Senior Legal Policy Manager (Consumer Policy) in Birmingham

Contract Type: Permanent

Working Pattern: Full time

Working Hours: 35 hours per week

Salary: £70,000 - £75,000 (Birmingham/Cardiff) and £77,000 - £82,500 (London) depending on knowledge, skills, experience

Location Options: Birmingham, Cardiff, London (hybrid work, part of the week in office)

Function Type: Legal

What's in it for you

• Leverage your policy expertise to lead and deliver significant policy projects focusing on consumer policy that contribute meaningfully to the legal sector by improving consumer outcomes.
• Independently engage with senior stakeholders, both internally and externally, to drive policy development.
• Apply your innovation and problem‑solving skills in an evolving sector.

The role

Reporting to the Deputy General Counsel, this senior role requires an individual capable of working independently and exercising sound judgment, to lead, advise on, and develop complex strategic policy projects. Drawing on your legal expertise, you will provide authoritative advice and play a key role in shaping the delivery of this strategic policy project. You will join a small team of the most senior legal policy advisers at the SRA operating at the forefront of our policy initiatives. The role involves delivering high‑quality regulatory and public law advice as well as leading complex policy projects for the Consumer Policy team. You will ensure policies are legally robust, proportionate, and forward‑looking, supporting improved consumer outcomes and informed decision‑making in the legal services market. Much of your focus will be on projects where we seek to improve the outcomes for consumers and ensure they can make informed decisions about the legal services they receive.

Key responsibilities

• Lead and develop major policy projects from inception through to implementation, ensuring delivery of on‑time, quality work.
• Work with policy colleagues on the strategic development and implementation of key policies.
• Engage effectively with internal and external stakeholders, confidently representing the SRA at various meetings and forums.
• Provide innovative solutions to complex legal problems.
• Manage external lawyers and counsel.
• Offer clear and precise legal drafting.
• Support the coaching and mentoring of legal advisers, promoting diversity and inclusion, and acting as a positive role model within the organisation.

What we are looking for

• A qualified solicitor, barrister, CILEX lawyer, registered European lawyer or an equivalent qualified lawyer with experience in consumer law, financial services, common law or other jurisdiction, with a current practising certificate.
• Proven and significant experience as a legal policy lawyer providing high‑quality advice in an equivalent regulatory and/or public law environment.
• Track record of leading and delivering solutions, taking accountability for the successful resolution of very complex issues.
• Highly analytical and intellectually agile, able to learn and manage complexity quickly; proven ability to synthesise research and data to inform policy development.
• Strong interpersonal skills combined with experience of establishing and maintaining effective relationships and working with a range of internal and external stakeholders, including those at senior levels.
• Proactive, open to challenge and able to make difficult decisions to progress projects to required timescales.

Useful additional information

This role can be based at our office in Birmingham, Cardiff or London. We operate a hybrid working model: 2 days a week in the office and the rest of the week from home. Flexibility for both full‑time hours (35 hours) and flexible working arrangements is available. We are happy to discuss scope for flexible working arrangements within the full‑time hours.

For further information or a confidential discussion, please contact recruitment@sra.org.uk.

To apply

Apply online via the SRA jobs portal, uploading a CV and a cover letter addressing how you meet the requirements. The cover letter should be no longer than 2 pages.

Closing date

Applications close on 9 February 2026 at 09:00. Interviews are anticipated to take place in person in either our Birmingham or London office.

About the SRA

The SRA is the independent regulator of solicitors and law firms in England and Wales, protecting consumers and supporting the rule of law and the administration of justice. We oversee education and training requirements for solicitors, license individuals and firms, set professional standards, and enforce compliance across the profession. We offer an inclusive, supportive and friendly working environment and the chance to develop your career within a professional organisation. We are committed to the health and wellbeing of staff, helping everyone to strike a good balance between personal and professional life. Additionally, we provide a generous flexible benefits package, an excellent defined contribution pension scheme and an additional 3% of annual basic salary upon successful completion of probation.

Equal Opportunities

We are an Equal Opportunities Employer. Diversity and inclusion are central to everything we do. We are actively committed to promoting and participating in good practice in the way we attract, recruit and retain staff. Everyone is encouraged to bring their whole self to work because we appreciate the value that a truly diverse workforce brings to an organisation. We celebrate difference, recognising the benefits this brings to our inclusive culture, including age, disability, gender identity and expression, religion, race, sex, sexual orientation and socio‑economic background.