Litigation and Advisory Lawyer

Details

Reference number

Salary

£55,907

A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

GBP

Job grade

Grade 7

Principal

Contract type

Fixed term
Loan
Secondment

Length of employment

12 months

Business area

EHRC – Litigation and Advisory

Type of role

Legal Services
Other

Working pattern

Flexible working, Full-time, Job share, Part-time

Number of jobs available

1

Contents

• Location
• About the job
• Benefits
• Things you need to know
• Apply and further information

Location

Cardiff, Manchester

About the job

Job summary

We are Britain\’s national equality regulator and a United Nations-accredited \’A status\’ national human rights institution.

We are committed to upholding individuals\’ rights without fear or favour. Using the full force of our legal powers, we challenge breaches of the law and protect people from unfair or unequal treatment. We also offer advice on law development and provide guidance, training, and support to help organisations meet their legal obligations.

As a regulator, we adopt an agile, independent, and evidence-driven approach to defend individuals from unfair treatments of the law. Our work includes providing practical support, guidance and training to organisations to help them comply with their legal responsibilities.

Collaboration is central to our work. We engage with governments, employers and a wide range of organisations, ensuring our approach is evidence-driven while maintaining impartiality.

Our Strategic Plan for 2025–2028 reinforces our commitment to using our powers where we can have the greatest impact. As an effective and impartial regulator, we aim to address the most pressing equality and human rights challenges. Joining us means contributing to a fairer society where everyone can exercise their rights, free from discrimination.

Job description

Performing a key role in the Litigation and Advisory Team within our Legal Directorate, the Principal Lawyer will be responsible for a mix of legal advisory work, litigation, enforcement work and legal input to compliance work.

You will need excellent knowledge of the Equality Act and the Human Rights Act together with strong stakeholder engagement skills and understanding of the Commission\’s legal levers.

You will share our values of fairness, dignity and respect and will work with us to build upon our achievements, ensuring our vision becomes a reality.

You may be responsible for supervising the work of others and this role will require travel and engagement with colleagues in the Commission\’s offices including Glasgow, London and Manchester.

You will:

• provide specialist technical expertise and advice on equality and human rights law
• work as part of a team who conduct cutting-edge litigation and interventions across a range of appellate courts often on untested areas of equality and human rights law
• provide legal advice and support to other teams on complex issues across the Commission including those working on inquiries, policy initiatives, UN treaty monitoring and parliamentary work, guidance and website materials
• lead and/ or input into responses to consultations and select committees
• provide advice on and input into new and emerging human rights and equality issues, for example in the area of artificial intelligence.

Qualifications

To be successful in this exciting yet challenging role, you will be a qualified solicitor or barrister entitled to practise in England and Wales with substantial relevant experience.

Person specification

The core professional knowledge, skills and experience for this role include:

• qualified solicitor or barrister entitled to practise in England and Wales with substantial relevant experience.
• conducting litigation mainly autonomously but seeking supervisory support where required
• experience of analysing information and evidence and providing legal expertise and advice on equality and human rights law.
• translating complex legal concepts and advice into clear, concise language and drafting accessible, user-friendly documents for both internal and external audiences
• representing the Commission with external stakeholders, including within government, assessing risks and using sound judgement in negotiations and interaction with external bodies, including those we regulate.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £55,907, Equality and Human Rights Commission contributes £16,196 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

In return you can expect to receive a competitive salary, 30 days annual leave plus bank holidays (full time FTE) and access to the Civil Service Pension Scheme and partnership pension schemes.

We will provide investment in your career, giving you access to Civil Service Learning, our peer learning programme, specialist training and mentoring.

We offer a range of family friendly benefits, such as enhanced parental leave, flexible working including non-contractual hybrid working.

You will also have access to our wellbeing offering, including our employee assistance programme, mental health supporters, health checks, discount gym membership and retail discounts, cycle to work scheme and other salary sacrifice options. In addition, we have a range of staff networks and social groups.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

Through our application, you will be asked to provide specific examples to outline how your experience, skills and knowledge meet the selected key criteria to successfully perform the role. Your answers will enable us to assess your suitability for the role and will help us decide whether to invite you to the next stage of the recruitment process.

At the interview stage, you should be prepared to answer questions on all core skills and KSE criteria as set out in the Candidate Pack.

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 (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission\’s recruitment principles .

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy .

Apply and further information

The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

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• Telephone :

Recruitment team

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Further information

Appointment to the Equality and Human Rights Commission is overseen by the Civil Service Commission\’s Recruitment Principles.

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, please email the Commission\’s People Helpdesk in the first instance.

If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Equality and Human Rights Commission, you can contact the Civil Service Commission.