Legal Counsel

time left to apply End Date: January 17, 2025 (5 days left to apply)
job requisition id JR-02085
Legal Counsel Are you a qualified lawyer with data protection expertise , looking for new challenge, stimulating work, and a chance to have a big impact? Contract: 12 months FTC Working hours: 35 hours per week is full time.
Where possible, we are open to considering part time/flexible working patterns.
Please let us know in your application your desired working pattern. Salary: From £74,000 Reporting to: Head of Legal Practice Our permanent hybrid policy sees us all working at least four days across a fortnight in the office. Our legal team advises and supports the Financial Ombudsman Service across a broad range of legal areas.
We advise on legal issues relevant to Ombudsmen's decisions and to our broader work, help to build our approach to resolving disputes, and act for the Financial Ombudsman Service if we are challenged through the courts.
We also provide extensive support to colleagues working in data protection, transformation projects, contracts and procurement.
You will need the breadth of legal knowledge to provide sound and clear answers to all manner of difficult legal questions.
For this role, it is essential that you have previous experience advising on data protection law.
You should have a strong grasp of the legal framework in the UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018.
We are looking for someone who will be able to advise on the introduction of new and innovative technologies, assessment of controller/processor status, negotiating and drafting contractual data protection terms, international data transfers, assisting with DPIAs, personal data breaches and liaising with the ICO.
Experience in advising on the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is desirable, although appropriate supervision and support will be provided to develop your FOIA knowledge if the area is new to you.
Our information law work covers both data protection and FOIA – so you will be advising colleagues about responding to FOIA requests, applying relevant exemptions, and assisting with draft responses.
The Financial Ombudsman Service is often at the cutting-edge of financial services law.
As such, the legal issues we face are complex and can be novel.
Our jurisdiction has expanded over the last few years, which means that we deal with a wider range of disputes and legal issues.
As Legal Counsel, in addition to the information law work you will be doing - you may also be asked to advise on the broad range of issues we receive in the team.
You will be familiar with some of the law we apply, but where relevant law is unfamiliar you will be able to develop and extend your expertise by legal research.
You will need the judgement and confidence to deliver advice that impacts many people.
Key responsibilities Taking personal responsibility for delivering on your team's objectives in line with our values – and working collectively to contribute to the commitments we've made as an organisation, helping our service to remain relevant and accessible.Planning with flexibility in a busy team where priorities can and will change – to efficiently provide accurate trusted advice to sort out legal matters quickly and fairly – anticipating and mitigating against risks and issues, caring about the resources you use.Meeting, and consulting, with internal clients – building relationships to help you fully understand their needs and advise on our recommended approach on legal mattersInstructing external barristers if required, keeping senior leaders informed as appropriate.Leading on a wide range of legal and jurisdiction queries and helping paralegals get to the root cause of problems, research and interpret relevant legislation and challenge any barriers – for example by mentoring when required.Interpreting legal principles and explaining legal and jurisdiction matters in a straightforward, friendly and human way so that everyone understands and can move forward.Keeping your legal knowledge up to date to enable you to make recommendations, and critically, knowing when you need to escalate issues to others for help and guidance.Checking, and sometimes drafting, correspondence, such as pre-action responses.Developing and delivering appropriate training, passing on learning from legal and jurisdiction matters to continually strengthen our knowledge, skills and capability and meet our obligations under the law.Noticing and sharing insight and themes from the work you do with the head of legal practice and general counsel – to keep them up to date and identify priorities.Helping to improve the legal service you provide to internal clients by identifying and implementing practical and cost-effective improvements.Delivering a fair and efficient service that reflects the diversity of our customers and our people.To be considered for this role, you'll need to show us that you've got the skills and capabilities.
You'll have to meet the following minimum criteria: Be a solicitor or barrister qualified in England and Wales.Recent experience in the regulatory, commercial, or public sector or in private practice.Excellent written and oral communication skills.Strong technical skills and experience in data protection law.We would also like you to have the following skills:
Proactive problem-solving skills, identifying solutions supported by the law with an eye to wider implications for clients.Strong prioritisation skills and ability to be flexible.Ability to build good relationships with internal clients to help you fully understand their needs and advise on our recommended approach on legal matters.Experienced in mentoring, providing training and coaching.A good match on an individual level to our organisational values.Experience advising on the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA)Skills and experience advising on contract law, litigation, public law, financial services law and regulation or employment law.Why Financial Ombudsman Service? We are a values led organisation.
Our values define our culture, influence our decisions, and underpin our vision and strategy.
They set out how we play our PART through Purpose, Ambition, Respect and Trust.
You can learn more about our values here: https://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/who-we-are/aims-values
We also offer an attractive, competitive salary and flexible benefits to suit our people.
Here's a list of some of the many benefits and perks you can get for working with us:
25 days holiday entitlement, with the option to buy extra or sell daysVarious Family Friendly Policies, including enhanced maternity pay, carers and dependants leaveEmployer provided benefits such as Private medical insurance, virtual GP, Critical illness cover, Life assurance cover, to name a fewChoice of voluntary benefits including Technology scheme, Cycle to work scheme, Will-writing service amongst othersEmployee Assistance ProgrammeExtensive opportunities for personal and career developmentNationwide gym membership discounts, and a fully equipped on-site gym open 24/7 in LondonExtensive Well-being resources including on-site therapists (London office only)Beautiful and bright London office looking over the Thames and near to mainline stationsOur Coventry office is 2 minutes' walk from the main stationOur employee led networks (a couple of examples being our Women's Network, Carers network, and Neurodiverse Network) do fantastic work in educating and raising awareness across a range of experiences and support us in being an inclusive employer and a great place to work.
You can get involved, too!To apply, please upload a single document with a supporting statement (no more than 500 words) detailing how you meet the minimum criteria and current CVApplications need to be submitted by 23.59 on Thursday 16th January 2025 If you are an internal applicant, who has applied for this position within the last 6 months, please reach out to a member of the Talent Acquisition Team to discuss the application.
Successful candidates will be invited to a telephone interview with a member of the Talent Acquisition team
Due to high application numbers this advert may end earlier than the date specified, so please don't delay and apply now! A full job profile is available on request and will be provided to candidates shortlisted to the first stage of the assessment process.
We're proud to be an inclusive employer We view diversity as fundamental to our success and welcome applications from underrepresented groups across all communities.
We're committed to being a great place to work– attracting and developing people from the widest possible range of backgrounds.
We want everyone to perform at their best and feel able to be themselves.
We understand that if we're diverse and inclusive, we'll better understand different perspectives, which is fundamental to our job resolving financial complaints.
We welcome applications from Black and other ethnic minority candidates, and female candidates, for all positions and particularly so for senior leader positions as they are under-represented within the Financial Ombudsman Service at this level.
We are proud to be a Disability Confident Leader.
This means that we will put disabled candidates entering under the scheme through to the next stage of the recruitment process should they meet the minimum criteria for a role.
A minimum criterion needs to be measurable from reviewing a candidate's CV/supporting statement.
Exceptions may apply if due to the volume of applications we are not able to interview all eligible candidates who qualify under the scheme.
If you would like to speak to a member of our team about any reasonable adjustments you need, please email ****** and let us know your preferred method of contact. Find out more Check out below channels to find out more about everyday life at the Financial Ombudsman Service – and don't forget to follow us while you're there!
LinkedIn: Financial Ombudsman ServiceOur careers page: https://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/who-we-are/join-us
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