Director General in London

The Bar Standards Board (BSB) is the statutory regulator for barristers in England and Wales. Established by the Legal Services Act 2007 and with responsibility for the regulation of over 18,000 professionals, the BSB works with the profession, industry and the public to set and apply standards for qualification and practice and handles complaints against the profession. We play a critical role in advancing the public interest in the legal services market and our vision is to be a high performing regulator, ensuring that we regulate the Bar in the public interest by promoting high standards, equality and access to justice.

As legal services in the UK continue to face intense pressure, including the opportunities posed by Artificial Intelligence, the BSB has a pivotal role to play in protecting the consumers of legal services and in enhancing the culture of the profession. This is an exciting time to join the BSB. We are changing and changing fast. Our Reform Programme is moving at pace, but there is more to do. We are currently finalising our new 5-year strategy which will set the Bar Standards Board’s priorities to the end of the decade.

The new Director General will work closely with our Chair and Board to deliver our strategic plan and our key objectives. The successful candidate will be a proven senior executive with experience of setting and delivering strategy, ensuring operational effectiveness and managing budgets and resources in a complex, regulated environment. You will be commercially aware and financially astute, with experience of applying a risk‑based approach to medium‑term business planning, working constructively with a non‑executive Board and maintaining organisational independence, while responding effectively to external scrutiny.

You will have a strong track record of articulating a clear regulatory vision, shaping organisational and cultural identity, and leading high‑performing teams through sustained organisational, cultural and process change. With experience of developing effective operating models enabled by process and technology, ideally including within shared services environments, you will have a proven track record of delivering measurable improvements aligned to statutory objectives.

For this role, we are seeking an individual with a demonstrable understanding of the legal services sector and regulatory environments, gained through experience in a relevant regulatory, legal, government, or other regulated environment or with a track record in acquiring and deploying new areas of expertise at a high level. This is a high-profile position within an organisation operating under intense scrutiny. As such, it demands exceptional personal capability, including authoritative and ethical leadership, political awareness and resilience under pressure.

You will be an excellent communicator and influencer, able to engage credibly and sensitively with a wide range of stakeholders including the Bar, ministers, senior judges, academics and members of the public. With the ability to exercise sound judgement, intellectual flexibility and decisiveness, be accountable for outcomes and demonstrate personal integrity, openness and inclusiveness, your leadership approach will be underpinned by a strong commitment to our organisational values.

The Bar Standard Board aims to recruit a talented workforce and values the diversity in background, skills and experience of its staff. We are committed to providing equality of opportunity for all job applicants irrespective of race, sex, disability, age, religion or belief, sexual orientation, maternity or pregnancy, marital or civil partnership status or gender re-assignment.

For further information including how to apply, click apply on website and for an informal confidential discussion contact Duncan Ewart at GatenbySanderson at duncan.ewart@gatenbysanderson.com. Closing date: 5pm on Friday 13 February 2026.