Legal Counsel - Contracts and Compliance

Join Our Legal Office. The Legal Office is the in-house provider of legal services to the national policy-making and governance institutions of the Church of England (the National Church Institutions, “NCIs”), which are some of the largest charities in the UK (including statutory corporations and a Royal Charter corporation). The largest NCIs include the Archbishops’ Council, a national policy and strategic decision-making body, the Church Commissioners (a substantial endowment fund with assets valued at £11.1bn in 2024 positioned at the forefront of Responsible Investment and supporting the mission of the Church), and the Church of England Pensions Board (stewarding a £3.4bn fund). The Legal Office also advises the General Synod, which is a legislative assembly that makes primary and secondary legislation subject to parliamentary approval.

We are a small, inclusive team comprising 17 legally qualified staff, with three paralegals and two support staff. Our professional backgrounds are diverse, with members coming from private practice in law firms, the Bar, government, and regulators. Our work is values-led and focuses on diverse and intellectually stimulating points of law at the intersection of public and private law. The work is high quality, groundbreaking, engaging, and rewarding. We are a collegiate and supportive team, and we are proud of the work we do.

As a member of the Legal Office Advisory Team, you will provide legal services to the National Institutions of the Church of England, focusing on giving legal advice across a diverse range of subjects that bear on the operations of the Church Commissioners and other parts of the national Church of England. You will join us at an exciting time for the organisation and the role will offer genuine career growth and development in a supportive environment, including interaction with senior stakeholders. You will be able to take a leading and meaningful role in existing and new projects. You will also be a member of the Legal Office’s advisory team, undertaking a wider range of duties as a legal adviser within the National Church Institutions.

This Role Will Include:

• Working with senior counsel and other stakeholders in relation to drafting and reviewing contracts (including grant agreements), and supporting effective legal compliance and due diligence.
• Providing timely, legally sound and pragmatic subject matter expertise into national projects including contractual risk reviews, drafting and amending terms, and negotiating terms with counterparties (both standard and bespoke).
• Supporting the development and roll out of training and knowledge management in connection with contracts and other areas of professional practice.
• Provision of advice to the Church Commissioners, the Archbishops’ Council, the Church of England Pensions Board, their boards, committees and staff on legal and procedural issues arising out of their work. Some of these activities are legislative or regulatory in nature.

This role requires hybrid working with some regular weekly travel to London.

The Church of England is for everyone and we want to reflect the diversity of the community the Church serves across the country. While we welcome all applications from interested and suitably experienced people, we particularly welcome applicants from UK Minoritised Ethnicities (UKME)/Global Majority Heritage (GMH) and other under-represented groups. As a Disability Confident employer, we are committed to recruiting disabled people and offer interviews to disabled people who meet the minimum criteria for the role.

Key Role Requirements:

• Qualified barrister or solicitor (England & Wales)
• Strong experience in contracts, commercial, or advisory work
• Excellent communication and drafting skills
• Ability to provide clear, pragmatic advice on complex issues

What We Offer:

• A salary of circa £73,000 per annum, plus age-related pension contributions between 8-15% of salary. We will also match any pension contributions you make up to an additional 3% of your salary.
• 25 days annual leave (increasing to 30 days within 5 years) plus eight bank holidays and three additional days (pro-rated if working part-time).
• Flexible working arrangements considered on a case-by-case basis to support work-life balance.
• Family Friendly Programme including enhanced maternity, adoption, paternity, and shared parental leave; structured induction and development opportunities, including apprenticeships.
• Medicash health plan with dental, optical, specialist consultations, and therapy treatments, plus virtual GP and private prescription access.
• Occupational Health and Employee Assistance Programme.
• Access to Department of Education Restaurant and Westminster Abbey with a plus-one guest.
• Eyecare voucher eligibility.
• Opportunity to join Civil Service Sports & Social Club and staff networks and groups.

The National Church Institutions comprises a wide variety of teams, professions and functions that support the mission and ministries of the Church of England. We Include. You Belong. Our Belonging and Inclusion Strategy aims for everyone in the NCIs to feel they belong and are valued for who they are and what they contribute. Living out our values in all that we do, we strive for Excellence, show Compassion, respect others, collaborate, and act with integrity. We welcome applications from people of all faiths and of no faith, and from a diverse group of people who share our values. You must have the right to work in the UK to be considered for the role.