Advisory Lawyer

General Dental Council; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A regulatory body for dental professionals in Birmingham is seeking a legal advisor to provide legal advice, particularly in fitness to practise and illegal practice cases. The ideal candidate will have a qualification as a solicitor or barrister and experience in regulatory law. Responsibilities include managing a varied caseload, advising on policies, and supporting senior members in statutory decisions. This role offers a supportive workplace with family-friendly policies and opportunities for professional growth.

Benefits

27 days holiday (plus statutory)

Pension contributions up to 10%

Enhanced leave policies

Staff discounts

Qualifications

• Demonstrable working knowledge in professional regulatory law.
• Experience in commercial law, public law is desirable.
• Ability to work autonomously in a demanding environment.

Responsibilities

• Provide legal advice on fitness to practise and illegal practice cases.
• Manage a mixed caseload effectively and advise on policies.
• Support senior colleagues in statutory decisions.

Skills

Legal analytical skills

Ability to manage a caseload

Strong ICT skills

Ability to form good working relationships

Education

Solicitor, barrister, or equivalent qualification

Job description

An exciting opportunity to work as part of the in‑house legal advisory team. The post‑holder will provide accurate and timely legal advice to the General Dental Council on a wide variety of legal matters, including fitness to practise, illegal practice (criminal), commercial, employment, information and registration appeals.

Job Purpose

To provide timely, accurate and pragmatic risk‑based legal advice to colleagues across the organisation, on a wide range of issues, including but not limited to interpretation and application of the Dentists Act 1984 and supporting legislation. To manage a mixed caseload, seeking advice and input from internal and external legal colleagues as required, and to work with others in the team to support larger projects.

You will also conduct a mixed caseload including complex matters of the Council’s illegal practice prosecution cases, registration appeal and restoration cases, presenting cases in a timely and cost‑effective manner.

Areas of Responsibility

• To advise operational teams on legal issues that arise on particular cases, identifying options and setting out the relevant risks and benefits.
• To advise on proposed policy, process, and guidance changes, identifying potential risks and mitigations.
• To support senior colleagues, including the Registrar, to make statutory decisions by undertaking risk assessments and escalating matters for decision as appropriate.
• To build relationships with key stakeholders across the organisation, to support early engagement and collaborative ways of working.
• To identify opportunities for continuous improvement and deliver training to colleagues on recurring themes or legal developments, to support other teams and reduce reliance on legal support (where appropriate).
• To work flexibly to support the GDC, supporting others in the team to respond to changing priorities.
• To manage straightforward litigation cases involving the GDC, and support on complex and high‑risk litigation.

About You

• A practising solicitor, barrister, ILEX qualified or foreign qualified equivalent.
• Demonstrable working knowledge and experience in professional regulatory law. Experience in commercial law, including but not limited to advising on public sector procurement and contractual agreements, and public law, is desirable.
• Significant experience in one or more of the following other areas of law: information, criminal, employment and civil litigation.
• Ability to handle a caseload of complex matters and manage competing priorities effectively.
• Strong legal analytical skills and judgement, with the ability to analyse complex issues and present legally sound and focused advice, and conduct thorough, proportionate, and substantiated risk assessments.
• Ability to work autonomously within a team, in a demanding environment to meet deadlines whilst maintaining a high degree of accuracy and attention to detail.
• Ability to form good working relationships with internal/external stakeholders.
• Strong ICT skills (including the use of case management systems).
• Commitment to continuous professional development and knowledge sharing.
• Adherence and promotion of GDC’s policies and statutory obligations regarding data protection, equality and diversity, health and safety, and employment.
• Ability to delegate work where appropriate to do so and to supervise and develop more junior team members.
• Demonstrable commitment to the principles of equality, diversity and inclusion.

About us

Our primary purpose is to protect patient safety and maintain public confidence in dental services. To achieve this, we register qualified dental professionals, set standards for the dental team, investigate complaints about dental professionals’ fitness to practise, and work to ensure the quality of dental education.

Our work matters and so do our people. We are committed to providing a working environment that embraces and values diversity and inclusion by recruiting and strengthening our teams with members from different backgrounds, life experiences and viewpoints. Equality and diversity are not just words; they are what makes our teams strong and able to deliver. We want to be champions of diversity and to have a sense of belonging in the workplace, where everybody has the chance to contribute and to share what is important to them.

Benefits

The GDC is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace, that provides an environment that reflects our values and culture and allows employees to flourish.

To support this we offer a range of family friendly, inclusive employment policies, including flexible working arrangements from day one and employee networks that aid growth and development.

• 27 days holiday (plus statutory) – rising to 30 days after 2 years’ service
• Pension contributions up to 10%
• Buy/Sell annual leave
• Enhanced Maternity, Paternity and Adoption leave from 1 year’s service
• Life assurance, income protection plan and enhanced sick leave policy
• Staff discounts including eye care contributions and discounted gym membership

We encourage and support the recruitment, retention, and career development of people from as wide a range as possible of ethnic, cultural and social backgrounds.

Closing date: 23:59 on 11 January 2026

Interviews will be held 27–30 January 2026

Please note that we reserve the right to bring this recruitment campaign to an end without notice, and we encourage all interested candidates to apply as soon as possible.