Senior Litigation and Regulatory Lawyer Office for Students

Office for Students; City of Westminster; On-site; GBP 68,000 - 73,000; Full time

Job summary

A governmental regulatory body in the UK seeks a qualified solicitor or barrister to lead on complex litigation activities. You will manage a diverse portfolio of litigation cases, providing expertise in public law, consumer protection, and regulatory rules. The ideal candidate has significant litigation experience and excels in communication and negotiation. This role offers a competitive salary, generous pension contributions, and an inclusive work environment promoting learning and development.

Benefits

Generous Civil Service pension

Flexible working options

Learning and development opportunities

Annual leave starting at 25 days plus public holidays

Qualifications

• Significant transferable litigation experience.
• Excellent written and spoken communication skills.
• Ability to influence and negotiate effectively.

Responsibilities

• Lead on litigation activities at the OfS.
• Provide legal advice on regulatory matters.
• Manage relationships with legal and policy colleagues.

Skills

Public law matters

Consumer protection law

Human rights law

Regulatory rules interpretation

Investigation and enforcement

Education

Qualified solicitor or barrister

Job description

Overview

You’ll lead on the conduct of litigation activities at OfS, managing a portfolio of complex and novel litigation cases, both personally and through supervision of other qualified lawyers and members of the team. You will act as the senior lead and subject‑matter expert in respect of litigation at the regulator.

Responsibilities

In addition, you will broaden your knowledge of the sector by providing legal advice and support for a broad range of regulatory matters relevant to the functions of the OfS. Expect to work collaboratively with internal legal and policy colleagues, as well as external legal support, owning these key relationships and advising at the most senior level in the organisation, with regard to the high‑profile nature of the organisation’s litigation.

Requirements

While your legal career to date may have been in a different sector, you will have significant directly transferable litigation experience. We offer a supportive environment that enables you to get up to speed, but you will need experience in at least two of the following areas:

• Public law matters
• Consumer protection law
• Human rights law
• The interpretation of regulatory rules such as licence conditions or equivalent
• The interpretation and application of sector‑specific legislation which relates to a regulatory body
• Investigation and enforcement in a regulatory context

This role would suit a qualified solicitor or barrister with strong litigation experience, as well as an interest in public law and regulatory issues. Excellent written and spoken communication and presentation skills are essential, including the ability to influence and negotiate.

Salary and Benefits

Salary: £68,720 - £72,004 + £7,500 allowance plus London weighting £3,566 (where appropriate)

Generous Civil Service defined benefit pension

Office for Students contributes £19,908 towards your membership of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.

Opportunities

Use your litigation expertise in an organisation that’s shaping policy and regulation. Make a real difference to the lives of students by bringing your litigation skills to the Office for Students (OfS). As the independent regulator of higher education in England, we ensure the best experience and the best value – for students, for taxpayers, for the economy and for the public good. This is a unique opportunity to lead on the provision of cutting‑edge litigation across our diverse and rapidly evolving organisation.

Benefits

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
• Additional benefits through the Total Reward Framework including comprehensive learning and development, annual leave starting at 25 days per year (plus public holidays), access to the highly regarded Civil Service pension scheme and a variety of health benefits.

Feedback

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard checks.