Principal Lawyer

Join us as a Principal Lawyer! Elevate your legal career with a dynamic and forward-thinking organisation. As a Principal Lawyer, you'll lead and shape legal strategies, influencing key decisions and making a lasting impact on the environment. If you're ready for a challenging yet rewarding role, apply now and be at the forefront of legal excellence.

The Office for Environmental Protection (the OEP) mission is to protect and recover the environment. Created by the Environment Act 2021, our role is to hold Government and public bodies to account. The OEP does this in several ways including: reporting on progress against environmental targets; advising on changes to environmental laws; and receiving complaints from the public which can lead to us taking enforcement action.

This role is based in the OEP’s General Counsel directorate. It is line managed by our Head of Environmental Law or our Head of Litigation and Casework, but the successful candidates would also work closely with our other Heads of legal function, including the Head of Legal Research and Analysis and the General Counsel. With a total staff of just over 90, we are a dynamic, friendly and flexible organisation covering both England, Northern Ireland, and environmental matters reserved to the UK government. We offer flexible working arrangements, high profile, dynamic work and the chance to have an impact on improving the state of the environment.

The legal team provides legal support to all aspects of the OEP’s work. We work in a flexible way, with lawyers acting across the full range of the OEP’s functions. Each of our lawyers can therefore expect opportunities to work on:

• Delivering legal advice, research and analysis in connection with the implementation of environmental laws
• Preparing advice to government on proposed changes to environmental law and other matters
• Producing reports for Parliament/the Assembly on the implementation of environmental law
• Supporting our complaints team to receive in and analyse allegations of public authority failures to comply with environmental law
• Undertaking investigations casework, where necessary, through to enforcement action via judicial review or our bespoke litigation process (environmental review)
• Supporting colleagues across the OEP’s other business activities, such as on corporate and governance issues.

The above list of job duties is not exclusive or exhaustive and the post holder will be required to undertake such tasks as may reasonably be expected within the scope and grading of the post.

Qualifications: Qualified to practice as a solicitor, barrister or chartered legal executive in England and Wales.

Benefits: Alongside your salary of £54,470, Office for Environmental Protection contributes £15,779 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.

Leave and Flexible Working: The OEP offers 25 days annual leave rising to 30 days over 5 years for all new entrants. Additional paid leave is available where necessary to cater for a variety of situations including, but not limited to, family-related leave, volunteering days, exam and study leave, public duties and trade union activities. In addition, we offer a generous enhanced maternity leave, parental leave and shared parental leave policy. The OEP is supportive of flexible working and has a flexible working policy to allow for variations in individuals working hours where this is compatible with business need.

Performance Management and In Year Bonus Scheme: The OEP is committed to promoting a high-performing culture for all employees. Performance and development management is key to developing trusting relationships between managers and employees so that they can be their best and thrive at work. Every individual will have a performance management plan which will be reviewed on a regular basis. The OEP has a quarterly ‘In-year Bonus Scheme’ where individuals and/or teams can be recognised for outstanding one-off contributions and achievements.

Staff Wellbeing: Staff wellbeing is extremely important and the OEP strives to provide access to numerous resources to aid the wellbeing of its employees. Current initiatives include:

• Access to the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) providing free and confidential 24/7 telephone advice and guidance to support employees with both personal and employment issues.
• Access to an Occupational Health Service to provide a range of support service to help with the way you feel at work.
• Access to trained Mental Health First Aiders and wider Defra Group mental health first aid network and resources.
• Free access to Headspace, a mindfulness, meditation and sleep app.
• Access to a Financial Wellbeing Portal.
• Free eye tests and a contribution to glasses/lenses if required for VDU use.

Location and Office Attendance: All OEP roles are based in Worcester and/or Northern Ireland. This role is based in Worcester only. All GB employees will be contractually based at the Worcester office. The OEP embraces a blended working model and supports a combination of office and home working which will be dependent on business need and individual circumstances. Our current office attendance approach requires 40% attendance in one of the OEP offices or on official OEP business at offsite meetings with partners and customers. This approach enables thriving workplaces to connect with colleagues, as required by their role and business team needs balanced with personal flexibility and choice.

If GB based, travel and subsistence will not be paid for travel to the Worcester office. Employees based in Northern Ireland will be contractually home based. There will be an expectation of travel to Worcester but this will be dependent on business need and individual circumstances. As a guideline, it’s envisaged that travel to Worcester would be between 4 and 6 times a year, fully funded by the OEP. However, travel will be a 2-way commitment, with other OEP staff members being expected to travel to NI at a similar frequency. Northern Ireland based staff currently have access to a touch down space in Belfast to enable collaborative working.

Criminal Record Check: In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service or Access NI on your behalf. However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

Contact point for applicants: Job contact Name: OEP Recruitment Email: recruitment@theoep.org.uk Recruitment team Email: recruitment@theoep.org.uk Apply before 11:55 pm on Monday 14th July 2025.