Legal Adviser to the Parole Board & Director of Legal and Policy in City of Westminster

The national salary range is £69,520 - £82,477, London salary range is £71,317 - £87,173. Your salary will be dependent on your base location. Full Time, Flexible Working.

Job Purpose: To provide legal advice and policy support to the Parole Board.

Scope of Responsibilities:

• To provide legal advice to the Parole Board including to the Chair, Vice‑Chair, CEO, senior leadership and PB members.
• To attend Management Committee, Senior Leadership Group, Standards Committee and other committees or working groups as necessary.
• To lead the development of policy, guidance and legislation.
• To contribute to the delivery of training for staff, members and stakeholders.
• To oversee the Board’s research work.
• To oversee and direct all litigation to which the Board is a party.
• To be responsible for complex and high‑profile legal challenges in the higher courts.
• To direct and oversee the work of the Legal and Policy Function.
• To be responsible for the Legal and Policy Function’s budget.
• To lead the Legal & Practice team in dealing with legal queries.
• To support specialist workstreams within the Board, including reconsideration, set aside, public hearings, non‑disclosure, TACT cases and CLOSED proceedings.
• To represent the Board to internal and external stakeholders, including senior officials, senior judiciary and on occasion with Ministers.
• To sit on external working groups from time to time.
• Other responsibilities as assigned by management from time to time.

Primary Deliverables:

• Legal advice
• Policy and guidance
• Legislation
• Conduct of litigation
• Budget management

Person Specification:

• Qualified to provide professional legal services (solicitor, barrister).
• Deep experience of public law and litigation.
• Deep experience of policy and legislative development.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including being adept at relaying complex information in a simple, digestible format.
• Ability to interact confidently with internal and external stakeholders, including senior officials, Ministers and members of the judiciary.
• Ability to combine both a strategic outlook with forensic attention to detail.
• Experience of budget management.
• Experience of managing teams.
• Experience in using Microsoft programmes.
• Experience in civil litigation.
• Experience in criminal litigation.
• Experience in prison law.
• Security clearance to DV level or willingness to undergo screening to obtain it.

About the Parole Board:

The Parole Board is an independent court‑like body that carries out risk assessments on prisoners to determine whether they can be safely released into the community. Public safety is our number one priority. All decisions are focused on whether a prisoner would represent a significant risk to the public after release. The Board has about 230 secretariat staff and approximately 380 Members who hold hearings at prisons across the country. The Parole Board is an executive non‑departmental public body, sponsored by the Ministry of Justice. Staff who work for the Parole Board Secretariat are Public Servants and not Civil Servants.

About the Role:

This is an exciting role on the Senior Leadership Team of the Parole Board. You will be the principal legal advisor, providing legal advice and support to Parole Board members, the Chair, Vice‑Chair, CEO, the senior leadership team and across the Parole Board secretariat. You will also lead and manage the legal and policy team, develop policy, guidance and practice advice for the membership, and coordinate the Board’s research functions. Attendance at senior management meetings and participation in the Board’s Senior Leadership Team are part of the role. You will work collaboratively with and represent the Board to external stakeholders.

Behaviours:

• Making Effective Decisions
• Leadership
• Changing and Improving
• Communicating and Influencing

Security:

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed, which is to be security cleared to SC level. Candidates must be willing to undergo screening to Developed Vetting (DV) level.

Accessibility:

The Parole Board is a disability‑confident recruiter. Accessibility requests will be carefully considered and, where reasonable, actioned.

Office Requirements:

This role is hybrid. You will be required to spend a minimum of 20% of your time in person contact. Attendance in court to represent the Parole Board and Ministry of Justice for CLOSED sessions and other duties may also be required.

Benefits:

• Annual leave is 25 days on appointment and increases to 30 days after five years of service.
• A scheme to allow qualifying staff to buy or sell up to three days leave each year is available, along with additional paid time off for public holidays and a privilege day.
• Leave for part‑time and job‑share posts will be calculated on a pro‑rata basis.
• The Civil Service offers a choice of pension schemes.
• The Parole Board is committed to staff development and offers an extensive range of training and development opportunities.
• Employee‑run networks are available, including networks for minority ethnic origin, disabilities, caring responsibilities, women, and LGBTQ+ staff, to provide advice and support.
• Family‑friendly policies including reduced hours or job share, voluntary benefits, retail vouchers, and discounts are available.
• Paid paternity, adoption, and maternity leave are provided.
• Free annual sight tests for employees who use computer screens are available.

Eligibility for Veterans:

The Civil Service offers a guaranteed interview scheme for eligible former members of the Armed Forces. For eligibility details, visit the Civil Service website.

Redeployment Interview Scheme:

Employers are expected to explore redeployment opportunities before making an individual redundant. The scheme provides opportunities for those at risk of redundancy.

Civil Service Nationality Rules:

UK nationals, Nationals of the Republic of Ireland, Nationals of Commonwealth countries with the right to work in the UK, Nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members with settled or pre‑settled status under the 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.

Reserve List:

A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months for the same or similar roles.