Senior Lawyer

Trade Remedies Authority (TRA); Reading; Hybrid; GBP 69,000 - 77,000; Full time

Job summary

A governmental authority in the UK is seeking a Senior Lawyer to provide legal expertise in trade remedies investigations. This role involves motivating the legal team and ensuring decisions are robust under international law. The ideal candidate will be a fully qualified solicitor or barrister with strong analytical skills and a passion for new areas of law. The position offers flexibility in working arrangements and a range of substantial benefits, including competitive leave and a generous pension scheme.

Benefits

Flexible working practices

25 days annual leave (rising to 30)

Market-leading Civil Service Pension Scheme

Capability based pay

Health and wellbeing resources

Learning and development opportunities

Reward scheme

Interest-free loans for season tickets

Discount scheme

Volunteer leave

Qualifications

• Significant experience of high-quality legal research.
• Proficient in interpreting and applying statute, case law, and public law.
• Sound awareness of legal risk in decision-making.

Responsibilities

• Provide legal expertise to ensure decisions are legally robust.
• Motivate the legal team and manage junior members.
• Drive operational policies and procedures.

Skills

Analytical skills

Excellent judgment

Legal research

Communication

Leadership

Education

Fully qualified solicitor, barrister or Chartered Legal Executive

Job description

Senior Lawyer

Salary: £69,822 - £76,974 plus £8,000 allowance (based on meeting qualification to practice requirements)

Location: Reading. Our office is in central Reading. We offer flexibility in where you work, and we’ll expect you to attend the office a minimum of two days a month. When you join us, we expect you to be in the office more frequently to settle into the TRA. This policy may be subject to change.

Contract: Permanent

Work pattern: Flexible, full time, part time, compressed hours available

Who we are and what we aim to accomplish

The Trade Remedies Authority exists to defend the UK against unfair international trade practices. We carry out investigations and make recommendations to protect UK economic interests. Our work is novel within the UK and the legal team at the TRA is at the forefront in developing this new field of law based on detailed legislation and underpinned by World Trade Organization (WTO) rules.

What you’ll do

Our case teams carry out trade remedies investigations and reviews. As Senior Lawyer, you’ll provide the legal expertise and support needed to ensure that their decisions and processes are legally robust. Your legal advice will also be pivotal in driving forward our operational policies and procedures.

As part of our senior leadership team, you’ll motivate the rest of the legal team and the wider organisation. You may have line management responsibilities, which will include coaching junior members of the team.

What you’ll bring

You will have excellent judgement and strong analytical skills, gained from significant experience of high-quality legal research, analysis and advice. Plus, you’ll be highly proficient in interpreting and applying statute, case law, public law, and demonstrate a sound awareness of legal risk in your decision-making. Solution-focused, your advice will be informed by consideration of broader contextual and policy factors. An excellent communicator, you’ll be able to convey complex thoughts and ideas simply, in writing and orally. You’ll be comfortable working at a pace.

Crucially, you’ll be keen to work in this new area of UK law and the underlying international law on which it is based. You will either be experienced in this area or have a proven ability to get up to speed on an unfamiliar area of law.

To be eligible, you’ll need to be a fully qualified solicitor, barrister or Chartered Legal Executive entitled to practice in England and Wales (evidence of entitlement to practice must be given in the application). We’ll be looking for the following behaviours from our Success Profiles: making effective decisions, communicating and influencing, leadership, and delivering at pace.

The benefits you’ll receive:

• Flexible working practices, such as hybrid working, flexi time, part-time, compressed or annualised hours, to help you strike a balance between home and work life.
• 9 public/privilege holidays and 25 days’ annual leave rising progressively to 30 days after 5 years. You can also buy and sell up to 5 days annual leave.
• Access to a market-leading Civil Service Pension Scheme with employer contributions around 29%.
• Capability based pay, which means that you have the ability to be paid more as you build your capability with us.
• Manage your health and wellbeing with support, tools and techniques.
• Access to a range of learning and development opportunities and talent programmes.
• A reward scheme to recognise your great work or demonstration of our values.
• Interest-free loans to spread the cost of season tickets, a new bicycle, or rental deposit.
• A discount scheme providing access to hundreds of discounted offers to help you make significant savings from a range of shops and brands.
• A modern office close to Reading train station with convenient access to local amenities.
• Up to 6 days volunteer leave to support your personal development and our wider community.

We value diversity and inclusion and actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including those who are underrepresented in our workforce. We promote equality of opportunity in all aspects of employment and a working environment free from discrimination, harassment, bullying and victimisation.

Closing date: Apply before 11:55 pm on Sunday 1st February 2026.