant amount of time working with internal and external stakeholders – to keep employees appropriately trained, and the team appropriately supported.

Requirements

We’re looking for someone with significant experience dealing in many legal practice areas, including public and regulatory law.

Additionally, you’ll need:

• an ability to analyse and advise on complex legal issues
• a sensitivity to politics,
• an ability to understand the needs of, and work collaboratively with, external stakeholders
• an ability to adopt a creative and innovative approach to legal issues
• excellent verbal and written communication and presentation skills
• an ability to influence and negotiate.

Please note: while the Office for Students is outside of the Civil Service, this position provides access to a civil service pension and the benefits this brings.