About the job

Job summary

Ofgem’s legal function sits in the Office of the General Counsel (OGC). The OGC is responsible for the provision of all legal advice and management of all legal risk required by OFGEM and its governing body the Gas and Electricity Markets Authority and for managing the organisation’s exposure to legal risk.

The energy sector is going through an unprecedented transformation to a net zero and data-enabled future. You will be joining Ofgem OGC with a number of significant policy and legal matters all under development at a time of increasing change in the energy sector.

The OGC supports Ofgem’s activities through hubs focused on the following areas:

• Retail Pricing Legal
• Retail Policy & Governance Legal
• Enforcement and Emerging Issues Legal
• Delivery and Schemes Legal
• Networks RIIO Legal
• Networks Strategic Programmes Legal
• Systems Legal

You will initially be posted to work in one hub, where you will support the Deputy Legal Director responsible for that hub in ensuring the continued delivery of a first class legal function, but you can expect to work in a number of hubs over time which means that you will be working in a diverse culture with like minded people. Some of the projects cut across more than one hub.

Job description

The work is interesting, intellectually challenging and varied, you will be involved in advising on a wide range of public law issues in a regulatory context. We will tailor the role according to your skills and experiences. You will enjoy the role if you are a lawyer who is pragmatic and solutions driven, can manage competing demands and deliver at pace to provide advice to policy colleagues at all levels.

Ofgem is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We embrace diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All employment is decided on the basis of open and fair competition, merit and business need.

If you would like to discuss this role with a member of our legal team please contact emma.tosh@ofgem.gov.uk ahead of the closing date.

Person specification

Essential Criteria

Qualifications 

• Qualified to practice as a barrister or solicitor, in England and Wales or an advocate or solicitor in Scotland or will be qualified 3 months from application date; or
• An overseas professionally qualified lawyer demonstrating evidence of preparedness to sit the SQE or BTT on, or soon after, appointment and evidence of some post-qualification practice in the UK.
• Chartered Legal Executives are eligible to apply where (i) a Qualifying Law Degree (QLD) is held; or (ii) the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL)/CPE has been completed; or (iii) where exams have been passed and a score of 50% or above achieved, at CILEx Level 6*, in all the following foundation subjects:

1. Contract Law
2. Criminal Law
3. Equity and Trusts Law
4. European Union Law
5. Land Law
6. Public Law
7. Law of Tort

 Experience 

• Reliable legal judgement and appreciation of legal risks, with the ability to analyse and advise on complex and novel legal issues (Lead)
• We are interested in hearing from people at different stages in their career, you may be recently qualified or have significant experience in but not limited to any one of the following: 
• energy law;
• economic regulation;
• consumer protection;
• competition law;
• commercial or complex projects/procurement; or
• public or administrative law or regulatory litigation in a context similar to that in which Ofgem operates, for example advising a government department, economic regulator or highly regulated industry participant.
• Strong communication skills (verbal and written) with the ability to present findings of analysis in a clear and compelling manner to technical and non-technical audiences, and defend their findings, based on evidence.
• Resilient and able to work under pressure and on demanding and challenging projects.
• Planning and organisational skills to manage and balance conflicting demands.

Desirable Criteria

• Knowledge of one or more of: Information Law, Human Rights Law, Public Procurement Law, Environmental Law, Insolvency Law.
• Experience advising in relation to corporate or project finance, investment or funding agreements and financial reporting.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £45,614, OFGEM contributes £12,315 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Ability, Experience and Technical skills.

1.When you press the ‘Apply now’ button, you will be asked to complete personal details (not seen by the sift panel), your career history and qualifications. 

2.You will also be asked to provide a 1250 word ‘supporting statement’ evidencing how your experience meets the essential and desirable criteria on the attached role profile.  Please ensure you demonstrate clearly how you meet each of the person specification criteria.

3.As part of the application process you will need to complete and pass the online Civil Service Verbal Test. More information on preparing for this test can be found here.

4.Shortlisted candidates will be invited to interview where they will be assessed using behaviours-based questions and a selection of technical questions specific to the role. 

5.You will also be asked to consider a problem scenario sent before your interview and provide your advice during the interview to the panel.

Please refer to the Candidate Pack attached for full details. 

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window). People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.