Ofgem’s legal function sits in the Office of the General Counsel (OGC). The position is for a Legal Adviser or a Senior Legal Adviser. The initial posting in this instance will be with Enforcement Legal.
These roles can be based in Glasgow or London.
The OGC is responsible for the provision of all legal advice and management of all legal risk required by OFGEM and its governing body the Gas and Electricity Markets Authority and for managing the organisation’s exposure to legal risk.
It is an exciting time to join Ofgem’s OGC with a number of significant policy and legal matters all under development at a time of increasing change in the energy sector.
The OGC supports Ofgem’s activities through hubs focused on the following areas:
- Consumer & Markets (Policy) Legal
- Enforcement Legal
- E-Serve Legal
- Networks Legal
- Systems Legal
Senior Legal Advisors / Legal Advisors will initially be posted to work in one or more hubs but can expect to work across a number of hubs over time. The work is interesting, intellectually challenging and varied. It will involve advising on a wide range of public law issues in a regulatory context. The role will be tailored according to the skills and experience of the successful candidate. It would be suited to a lawyer who is pragmatic and solutions driven, can manage competing demands and deliver at pace to provide advice to policy colleagues at all levels. The successful candidate will in their initial posting support the Legal Director /Deputy Legal Director responsible for the relevant hub to ensure the continued delivery of a first-class legal function.
Key Responsibilities:
- The successful candidate will own and lead on workstreams in their own right, working collaboratively, collegiately and delivering more widely as part of a team.
- They will ensure the delivery of strategic, solutions-focused, high-quality, timely and succinct legal advice, including identifying innovative solutions to support the delivery of the work of their hub(s), the OGC and wider Ofgem divisions where necessary.
- With the team, they will be responsible for managing key stakeholder relationships, including with industry, BEIS and the CMA.
- They will also ensure that the OGC achieves value-for-money outcomes in terms of any external spend – for example, in instructing Counsel.
- The successful candidate will work with the lawyers across the OGC to articulate and support the management and mitigation of legal risk.
- There may also be corporate, budget and other management functions from time to time.
Key Outputs and Deliverables:
- Provision or Legal Advice
Key Stakeholder Relationships:
- Internal
- Office of the General Counsel
- Policy teams
- Corporate Services
Candidate Requirements:
- Qualified to practice as a barrister or solicitor, in England and Wales or an advocate or solicitor in Scotland.
- We are interested in hearing from people at different stages in their career, whether recently qualified or with more experience.
- Experience in at least one of the following: public and administrative law; energy law and regulation; enforcement and consumer protection; competition law; litigation or complex project / procurement work.
- Senior Legal Advisers are expected to have a significant level of experience in one or more of these areas.
- You should be a strong team player, someone who is well-organised and can communicate well with others, offering insightful and tailored legal advice. Excellent legal and drafting skills are important and we’ll want you to assure of your ability to apply sound analysis and judgement in assessing and using evidence.
Skills:
- Strong team player with excellent proven communication skills to articulate and deliver legal advice.
- Demonstrate strong legal and drafting skills.
- Excellent legal professional skills, powers of analysis and sound legal judgement and expertise in assessing and using evidence.
- Project management and IT skills.
- A proven track record of working effectively in a multi-disciplinary team.
- Senior Legal Adviser will have demonstrably strong leadership and/or project management skills.
Desirable:
- Knowledge of, or a demonstrable interest in Regulation, Energy Law or another regulated sector (desirable but not essential as training and support will be provided in-post).
- Knowledge of one or more of: Information Law (FOIA & GDPR), Human Rights Law, Public Procurement Law.
On Offer:
On Offer is a highly competitive salary and benefits package.
To Apply:
For a confidential discussion about this position or to apply, please contact:
David Thomson, Director
Tel: 0131 450 7164
Email: david@thomsonlrc.com
