Principal Legal Adviser

Our vision is for safe and effective nursing and midwifery practice across the four countries of the UK – regulated and supported by the NMC – a fit for the future organisation, with fairness and equity at the heart of everything we do. Our role is to protect the public and maintain confidence in the nursing and midwifery professions. As the largest independent regulator in Europe of more than 860,000 nursing and midwifery professionals, we have a crucial role in making this a reality.

We do this by setting and promoting high education and professional standards for all future and registered nurses and midwives in the UK and nursing associates in England. We also ensure every nurse, midwife and nursing associate on our Register meets clear standards of conduct and practice which protects the public and the reputation of our professions. We have a duty to investigate concerns and to take steps to protect the public in the relatively rare instances where we need to limit or restrict a nurse, midwife or nursing associate’s right to practise.

We are building a new NMC with integrity, fairness, respect, equity and effectiveness at its core. We are determined to improve and modernise our culture and ways of working. This will ensure that the public and professionals feel confident in our work.

About the team: At the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), our General Counsel team plays a vital role in supporting the organisation to protect the public and uphold confidence in the professions we regulate. We provide expert legal advice across a broad and complex portfolio, helping the NMC meet its responsibilities as a regulator, public body and registered charity. We are a collaborative, supportive and reflective team that values openness, inclusion and continuous learning. We work closely together to deliver high-quality, timely advice — often in fast-moving and high-profile situations — and we actively share knowledge and expertise to strengthen our collective impact.

Your role and impact: We are looking for a talented and experienced lawyer to join us as a Principal Legal Adviser on a 12 month maternity cover contract. As a senior member of the General Counsel team, you will provide high-quality legal advice and strategic support across a wide range of issues, helping the NMC navigate complex legal risks and deliver on its regulatory objectives. Your work will span areas such as complex regulatory matters, litigation and external challenge, public inquiries, policy and guidance development, governance, complaints and information requests, contracts and public procurement, and audit and finance. You will work closely with colleagues and external stakeholders to identify practical solutions, support decision-making and drive improvements.

You will bring expertise across areas including regulatory and public law, equality and human rights, information law, contract and procurement, and civil law — and we will support you to develop in new areas where needed. A key part of the role will be translating complex legal issues into clear, practical advice for a wide range of audiences, and contributing to training and capability building across the organisation. As a senior leader, you will manage and support colleagues within the team, provide peer support to fellow Principal Legal Advisers, and act as a role model for high standards, collaboration and inclusive behaviours.

What you’ll bring:

• Current UK practising certificate, with the ability to conduct litigation in England & Wales
• Substantial post-qualification experience as a solicitor or barrister, including leadership or management experience.
• Experience advising on regulatory and/or public law matters, ideally within a complex or high-profile environment.
• A collaborative approach and experience working with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders.
• A strong commitment to learning and development — both your own and that of others — and to sharing knowledge.
• A clear commitment to living and promoting organisational values, including equality, diversity and inclusion.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to explain complex legal issues clearly and build confidence with senior stakeholders.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities effectively under pressure.

30 days annual leave, Enhanced Pension Contributions via our attractive Pension Scheme – with a basic 8% employer contribution as standard which increases up to 14% with optional added Employee Contributions, Life Insurance – 4 x current salary, Enhanced Maternity and Paternity Leave, 24 Hours Employee Assistance Programme, Cycle to Work Scheme, Subsidised restaurant in our Portland Place office, Season ticket loans.

Additional Information: The role you are applying for is a flexible role, and whilst you will be posted initially to a team, this may require movement between teams as the flow of work dictates. You will of course understand that this flexible approach enables us to provide the best possible service to our registrants and reach the outcomes to our cases quickly and within a reasonable timeframe. This will not change your terms and conditions and will be discussed with you prior to you taking up the post.

Salary Details: Hybrid Working Policy - We are currently working to a policy of office attendance for two days per week with the rest of the time working from home. Before submitting your application, please ensure you are able to commit to working in one of our office locations twice per week. If you are applying for a part-time role, please pro-rata office attendance based on the number of days you would be working.

Our Pay Policy: It is expected that staff new to the NMC will ordinarily be appointed to the bottom of the relevant pay band. However in exceptional circumstances, it may be possible to offer a salary above the bottom of the relevant pay band but we may request proof of current earnings. Please note that we offer an annual review of salaries and adopt a generous progressive pay approach. Further details of which are available on request.

For our internal colleagues, you will be paid in accordance to our internal pay policy.

Reasonable adjustments: We will provide reasonable adjustments to support disabled candidates throughout the recruitment process. Please let us know if you need any additional support to enable you to make an application with us.

Screening and vetting: All of our roles are subject to pre-employment checks. We are in the process of introducing a vetting policy, and it is possible that this role may become subject to DBS and further vetting checks in future.