About the job

Job summary

From energy to security, health to human rights, we help the Government deliver life changing law for citizens.

The Government Legal Department is the largest provider of legal services across government, working on high profile matters that are frequently scrutinised in Parliament and the media. Our work includes:

• Developing and drafting legislation
• Providing legal advice on policies
• Securing our economic and trade relationships
• Ensuring value from commercial contracts worth billions of pounds
• Providing the Civil Service’s employment law advice

We are at the heart of delivering the Government’s priorities and our success depends on our people.

GLD is a non-ministerial government department, sponsored by the Attorney General. We are headed by the Treasury Solicitor, our Permanent Secretary and employ nearly 3000 people, including over 2000 legal professionals. Our offices include London, Leeds, Bristol, Croydon and Manchester as well as overseas. We provide specialist legal services including Litigation, Employment and Commercial Law as well as advising most Government Departments on the policies and services they deliver.

GLD also depends on a range of vital corporate services. These are essential to the smooth and efficient running of the Department and provide the foundation to enable GLD to deliver outstanding legal services. Our corporate functions include Strategy, HR, Finance, Digital, Data and Technology, Communications, Security, Commercial and Project delivery. 

Our vision is to be an outstanding legal organisation and a brilliant place to work where everyone can thrive and fulfil their potential. This is an exciting time for GLD, with cutting edge legal work on global issues and a transformation agenda which is ensuring the Department exemplifies the Modern Civil Service.  

To find out more about what we do visit the Government Legal Department’s webpage or have a look at this short film which showcases the breadth of work government lawyers and legal trainees are involved in.

Job description

About DefraLegal Advisers

Defra Legal Advisers (DLA) provides legal advice to the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Defra is responsible for safeguarding our natural environment, supporting our world-leading food and farming industry and sustaining a thriving rural economy. The wide remit means the legal division is involved in a diverse range of activity providing legal advice across the full range of Defra’s domestic and international business, including the natural environment, animal welfare, food, farming and fisheries.  Defra’s work has  a strong international context and our lawyers support numerous international negotiations, as well as advising on the development of domestic legislation.

The Division is comprised of around 130 staff based in 2 Marsham Street, London SW1 and GLD offices in Bristol, Leeds and Manchester.  It has 7 legal teams and a business management team.

The post offers a perfect opportunity to work in a dynamic, nurturing and high performing division, with a strong emphasis on collaborative working and collective leadership.  As a member of our senior leadership team, you will contribute to our leadership pledge to build a division  which is a confident and resilient, with a professional approach, b) a happy, kind and inclusive place to work with strong connections across teams and offices, and c) a respectful environment where it is safe to challenge, and everyone feels empowered, energised and enthusiastic about the work they we do and their future careers.

Nature and Information Law team

This is a new team, formed after a reorganisation, of around 15 lawyers, 6 of whom you would line manage. The team advises on diverse areas of environmental law relating to conservation, the countryside and climate change as well as information law.

The team’s nature work includes Defra’s flagship Environment Act 2021 and environmental targets, protection of species and habitats, wildlife management, wild bird and general licencing, invasive species, forestry, rights of way and coastal access, biodiversity, conservation covenants and pest control. Many of these areas are cross-cutting and require close working with other DLA teams and across GLD. Climate change work similarly requires close working across Government and particularly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. The high-profile and dynamic nature of the policy areas leads to a fair amount of litigation.

The team’s information law work includes policy advice to Defra as the lead Department for the Environmental Information Regulations and support to Defra’s Information Rights Unit on complex information requests. The team also advise on handling of data protection issues including data sharing and data breaches, working closely with the Department’s Data Protection Officer.

If appointed, you will also have excellent opportunities to take wider corporate responsibility for the leadership of the Division and the GLD. We are happy to consider different models of job share and accommodate different working patterns.

The Role

Leading the Nature and Information Law team and providing leadership to the whole division as part of DLA’s senior leadership team.

 Key responsibilities:

1. Provide inspiring, confident & empowering leadership.
2. Build strong professional relationships and personally provide high quality legal advice commanding the confidence of senior clients and ministers.
3. Lead the team, managing resource, to deliver quality legal advice, primary and secondary legislation across a range of complex and challenging topics to demanding deadlines.
4. Work collaboratively as a member of the Senior Leadership Team to contribute to the SLT pledge, taking responsibility for cross-cutting corporate activities.
5. Embed a culture of inclusion and equal opportunity for all, where the diversity of individuals backgrounds and experiences are valued and respected.

Civil Service Code

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of you and other civil servants. These are based on the core values which are set out in legislation. As a civil servant, you are expected to carry out your role with dedication and a commitment to the Civil Service and its core values of:

• ‘integrity’ is putting the obligations of public service above your own personal interests
• ‘honesty’ is being truthful and open
• ‘objectivity’ is basing your advice and decisions on rigorous analysis of the evidence
• ‘impartiality’ is acting solely according to the merits of the case and serving equally well governments of different political persuasions

These core values support good government and ensures the achievement of the highest possible standards in all that the Civil Service does.

Person specification

It is important through your CV and Statement of Suitability that you provide evidence and examples of proven experience of these selection criteria.

Technical Legal Skills

• Brings wider legal experience and knowledge to bear, demonstrating creative thinking and the ability to facilitate practical solutions.
• Effectively manages legal risk.
• Provides sound legal direction to the team and takes responsibility for the professional work of the team.
• Excellent knowledge, understanding and experience of public law and SI work.

Leadership

• Remain visible and approachable to all colleagues and stakeholders.
• Display passion and enthusiasm for our work, helping to inspire colleagues and stakeholders on the work of GLD.
• Embed a culture of inclusion and equal opportunity for all, where the diversity of individuals’ backgrounds and experiences are valued and respected.

Working Together

• Drive an inclusive and collaborative working culture, ensuring the wellbeing of all individuals is valued.
• Confront issues and challenge assumptions in a constructive way that builds lasting relationships and achieve successful outcomes.

Managing a Quality Service

• Ensure delivery of legal excellence and professional services to clients.
• Ensure prioritisation and value for money issues are embedded into service delivery.

Developing Self and Others

• Provide a range of experiences to encourage development, talent and career management for all individuals.
• Role-model continuous self-learning and development, evaluate effectiveness and plan next steps.
• Create an inclusive environment from which all individuals can develop regardless of their needs or background.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £75,000, Government Legal Department contributes £20,250 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, Experience and Technical skills.

Application

To apply for this post, you will need to complete the online application process accessed via the advertisement listed for this role. This should be completed no later than Friday 7th June at 12:00PM Midday. You would need to submit the following:

1.An online CV which will be scored and assessed against experience. This should document your job history, skills, qualifications and experience.

2.A Statement of Suitability (1250 words max) covering the below:

Technical - Legal Skills

Behavioural – Leadership, Working Together, Managing a Quality Service, Developing Self and Others

As part of the online application process, you will be asked a number of diversity-related questions. If you do not wish to provide a declaration on any of the particular characteristics, you will have the option to select 'prefer not to say'. The information you provide when submitting your application will help us monitor our progress towards the Civil Service becoming an inclusive employer and a great place to work. See the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy for more information or go to Equality and Diversity

Should you encounter any issues with your online application or are unable to apply online please contact William.Tang@Governmentlegal.gov.uk

Selection Panels

The selection panel for this campaign will be confirmed at a later stage

Shortlist

You will receive an acknowledgment of your application through the online process.

The panel will then assess your application to select those demonstrating the best fit with the role by considering the evidence you have provided against the criteria set out in the ‘Person Specification’ section. Failure to address any or all of these may affect your application.

Assessments

If you are shortlisted, you will be asked to take part in a staff engagement exercise This assessment will not result in a pass or fail decision. Rather, it is designed to support the panel’s decision making and highlight areas for the panel to explore further at interview. Full details of the assessment process will be provided to shortlisted candidates at the earliest opportunity.

Informal Conversations

Shortlisted candidates will also have the opportunity to speak to the vacancy holder, Prakash Bachoo (prakash.bachoo@defra.gov.uk) and/or Briony Goulden (briony.goulden@defra.gov.uk) , prior to the final interview to learn more about the role and the organisation. Please note this is an optional part of the process, not part of the formal assessment process.

Interview

You will be asked to attend a panel interview in order to have a more in-depth discussion of your previous experience and professional competence in relation to the criteria set out in the Person Specification.

Technical - Legal Skills
Behavioural – Leadership
Behavioural – Working Together
Behavioural – Managing a Quality Service
Behavioural – Developing Self and Others

Interviews may take place face to face, full details of the interview format will be confirmed to shortlisted candidates prior to interview.

Offer, Feedback and Reserve List

The timeline later in this pack indicates the date by which decisions are expected to be made, and all candidates will be advised of selection decisions as soon as possible thereafter.

We are not able to offer feedback to candidates not selected at shortlist stage. Shortlisted candidates who attend an interview will also be offered written / verbal feedback from a member of the interview panel.

We appoint in strict order of merit. If you meet the minimum criteria for this position but are not successful for a post, you will be placed on the reserve list for up to 12 months.  We then may contact you to see if you are interested in a post at the same, or a lower grade, in GLD should one arise.

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. 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.