Head of Legal

Head of Legal

Apply before 23:55 on Sunday 8th September 2024

Location - Manchester

Salary - £75,000 + benefits (including a Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of 27%)

Contract type - 1 year fixed term contract

Job summary

We lead the Government's work on the future governance of football. A Bill will be introduced to establish an independent football regulator to ensure greater sustainability in the game and strengthen protections for fans.

The Shadow Football Regulator is a dedicated team within DCMS which is responsible for setting up the Independent Football Regulator. It is ensuring the regulator has the right skills, governance and corporate functions so it can start work as soon as possible after the Bill receives Royal Assent.

This post, and its recruitment, is dependent on progress of the Bill, included in the King's Speech, to establish an Independent Football Regulator and the intention is for this role to transfer to the Regulator once it's legally established.

Please note that the Independent Football Regulator will be based in Greater Manchester, but an exact location has yet to be determined.

Job description

We are looking for a Head of Legal to join the Independent Football Regulator in its shadow form to help advise and shape the organisation in parallel with Parliamentary passage of the associated legal framework.

At present, the shadow regulator comprises over twenty members of staff, led by an interim Chief Operating Officer, undertaking a range of activities in preparation for passage of the Football Governance Bill. The successful candidate will play a crucial role in developing the legal function within the new organisation, determining the right balance between in-house and outsourced provision, and work collaboratively with others in considering how best to operationalise the provisions of the Bill. They will also support the Chair (designate) when they are appointed and advise on a wide range of legal matters such as contracts, regulatory compliance, litigation, employment law, intellectual property and corporate governance.

The Head of Legal will also be expected to work collaboratively with the sponsor department, DCMS, as well as with a variety of other bodies, including within the football industry.

Person specification

Essential Requirements

1. Making Effective Decisions: Creative thinking and excellent judgement to deliver authoritative and credible legal advice, at pace, to facilitate practical solutions, including at senior levels.
2. Changing & Improving: With this being the first legal role within the Shadow Football Regulator, we need someone with the knowledge and experience to shape the legal offering. This role requires an in depth understanding of regulation and enforcement who can add value to the team through sharing their expertise.
3. Communicating & Influencing: Experience of proactively creating, maintaining and promoting a strong network of contacts across an industry.
4. Leadership: Effectively managing legal risk, providing sound legal direction, leadership and oversight to ensure quality outcomes and delivery of legal excellence.
5. Delivering at Pace: Have a track record of picking up new and complex areas of legal work quickly and providing context-appropriate advice in high-profile and fast-moving situations.

Desirable Skills

1. Understanding of the football industry, including financial regulation and familiarity with the English football pyramid.
2. Good knowledge of public law.
3. Experience of establishing a legal function.

Qualifications

Applicants should have a minimum of a 2:1 honours degree in their first degree, in any subject.

Where an applicant holds an overseas degree qualification this should be equivalent to a 2:1 degree. We will consider applicants who do not have a 2:1 degree but only where satisfactory evidence of equivalent high level academic and/or professional achievement can be provided (e.g. via relevant experience and results achieved for the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL)/CPE, Legal Practice Course (LPC), Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC).

Applicants must be qualified to practise as a Solicitor, Barrister or Chartered Legal Executive in England and Wales however, we also accept applications from overseas qualified candidates. You must have completed a training contract/pupillage/qualifying employment or have been exempted from this by the Solicitors Regulation Authority and the Bar Standards Board or CILEx. Please note that candidates cannot apply more than 3 months before their qualification date.

Professional entry criteria for Chartered Legal Executives (i.e. Fellows): 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 (i.e. a score of 50% or above achieved), at CILEx Level 6, in all of the following seven foundation subjects in law: Contract Law; Criminal Law; Equity and Trusts Law; European Union Law; Land Law; Public Law; Law of Tort.

Note: There are specific requirements relating to academic achievement in the CILEx Level 6 exams where these are being used to demonstrate 2:1 degree equivalence. Chartered Legal Executives should note that we will be willing to accept an overall average score of 65% or above across exams passed in the seven foundation subjects in law (where studied at CILEx Level 6) as demonstrating 2.1 degree equivalence, where a 2.1 degree is not held.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Changing and Improving
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace
• Leadership
• Making Effective Decisions

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £75,000, we contribute £20,250 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.

DCMS values its staff and offers a wide range of benefits to everyone who works here. We are committed to developing talent and supporting colleagues to have great careers in our department. To support with that, some of the benefits we offer include:

• Flexible working arrangements and hybrid working - staff work on a flexible basis with time spent in offices, and time spent working from home
• 26.5 days annual leave on entry, increasing to 31.5 days after 5 years service
• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
• Access to the Edenred employee benefits system which offers discounts to popular retailers and access to various useful resources such as financial and savings advice
• 3 days of paid volunteering leave
• Up to 9 months maternity leave on full pay + generous paternity and adoption leave
• Staff reward and recognition bonuses that operate throughout the year
• Occupational sick pay
• Access to the Employee Assistance Programme which offers staff 24/7 confidential support and resources such as counselling, debt guidance and management advice
• Active and engaged staff networks to join including the LGBT+, Ethnic Diversity, Mental Health and Wellbeing and Gender Equality Networks
• Exceptional learning and development opportunities that you can explore alongside your day to day work
• Season ticket loan, cycle to work scheme and much more!

When you click apply you will be taken to our career site to complete your application.