Legal Manager in Cardiff

Legal Manager

Government Property Agency

Reference number: 481545

Salary: £70,968 - £76,742

GPA is also committed to recognising and rewarding where our staff hold the “Gold Standard’ accreditation relevant to their Specialism and offer a £5000 non-pensionable allowance to staff who have achieved this.

Contract type: Permanent

Working pattern: Full-time

Location: Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Leeds, Manchester, Nottingham, Swindon

Job summary

The Government Property Agency is the largest property holder in government, with more than £2.1 billion in property assets and over 55% of the government’s office estate.

We are transforming the way the Civil Service works by creating great places to work, leading the largest commercial office programme in the UK, working towards halving carbon emissions from government offices, and achieving greater value for taxpayers. And we are looking for innovative, solutions-focused people to join our team.

Representing the best covenant in the UK – His Majesty’s Government – we are leading significant transformational programmes such as the Government Hubs Programme, Whitehall Campus Programme and Net Zero Programme. We are also delivering cost- effective property services such as asset management, lifecycle replacement and workplace services.

Innovation and progress underpin our behaviours. We foster a culture of lifelong learning, where curiosity and self‑improvement are encouraged. Our four core values are at the heart of everything we do. They shape our culture and guide how we work, lead and grow together:

• Striving for excellence- We always aim to deliver great results
• Empowering through respect- We insist on fair treatment for all, always
• Acting with integrity- We consistently do the right thing
• Succeeding together- We rely on each other to achieve success

We are committed to representing the communities we serve by making Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) part of everything we do. Our strong emphasis on EDI is not just about driving inclusion across our organisation, it is also about ensuring our services meet the needs of government departments and the civil servants who use our spaces. To ensure that we are always recruiting and retaining a diverse mix of talent, we are particularly inviting applications from candidates who are disabled, ethnically or gender diverse, and people who identify as being part of the LGBTQ+ community.

Join our dynamic and diverse team that leads with purpose, improving sustainability, nurturing social value, driving inclusivity and flexibility, and kickstarting economic growth.

We are driven by purpose, and you can be part of it too: where you make a meaningful impact; where you influence; where your voice really matters; where you help to shape our future direction.

Job description

This is a new senior expert strategic and operational role to develop and manage the relatively new legal and compliance function within the GPA.

The key responsibilities involve providing advice guidance and effective management of internal and external specialist legal and compliance resources and budget with the deliverables being ensuring that the GPA’s activities comply with legal ethical and public sector regulations whilst delivering business plan targets in accordance with the GPA governance framework.

This role includes the management of 2 specialist inhouse legal and compliance resources, external legal advisers and support to the GPA governance function as well as delegated budget responsibilities.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £70,968, Government Property Agency contributes £20,559 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
• Generous annual leave

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths, Experience and Technical skills.

We encourage applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that represents the communities and wider society that we serve. We pride ourselves on being an employer of choice. We champion diversity, inclusion and well-being and aim to create a sense of belonging in a workplace where everyone feels valued. 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 D&I Strategy.

Visa Sponsorship

Please note - At this time GPA are unable to offer any Visa Sponsorship to candidates as we do not currently hold a visa sponsorship licence. Please do not apply for permanent roles with GPA if you will require your employer to take on the sponsorship of your current or any future visas.

Sift

The sift is due to take place week commencing 5th October 2026.

As part of the application process, you will be asked to include a CV, a 750 Statement of suitability. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Should we receive a large number of applications, an initial sift will be conducted using the Statement of Suitability only. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

Interview

GPA policy is for interviews to be held face to face, with virtual interviews only by absolute exception. The date and location will be confirmed if you are invited to interview. If you feel this will be a problem for you, please contact recruitment@gpa.gov.uk to discuss prior to submitting your application.

At interview, applicants will be scored against 4 behaviours - Leadership, Managing a Quality Service, Making Effective Decisions and Delivering at Pace

Interview questions will be a blend of Behaviour, Experience, Strength and Technical (core skill) questions.

This role is full time only. Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact:

• Name: Michael Wu
• Email: michael.wu@gpa.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email: gparecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk