Job ref: 193572
TPR grade: Advisory Grade 6 - Principal
About us
More than half the UK working population rely on The Pensions Regulator (TPR) to regulate their retirement savings. With a career at TPR, you’ll be joining an organisation that will impact on millions of lives for decades to come.
Everyone at TPR plays an important role in helping to keep more than £2 trillion of savings safe. We’re committed to bringing people into TPR who are ready to make a difference and put UK savers at the heart of what we do.
It is important to us that TPR remains a great place to work. We do all we can to help our people reach their full potential with learning, secondment, and development opportunities. We put our 900+ employees first, supporting flexible working and offer a diverse, lively, and inclusive environment. This includes our Disability Network, Family Network, LGBT+ Network (Proud), Minority Ethnic (ME) Network and Women’s Network, which offer spaces to connect.
Our new corporate strategy outlines a bold and challenging vision of how pensions regulation should evolve to keep pace with a change in the scale and nature of the industry. We are at the start of that journey. Join us to find out what part you can play.
We operate a hybrid working model, with regular attendance in our Brighton office to connect with colleagues across the business.
Role
We’re looking for an experienced Litigation Lawyer with strong commercial litigation experience and a good understanding of regulatory litigation.
Working closely with the legal and frontline regulation teams you will provide advice and support on operational and policy matters to ensure probity, compliance with legislation and procedural rules, the appropriate management of risk, and to ensure cases are managed proportionately in accordance with PACCT principles and as effectively as possible. You will also provide advice organisationally to key stakeholders across TPR at all levels, including the CEO.
Your advice will be high quality, consistent, timely, commercial and pragmatic and will cover legal issues as well as legal risk on a wide range of subjects, and in particular litigation related matters.
You will direct and support complex, large and high profile/high risk commercial negotiations and be able to represent and support TPR both internally and externally in a number of fora and proceedings.
You will play an important role in the legal services team, contributing to the knowledge management system and providing TPR wide training on areas within your remit as appropriate.
Responsibilities
You will:
- provide high quality, timely, consistent and pragmatic legal advice to a range of different stakeholders
- identify and advise on client decisions that create unmanaged legal risk and/or legal risk beyond TPRs risk appetite statement
- provide advice on TPR’s statutory powers which facilitate the effective progression and management of cases, to meet statutory and policy objectives and organisational priorities
- contribute to the development of case strategies, including for high risk, high profile and complex cases, where the use of TPR’s statutory powers are being considered
- advise and support regulatory investigations, in conjunction with external experts, other legal advisers and suppliers, providing lead litigation support as necessary
- advise on effective analysis of voluminous and complex material and compliance with disclosure obligations
- prepare cases for submission to the regulator’s Determinations Panel, or brought in the High Court or Administrative Court and/or under appeal to higher courts such as the Upper Tribunal or Court of Appeal under applicable rules
- ensure regulatory notices, statements of case, associated materials and written submissions, whether drafted internally by you, the client, or by counsel are appropriate and effective
- attend and effectively support counsel in preparation and at Determinations Panel hearings and court/tribunal hearings
- have experience and be willing to conduct advocacy at hearings and other regulatory / civil and other relevant fora (subject to rights of audience)
- contribute to the internal legal knowledge management system and assist in the supporting, learning and development of colleagues and clients through formal or informal training as required
Essential and desirable criteria
- Extensive experience as a solicitor or barrister with a current practicing certificate in England and Wales.
- Comprehensive post qualification experience of providing consistent, clear, audience tailored, risk-based legal advice on a range of commercial and regulatory litigation matters, including high risk / high profile, complex cases, such as insolvency / restructuring, fraud, financial misconduct or other relevant context, as well as substantial technical knowledge of those areas and applicable legislation.
- Detailed and tactical working knowledge of investigative processes, procedure rules and associated court and hearing practices and procedures.
- Comprehensive and relevant experience of working with other regulatory, investigatory, and prosecuting bodies (such as the Financial Conduct Authority, HMRC and Insolvency Service) and of applying the Regulators Code and PACCT principles.
- Knowledge of pensions legislation, as well public law Equality Act 2010, Data Protection Act 1998, Human Rights Act 1998, Freedom of Information Act 2000.
- High awareness of current litigation precedents and developments, as well as strategic trends and issues.
- Demonstrable ability to understand and support the needs and aims of TPR, with ability to present the organisation’s views both internally and externally, including assisting fellow internal advisers and experts to present their outputs.
- Excellent advocacy, negotiation and persuasive skills with a proven ability to influence, both orally and in writing, with experience of leading meetings and negotiations and presenting internally and externally at all levels.
- Extensive experience of handling difficult situations and acting under pressure, including explaining the impact of unmanaged legal risk.
Person specification
- Proactive and flexible.
- Ability to prioritise, work to deadlines and use initiative.
- Problem solving and analytical skills.
- Negotiation and communication skills at all levels.
- Attention to detail and accuracy.
- Approachable and a team player.
Salary and benefits
As well as a salary between £80,513 and £91,695, we offer:
- Civil Service Pension arrangements, which are recognised as some of the best in the pensions world
- discretionary bonus arrangements
- access to performance related pay progression
- 25 days annual leave provision
- flexible working arrangements
- development opportunities
- enhanced parental leave arrangements
- a free employee assistance programme
- an excellent office location in Brighton
How to apply
To apply please email recruitmentteam@tpr.gov.uk quoting role reference number 193572 along with:
- a covering letter with details of how your skills and experience meet the role requirements
- a copy of your CV
- details of your notice period
Current employees in their first 12 months of employment who want to apply for this vacancy should first contact their line manager to discuss their application.
We are an inclusive employer and offer equal opportunities regardless of an individual’s age, disability, gender identity, marriage or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.
As a Disability Confident employer, we’re committed to the recruitment, employment, retention and development of people with disabilities and to improving their employment opportunities. Candidates who declare that they have a disability and who meet the essential criteria for the job will be offered an interview.
Applications will be considered on a part time and job share basis. If you want your application to be considered as part of a job share, please apply with the hours you are available to work.
In accordance with Home Office guidance, the successful candidate will be required to provide their right to work in the UK before they start employment. Unfortunately, TPR is not able to offer sponsorship at the time. TPR is a UK-based organisation with a working location in Brighton, candidates must live in the UK to be employed by us.
The Pensions Regulator is an arm’s length government body and part of the public service.
Any offer of employment will be subject to the receipt of satisfactory background screening checks and criminal record checks (BPSS).
If you have any queries about this role, or if you have a disability and wish to request a reasonable adjustment at any stage of the recruitment process, please email recruitmentteam@tpr.gov.uk.