23799 - Senior Lawyer

Ministry of Justice UK•National City, CA

21h•£71,381 - £85,257•Hybrid

About The Position

The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG), an Executive Agency of the Ministry of Justice, is seeking a Senior Lawyer for its Legal & Information Assurance directorate. The role is nationally based, with travel to Birmingham and Nottingham offices when required. The successful candidate will regularly work from their nearest base office in line with Civil Service requirements, and spend at least 60% of working time in an office, subject to local capacity. Hybrid working may be agreed where business needs allow. This is a high-impact leadership role reporting to the Deputy Director. Senior Lawyers work alongside Legal Operations managers to lead and manage legal team pillars comprising G7 Lawyers, Senior Paralegals and Paralegals. They manage complex litigation and advisory work, support the organisation in meeting legal obligations and managing legal risk, maintain OPG’s reputation with external stakeholders, and contribute to the development of legal professionals. The Legal team provides specialist legal services across OPG. Its work includes conducting litigation on behalf of the Public Guardian in the Court of Protection, including applications concerning unlawful provisions in lasting powers of attorney, removal of attorneys who do not meet their obligations, and removal of non-compliant deputies. The team also advises across the organisation on policy, investigations, complaints, and threatened or ongoing litigation against OPG. Senior Lawyers represent the Legal team at internal and external meetings and committees, foster a professional and high-performing culture, and work collaboratively across the directorate and wider organisation. The role requires strategic judgement, appreciation of legal risk and the wider organisational context, and readiness to contribute to new initiatives and solutions. Occasional work outside standard hours may be required to meet Court deadlines. The post is permanent and full-time, with a minimum requirement of four working days per week. Flexible, part-time and job-share requests may be considered subject to operational needs. The salary is £71,381–£80,419 nationally or £75,674–£85,257 in London, depending on base location.

Requirements

Be an experienced qualified Solicitor with broad experience of complex litigation and non-litigation advisory work.
Have current or previous experience playing a leadership role in legal teams.
Be a proven advocate of change management.
Have advanced interpersonal and influencing skills and the ability to work effectively as a team player.
Be able to work at pace, meet challenging deadlines, and adapt priorities as workload and focus change.
Be willing to travel to Birmingham and Nottingham offices when required.
Work regularly from the nearest base location and spend at least 60% of working time in an office, subject to local estate capacity.

Nice To Haves

Experience of working in OPG.
Interest in or experience of using AI or automating legal processes.

Responsibilities

Lead and manage a legal team pillar alongside Legal Operations managers, including G7 Lawyers, Senior Paralegals and Paralegals.
Manage a varied caseload of complex litigation and policy work.
Conduct litigation on behalf of the Public Guardian in the Court of Protection, managing the litigation process.
Assess cases referred from Operations, Investigations and Supervision and decide whether to issue applications concerning unlawful LPA provisions, removal of attorneys, or removal of non-compliant deputies.
Provide legal advice across OPG on policy, investigations, complaints, and threatened or ongoing litigation.
Support OPG in meeting its legal obligations and managing legal risk.
Represent the Legal team at internal and external meetings and committees.
Develop and manage legal professionals, helping keep staff motivated, trained and appropriately challenged.
Promote a professional, high-performing culture and work collaboratively across the directorate and wider organisation.
Contribute to new initiatives and solutions in response to challenges facing OPG.
Work outside standard hours occasionally when required by Court deadlines.

Benefits

Annual leave of 25 days on appointment, increasing to 30 days after five years’ service.
Option for qualifying staff to buy or sell up to three days of leave each year.
Paid public holidays and one privilege day.
Civil Service pension scheme choices.
Training and development opportunities.
Employee-run networks supporting minority ethnic employees, employees with disabilities, employees with caring responsibilities, women employees, and LGBT employees.
Family-friendly policies, including opportunities to work reduced hours or job share.
Access to flexible benefits, including voluntary benefits, retail vouchers and discounts.
Paid paternity, adoption and maternity leave.
Free annual sight tests for employees who use computer screens.
Flexible working arrangements may be considered, subject to business needs.