Principal Advisory Lawyer

General Dental Council; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 82,000 - 96,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

27 days' holiday

Flexi-time scheme

Employer pension contributions up to

Life assurance

Income protection

Eye care contributions

Discounted gym membership

Job summary

General Dental Council seeks a Principal Advisory Lawyer to lead strategic, risk-based legal advice across regulatory, public and commercial matters. The role supports the Senior Counsel and Associate Director, Legal, and contributes to the Corporate Strategy by identifying legal issues early and guiding project work.

You will draft legislation, advise ELT and committees, and manage a small team. The role requires significant experience in public law and policy, with strong skills in employment

Qualifications

• Significant post-qualification experience advising on public and regulatory law.
• Experience in employment and commercial law is desirable.
• Experience sitting on project boards and leading strategic delivery.

Responsibilities

• Provide accurate, timely, risk-based legal advice to GDC colleagues and Council.
• Identify legal issues early and mitigate them through collaboration with colleagues.
• Draft, review and comment on legislation and advise on implementation impact.
• Lead, manage and develop team members, deputise for Senior Counsel as appropriate.

Skills

Public law

Policy development

Legal advisory

Leadership

Regulatory matters

Education

Solicitor/Barrister/ILEX

Tools

Drafting

Job description

Principal Advisory Lawyer

Salary : £82,409 - £96,158 pa (Basic salary + location allowance of £4,500)

Location : London/Hybrid (2 days per week in the office)

Hours : Full-time

Contract : Fixed-term contract - 15 -18 months, internal secondment cover

Location : London

As a Principal Advisory Lawyer, you will play a leading role at the General Dental Council, providing strategic and risk-based legal advice across a wide range of complex and high-profile regulatory, wider public and commercial law matters.

The team provides legal advice on a myriad of different disciplines - including in respect of:

1. Our regulatory remit in Fitness to Practise and Registration
2. Policy development and our public and administrative law obligations
3. Legislative development and drafting
4. Commercial law - including procurement, contracts and corporate obligations
5. Employment law
6. Information law
7. EU law
8. Human rights and equalities legislation
9. Criminal enforcement

Your key responsibilities will include:

• Support the Senior Counsel and Associate Director, Legal by ensuring the provision of accurate, timely and risk-based advice to GDC colleagues and Council.
• Contribute to the delivery of the GDC's Corporate Strategy by early identification of legal issues and working proactively with colleagues to highlight and mitigate these where possible, this includes playing an active role on Project and Programme Boards and presenting to the Executive Leadership Team (ELT), Committees and the Council as appropriate.
• Draft, review and provide critical comment on draft legislation, and give advice to ELT and colleagues across the GDC as to the impact of implementation.
• Lead, manage and develop others within the team, by proactively identifying opportunities for learning and improvement and ensuring work produced is accurate and focused on delivering solutions. Line manage a number of colleagues and deputise for the Senior Counsel and Associate Director, Legal as appropriate, whilst role modelling professional leadership behaviours.

Person Specification:

This post is being recruited to support the delivery of the team's core business activities as outlined above, and when necessary, the postholder will be required to support the delivery of the GDC's Corporate through leading key projects. Therefore, we are looking for significant experience in public law and policy, including interpretation of legislation and drafting legislation.

Demonstrative experience in employment law and commercial law is also desirable. Finally, successful candidates will have experience of sitting on Project Boards and taking a leading role in the delivery of strategic ambitions.

Specialist Knowledge and Qualifications:

• A qualified and practising solicitor or barrister or ILEX qualified (essential) with significant post-qualification experience of advising on public and regulatory law issues within a statutory, regulatory or similar framework.
• Excellent legal analytical skills, with the ability to analyse complex legal issues and present legally sound, risk-based and pragmatic advice and instructions.
• Ability to understand and engage with strategic issues, identifying potential legal risks at an early stage and providing advice that takes account of the wider context.
• Demonstrable experience of promoting adherence to the principles of equality and diversity, both in legal advice and day-to-day conduct.

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.

Some of our benefits include:

• 27 days' holiday (plus 8 bank holidays) - rising to 30 days (plus 8 bank holidays) after 2 years' service
• Flexi-time scheme
• Employer pension contributions up to 10%
• Buy/Sell annual leave
• Enhanced Maternity, Paternity and Adoption leave from 1 years' 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 23 September 2026.

Interviews: w/c 12 October 2026.

Please no agencies unless instructed otherwise.