Legal Adviser or Policy Adviser

The Independent Football Regulator (IFR) has been established to protect and promote the sustainability of English football, for the benefit of fans and the local communities football clubs serve. The IFR will help improve financial sustainability of clubs, ensure resilience across the leagues, and safeguard the heritage of English football. It will set corporate governance standards and monitor, protect, and promote financial resilience. The IFR will also enforce compliance with requirements on financial regulation, club ownership and directors, fan engagement, and heritage protection. Additionally, the IFR will have powers to prohibit clubs from joining competitions that are not fair or meritocratic, or that threaten the heritage or sustainability of English football.

The IFR’s legal team plays a core role in advising and supporting all areas of our functions. This work will include advising on the IFR’s powers and obligations, current and future consultation exercises, the legal risks attaching to different regulatory strategies and approaches, regulatory investigations and enforcement, litigation and appeals, the IFR’s decision-making obligations, corporate governance and wider public law issues.

The IFR is looking to add an additional lawyer with significant corporate law experience to complement the existing expertise within the IFR’s legal function, which currently comprises 8 lawyers with a range of public, regulatory, commercial and litigation skills/backgrounds. The role will be based in our Manchester office.

Post qualification experience advising on corporate law matters including the following:

• Have a track record of picking up new and complex areas of legal work quickly and providing context-appropriate corporate advice in high-profile and fast-moving situations.
• The ability to effectively manage legal risk, providing sound legal direction, leadership and oversight to ensure quality outcomes.
• Creative thinking and excellent judgement to deliver authoritative and credible legal advice, at pace, to facilitate practical solutions.
• Experience in public law (ideally working for a regulator) and/or insolvency law.

Academic and Professional Qualifications:

Where an applicant holds an overseas degree qualification this should be equivalent to a 2:2 degree. We will consider applicants who do not have a 2:2 degree but only where satisfactory evidence of equivalent high level academic and/or professional achievement can be provided (e.g. via relevant experience and results achieved for the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL)/CPE, Legal Practice Course (LPC), Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC)). Applicants must be qualified to practise as a Solicitor, Barrister or Chartered Legal Executive in England and Wales; however, we also accept applications from overseas qualified candidates. You must have completed a training contract/pupillage/qualifying employment or have been exempted from this by the Solicitors Regulation Authority and the Bar Standards Board or CILEx.

Professional entry criteria for Chartered Legal Executives (i.e. Chartered Legal Executives are eligible to apply where (i) a Qualifying Law Degree (QLD) is held; or (ii) the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL)/CPE has been completed; or (iii) where exams have been passed (i.e. a score of 50% or above achieved), at CILEx Level 6*, in all of the following seven foundation subjects in law: Contract Law; Criminal Law; Equity and Trusts Law; European Union Law; Land Law; Public Law; Law of Tort.

*Note: There are specific requirements relating to academic achievement in the CILEx Level 6 exams where these are being used to demonstrate 2:2 degree equivalence. Chartered Legal Executives should note that we will be willing to accept an overall average score of 65% or above across exams passed in the seven foundation subjects in law (where studied at CILEx Level 6) as demonstrating 2.2 degree equivalence, where a 2.2 degree is not held.

This will be hosted by members of the IFR legal team and will take place on: The invites will be sent the night before the session. If you are an existing Civil Servant or a DCMS employee you will no longer have access to Civil Service benefits including the Civil Service pension.

Pension: 12% An employee contribution of 5%, with an employer contribution of 7%. Flexible Benefit 8% Employees can choose to invest 8% of their base salary into their pension, or take as cash (post tax). Reward: we will have a performance-based reward programme. 31.5 days annual leave. Flexible and hybrid working, 40% in office attendance. Occupational sick pay. 9 months paid Maternity Leave + generous paternity and adoption leave. A bespoke L&D programme to help you achieve your personal CPD, including paid membership fees. Cycle-to-work scheme and much more!

A Statement of Suitability (a maximum of 500 words) explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role in reference to the essential requirements highlighted and explain how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience evidence your suitability. Your first round interview will take place online and your second round interview will take place in person at the IFR’s Manchester Office. Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check and complete baseline personnel security standard checks.

Diversity and Inclusion: The IFR is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found.