Senior legal counsel

Are you a qualified lawyer looking for a new challenge, stimulating work, and a chance to have a big impact?

Senior Legal Counsel – permanent

London Docklands
Salary up to £80,000

Our legal and jurisdiction team advises and supports the Financial Ombudsman Service across a broad range of legal areas. These include analysing and answering the myriad legal issues relevant to ombudsmen’s decisions, helping to build our approach to resolving disputes, and acting for the ombudsman if we are challenged through the courts.  

We are looking for an experienced solicitor or barrister qualified in England & Wales (or an equivalent jurisdiction) to join us as senior legal counsel. You will work with the team to provide advice to our organisation on all legal and jurisdiction matters and help us build our legal knowledge across the ombudsman service.   

The legal issues that we need to negotiate are complex and can be novel because our organisation often finds itself at the cutting-edge of financial services law.  Our jurisdiction has expanded over the last few years, which means that we deal with disputes of ever greater legal intricacy, value and systemic importance.  You will have the intellectual ability and breadth of legal knowledge to provide sound and clear answers to all manner of difficult legal questions.

As senior legal counsel, you will advise on the most complex and sensitive 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 researching and inquiring into the relevant law, whether it be common law or statute. When required you will take a lead on specific areas and legal projects. You will need the judgement and confidence to deliver advice that impacts many people.

We are a team and we operate as one. This means collaborating and sharing our knowledge and insights.  We support less experienced members of the team in developing and learning and we work together to train others outside the team.  You will be a vital member of this team and will participate in these activities to the full. You will need to have great interpersonal skills and to give a good account of yourself when making presentations.

To be considered for the role, you must meet the following criteria:
  • Solicitor or barrister qualified in England and Wales 
  • Recent experience in the regulatory, commercial or public sectors or in private practice 
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills 
  • Strong technical skills and experience  in one or more of the following areas:  Public law, financial services law and regulation, litigation and employment law. 
If you are interested in this role and you’d like to find out more then take a look at the job profile.  

And if you think you’d make a great addition to our legal team, apply now, attaching your CV and a letter telling us:           
  • what attracts you to this job and the ombudsman service 
  • why your skills and experience make you the right person for the job
The closing date for the role is 11.59pm on 28th February 

What to expect

Successful candidates will enjoy the opportunity to develop their careers in a diverse organisation which offers a generous pension, private healthcare and wellness initiatives. It also includes access to an extensive range of flexible benefits including dental and travel insurance.    

Who we are…   

With fairness at the heart of everything we do, we embrace difference and treat everyone as equals. We’re a diverse organisation, but something we all share is our values. They’re central to the way we work – and work together.  

We’re an independent, not-for-profit organisation that sorts out disputes between financial businesses and their customers. We do this by making decisions that are fair – and feel fair to both sides.  

The Financial Ombudsman Service is an equal opportunities employer. All applicants will be treated in a fair and equal manner and in accordance with the law, regardless of gender, marital status, race, religion, colour, age, disability or sexual orientation.  

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 are proud to be a Disability Confident employer. Disabled applicants who fulfil the minimum criteria for the role will be progressed to the next stage of the interview process. Do let us know of any reasonable adjustments you need. You will need to demonstrate that you meet the minimum criteria in your supporting statement and CV in order to qualify for the Disability Confidence scheme.  

For further information about how we support employees with disabilities and long term health conditions do have a look at our most recent diversity and inclusion report here.
Vacancy Description
Are you a qualified lawyer looking for a new challenge, stimulating work, and a chance to have a big impact?
 
Senior Legal Counsel – permanent

London Docklands
Salary up to £80,000

Our legal and jurisdiction team advises and supports the Financial Ombudsman Service across a broad range of legal areas. These include analysing and answering the myriad legal issues relevant to ombudsmen’s decisions, helping to build our approach to resolving disputes, and acting for the ombudsman if we are challenged through the courts.  

We are looking for an experienced solicitor or barrister qualified in England & Wales (or an equivalent jurisdiction) to join us as senior legal counsel. You will work with the team to provide advice to our organisation on all legal and jurisdiction matters and help us build our legal knowledge across the ombudsman service.   

The legal issues that we need to negotiate are complex and can be novel because our organisation often finds itself at the cutting-edge of financial services law.  Our jurisdiction has expanded over the last few years, which means that we deal with disputes of ever greater legal intricacy, value and systemic importance.  You will have the intellectual ability and breadth of legal knowledge to provide sound and clear answers to all manner of difficult legal questions.

As senior legal counsel, you will advise on the most complex and sensitive 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 researching and inquiring into the relevant law, whether it be common law or statute. When required you will take a lead on specific areas and legal projects. You will need the judgement and confidence to deliver advice that impacts many people.

We are a team and we operate as one. This means collaborating and sharing our knowledge and insights.  We support less experienced members of the team in developing and learning and we work together to train others outside the team.  You will be a vital member of this team and will participate in these activities to the full. You will need to have great interpersonal skills and to give a good account of yourself when making presentations.

To be considered for the role, you must meet the following criteria:
  • Solicitor or barrister qualified in England and Wales 
  • Recent experience in the regulatory, commercial or public sectors or in private practice 
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills 
  • Strong technical skills and experience  in one or more of the following areas:  Public law, financial services law and regulation, litigation and employment law. 
If you are interested in this role and you’d like to find out more then take a look at the job profile.  

And if you think you’d make a great addition to our legal team, apply now, attaching your CV and a letter telling us:           
  • what attracts you to this job and the ombudsman service 
  • why your skills and experience make you the right person for the job
The closing date for the role is 11.59pm on 28th February 

What to expect

Successful candidates will enjoy the opportunity to develop their careers in a diverse organisation which offers a generous pension, private healthcare and wellness initiatives. It also includes access to an extensive range of flexible benefits including dental and travel insurance.    

Who we are…   

With fairness at the heart of everything we do, we embrace difference and treat everyone as equals. We’re a diverse organisation, but something we all share is our values. They’re central to the way we work – and work together.  

We’re an independent, not-for-profit organisation that sorts out disputes between financial businesses and their customers. We do this by making decisions that are fair – and feel fair to both sides.  

The Financial Ombudsman Service is an equal opportunities employer. All applicants will be treated in a fair and equal manner and in accordance with the law, regardless of gender, marital status, race, religion, colour, age, disability or sexual orientation.  

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 are proud to be a Disability Confident employer. Disabled applicants who fulfil the minimum criteria for the role will be progressed to the next stage of the interview process. Do let us know of any reasonable adjustments you need. You will need to demonstrate that you meet the minimum criteria in your supporting statement and CV in order to qualify for the Disability Confidence scheme.  

For further information about how we support employees with disabilities and long term health conditions do have a look at our most recent diversity and inclusion report here.