Lawyer in Belfast

Location: Wilmslow, Cheshire; Belfast; Cardiff; Edinburgh; London

Time type: Full time

Posted on: Posted 5 Days Ago

End Date: April 13, 2026 (15 days left to apply)

Job requisition id: JR726

Salary: £57,815 - £65,021 pa, with potential for further progression to £73,211 pa with our pay progression scheme.

Location: Hybrid. Contracted to our Wilmslow, London, Edinburgh, Cardiff or Belfast office, however, we offer flexible home and office-based working opportunities. There will be times when you will be expected to attend the office to collaborate with colleagues or travel due to business need.

• Pay progression scheme.
• Hybrid and flexible working options.
• 25 days paid holiday per year, plus privilege and public holidays.
• Flexi leave (up to 26 additional days leave per year).
• Pension (employer contribution around 28.9%).
• Online discount scheme to save money at major supermarkets, retailers, gyms, restaurants, insurance providers and many more.
• Health Cash Plan.
• Fantastic development opportunities to learn and progress.

Job summary

The Lawyer will act in accordance with directions given by Legal Directors, Heads of Legal and Principal Lawyers, under the overall supervision of the ICO’s General Counsel. They will support with legal research and providing advice as to the appropriate legal position in criminal investigations, including working closely with the investigators on cases. They will take appropriate cases forward to prosecution, conducting all required litigation steps, including instructing and liaising with counsel. The Lawyer will also be required to have conduct of civil litigation cases in the information rights tribunal and civil courts, as and when needed. Post holders will work with their legal colleagues to ensure that learning and development across the ICO Legal Service is shared and developed collectively.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide high quality, timely and risk based legal advice on queries received across the ICO.
• Effectively manage a caseload of ongoing legal issues/cases/queries and ensure that matters are dealt with in line with ICO standards, policy and regulatory priorities.
• Ensure the ICO is professionally represented externally at key meetings, and events (both nationally and internationally), court/tribunals hearings (where appropriate) and at public speaking engagements.
• Add value to the wider operation of the ICO by participating in projects and providing advice on the creation of various policies and procedures.
• Contribute to the development of colleagues in the ICO by preparing or delivering in-house training as required.
• Oversee the legal aspects of the workflow of support staff and ensure that such work is performed to the required standards.
• Provide robust legal advice and support on criminal investigations and prosecutions, working closely with investigators and other stakeholders.
• Undertake civil litigation work, including information rights tribunal and civil court proceedings, as needed.
• Assist with policy work and contribute to the continuous improvement of legal processes within the ICO.
• Mentor and support more junior colleagues, sharing expertise and best practice.

Person specification

Essential criteria assessed at application stage:

• Applicants must be qualified to practise as a Solicitor, Barrister or Chartered Legal Executive (with litigation rights) in England and Wales.
• Current practising certificate (or entitlement to obtain one) from the Law Society or Bar Council or CILEX.
• Experience of running criminal litigation cases.
• Experience of civil litigation, or the ability to quickly develop skills in this area.
• Experience of managing own workload effectively, particularly in a pressurised environment.

Essential criteria assessed during interview:

• Excellent legal analytical and research skills.
• Ability to interpret and apply complex legislation to particular situations and to engage in debate about these issues.
• Excellent written and verbal communication and presentation skills.
• Ability to draft complex legal documents.
• Understanding of the regulatory environment and the public sector generally including the democratic, political and organisational framework of a regulator.
• Ability to seek out, manage and influence opportunities for continuous improvement and change.
• Excellent organisational skills, ability to prioritise and delegate.

Equality, diversity, and inclusion

The ICO is committed to promoting and enhancing equality, diversity, and inclusion. We are focused on developing a workforce that is representative of the communities we serve and together we are building an inclusive workplace where all of our colleagues have the opportunity to make a real difference. We are championing this through our Equality Diversity and Inclusion Board together with a number of staff networks. Read more about our commitment on our website.

Candidates with a disability who meet the minimum criteria for this vacancy will be invited to interview as part of the ICO’s commitment to the Disability Confident Scheme. If you have a disability or impairment and require an alternative application method, please email the HR team at recruitment@ico.org.uk.

Closing Date

Please submit your CV and cover letter detailing your suitability to the role by 23:59 on Sunday 12th April 2026. We reserve the right to close this vacancy before this date should we receive sufficient applications. Please apply as soon as possible to ensure your application is considered.

Clearance Required for this role: Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS)