COLP / Supervisory Solicitor

Gazette Situations Vacant; Remote; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A legal practice firm in the United Kingdom is seeking a Compliance Officer for Legal Practice (COLP) to oversee regulatory compliance and quality assurance. The role involves ensuring adherence to SRA requirements and providing supervision over regulated legal activities. Candidates must possess supervisory solicitor experience and strong knowledge of the SRA regulatory framework. This is a critical role during the firm's run-off period set to begin in August 2026, and applications should be sent to the provided email address with relevant experience summarized.

Qualifications

• Must be eligible and suitable to be appointed as COLP for an SRA-regulated firm.
• Prior supervisory solicitor experience or equivalent oversight of regulated work.
• Confidence to challenge regulatory issues.

Responsibilities

• Act as the firm's designated COLP monitoring compliance and maintaining systems.
• Provide supervision of regulated activities and ensure quality/risk oversight.
• Review complaints at various stages to ensure regulatory compliance.
• Provide documented compliance advice to senior management.
• Continue COLP duties during the run-off period.

Skills

Strong working knowledge of SRA regulatory framework

Practical experience implementing compliance controls

Sound regulatory judgment

Strong written communication

Job description

We are recruiting a Compliance Officer for Legal Practice (COLP) who will also operate as a supervisory solicitor, providing day-to-day regulatory oversight, supervision of regulated legal activities, and quality assurance across complaints handling.

The firm will stop accepting new matters from the end of July 2026. A controlled run-off will commence August 2026 and is expected to complete by end February 2027. The directors will lead run-off planning and delivery; this role provides compliance assurance and supervision, with limited input to the run-off plan itself.

Key responsibilities

• Act as the firm’s designated COLP in line with SRA requirements: monitoring compliance, maintaining systems/controls, maintaining a breach register, and reporting material breaches where required.
• Provide supervision of regulated activities and oversight of legal work quality/risk themes.
• Review approximately 10% of complaints at (i) complaint stage and (ii) final response/outcome stage, ensuring alignment with the firm’s procedures and regulatory expectations.
• Provide pragmatic, documented compliance advice to directors/senior management and support internal governance as required.
• During run-off (Aug 2026 – Feb 2027), continue COLP duties and provide compliance oversight to ensure ongoing regulatory adherence while matters are concluded.

Candidate requirements

• Must be eligible and suitable to be appointed as COLP for an SRA-regulated firm.
• Strong working knowledge of SRA regulatory framework and practical experience implementing effective compliance controls.
• Prior supervisory solicitor experience (or demonstrable equivalent oversight of regulated work).
• Sound regulatory judgement, confidence to challenge, and strong written communication.

How to apply

Please email [e-mail] with your CV (and a short covering note summarising COLP/supervision experience and availability).