Head of Legal (Fitness to Practise)

Job Title: Head of Legal (Fitness to Practise

Location

Hybrid/Sheffield - Predominantly Remote Working (occasional travel to Sheffield required)

Contract: Fixed-Term Contract - 18 months (Secondments Considered)

Salary: £73,000 - £75,500 per annum

Hours: Full-Time (flexible and compressed working arrangements considered)

Key Responsibilities

• Provide strategic direction and operational leadership for the Fitness to Practise Legal Team, overseeing day-to-day service delivery, work allocation, resource planning and budget management.
• Lead, manage and develop a multidisciplinary team comprising legal professionals, paralegals, the Fitness to Practise Advocacy Team and Professional Advisors.
• Oversee the delivery of the organisation's in-house advocacy service, including the preparation and presentation of interim order applications, interim order reviews and substantive order reviews before adjudication panels.
• Provide specialist legal advice and guidance across the wider Fitness to Practise function, supporting colleagues across triage, investigations and case preparation.
• Advise on complex and high-risk cases, including investigation planning, case progression, regulatory concerns, disclosure matters, interim orders and the application of relevant regulatory rules and procedures.
• Act as a senior decision-maker, providing final legal oversight and approval, where required, of case plans, statements of case, sanction bids and complex proposals for interim orders.
• Manage relationships with external legal providers, working alongside relevant colleagues to oversee the quality, performance and delivery of external legal services.
• Provide direct instructions and senior legal oversight to external legal representatives in relation to complex, high-profile and sensitive Fitness to Practise cases.
• Work collaboratively with senior stakeholders to support organisational projects, strategic initiatives and the continued development of the Fitness to Practise service.
• Review and contribute to the development of existing regulatory rules, procedures, policies and guidance, identifying opportunities for continuous improvement.

Candidate Requirements

• Qualified Lawyer, registered with the SRA or BSB (with a minimum of five years' post-qualification experience).
• Significant experience working within Fitness to Practise regulation, with a strong understanding of the end-to-end regulatory process.
• Experience of advocacy before a variety of tribunals, ideally including Fitness to Practise proceedings and interim order applications.
• Strong technical legal knowledge and experience relating to investigations, case preparation, rules of evidence, human rights, regulatory case law and tribunal procedures.
• Demonstrable experience managing and developing teams, ideally within a legal, regulatory or multidisciplinary environment.
• Strong operational management experience, with the ability to oversee workloads, allocate resources, manage competing priorities and maintain high standards of delivery.
• Excellent decision-making and risk management skills, with the ability to assess complex and sensitive matters and provide clear, pragmatic and legally robust advice.
• Experience managing external legal providers, including providing instructions and overseeing the quality and effectiveness of legal services.
• The ability to communicate complex legal matters clearly and effectively, providing advice and guidance to both legally and non-legally qualified stakeholders.