Job Description
Job description
Contents
• Location
• About the job
• Benefits
• Things you need to know
• Apply and further information
Location
Expected attendance is currently 1-2 office days a week - attendance at court and external meetings etc will be counted as office attendance
About The Job
Job summary
About The Role
The SIA is hiring a Principal Legal Advisor to lead its in-house legal team. This role involves providing high-quality legal advice to the Executive and Senior Leadership Team, influencing the organisation's strategic direction. The ideal candidate should have experience in public law, litigation, or regulatory matters and will manage a team while building relationships with key stakeholders. This is a chance to mentor staff, represent the SIA in external settings, and contribute to important decisions in public service.
We are currently seeking two candidates one for a permanent position and one for a fixed-term contract (FTC) role for a duration of 3 to 6 months.
Job descriptionWhat essential skills are we looking for?
Please find the job description attached, and a list of the essential criteria listed below.Person specification
Essential
• A qualified practising barrister or solicitor:
• Applicants must be qualified to practise as a Solicitor, Barrister or Chartered Legal Executive in England and Wales and must on appointment hold a valid Practising Certificate for England and Wales or have full exemption from the relevant professional regulatory body (either the Solicitors Regulation Authority or the Bar Standards Board). Barristers and Solicitors qualified in a jurisdiction outside of England and Wales will be subject to the rules of the professional bodies and must have completed the Bar Transfer Test or Qualified Lawyer Transfer Scheme.
• If you have qualified through CILEX you must hold a general qualification within the meaning of s71(3)(c) Courts and Legal Services Act 1++0. If CILEX applies to you and you are not sure of your eligibility, you can contact us in order to establish your eligibility for this role, which will be in line with other UK government legal roles of this nature.
• Experience of either:
• managing litigation or litigation staff, ideally in relation to criminal, regulatory and public law matters; or
• advising in relation to at least one of the following areas of law: employment law, commercial law, or information law, (such as data protection freedom of information, record management); corporate governance matters; regulatory policy matters.
• Able to provide expert, credible advice at the most senior levels of the organisation.
• Able to think creatively and give authoritative, risk-based, legal advice that facilitates practical solutions.
• Experience of successfully leading a team, with the ability to motivate, mentor and develop staff.
• Experience building positive internal client relationships and engaging early and frequently with internal stakeholders.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Highly developed knowledge, understanding and application of legal issues in the public sector.
• Experience of legal risk management.
• Experience of balancing commercial and operational considerations with public purpose.
Benefits
Alongside your salary of £66,000, Security Industry Authority contributes £1+,120 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
• A welcoming and innovative work environment.
• Continued support and development opportunities.
• Access to training for attainment of recognised qualifications.
• Flexible working arrangements.
• Annual leave entitlement will be 27.5 days, rising by one additional day for every two years of service up to a maximum of 32.5 days.
• A variety of discounts including Gymflex,
• Civil Service Pension Scheme Employee contribution between 4.60% and 7.35% and Employer contribution between 26.60% and 30.30%
Things you need to know
Selection process details
Selection Process For This Role
If you would like to apply for this role, please fill out the details on our ATS Profile builder. To help us assess your suitability for the role, we ask that you provide as much information as possible about your previous work experience and achievements. Please take a few minutes to fill out the career history section on our portal.
Additionally, we would like you to submit a cover letter (no more than 500 words) in the "Personal Summary" section of the portal. In this cover letter, please outline why you believe you would be an ideal candidate for this role. Please highlight your relevant skills, experience, and achievements that align with the essential job requirements.
• This vacancy is using SIA Competency Framework and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.
• Shortlisted candidates will be contacted for their availability on 17th December 2026
• Interviews will take place on 18th & 1+th December 2026.
• Interviews will be held Via Microsoft Teams.
• Please note - if you do not meet the essential work or qualification experience, you will be automatically rejected by the pre-screening questionnaire.
The SIA is committed to the principles of equality, diversity and inclusion. Our approach: do more than just our duty. We explain this in more detail in our equality, diversity and inclusion policy. We actively promote equality, take positive action to redress inequality and build a culture that champions diversity and inclusion. By doing this, we will ensure that we build equality, diversity and inclusion into the way we think and work. As an employer, the diversity of our employees enriches us and enables us to better carry out our role as a regulator. We value the skills and qualities each employee brings with them into the organisation. And we improve representation wherever we need to foster a culture of inclusion that our employees lead, own and champion.
If youd like to know anything before applying such as more on the location, salary, or our recruitment policies etc, please just let us know and well be happy to help. You can contact the recruiter for this role at (Recruitment@sia.gov.uk )
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.SecuritySuccessful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.MedicalSuccessful candidates will be expected to have a medical.Nationality requirements
This Job Is Broadly Open To The Following Groups
• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window) Working for the Civil ServiceThe Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.Diversity and InclusionThe Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).
Apply and further information
Once This Job Has Closed, The Job Advert Will No Longer Be Available. You May Want To Save a Copy For Your Records.Contact Point For ApplicantsJob Contact
• Name : Recruitment Team
• Email : recruitment@sia.gov.uk
Recruitment team
• Email : recruitment@sia.gov.uk
Further informationComplaints should be submitted to recruitment@sia.gov.uk . If, after investigation by the SIA, the complainant remains dissatisfied, they may bring their complaint to the Civil Service Commission.
Attachments Principal Legal Advisor - Job description - November 2026 Opens in new window (pdf, 147kB) Apply at advertiser's site
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Contents
• Location
• About the job
• Benefits
• Things you need to know
• Apply and further information
Location
Expected attendance is currently 1-2 office days a week - attendance at court and external meetings etc will be counted as office attendance
About The Job
Job summary
About The Role
The SIA is hiring a Principal Legal Advisor to lead its in-house legal team. This role involves providing high-quality legal advice to the Executive and Senior Leadership Team, influencing the organisation's strategic direction. The ideal candidate should have experience in public law, litigation, or regulatory matters and will manage a team while building relationships with key stakeholders. This is a chance to mentor staff, represent the SIA in external settings, and contribute to important decisions in public service.
We are currently seeking two candidates one for a permanent position and one for a fixed-term contract (FTC) role for a duration of 3 to 6 months.
Job descriptionWhat essential skills are we looking for?
Please find the job description attached, and a list of the essential criteria listed below.Person specification
Essential
• A qualified practising barrister or solicitor:
• Applicants must be qualified to practise as a Solicitor, Barrister or Chartered Legal Executive in England and Wales and must on appointment hold a valid Practising Certificate for England and Wales or have full exemption from the relevant professional regulatory body (either the Solicitors Regulation Authority or the Bar Standards Board). Barristers and Solicitors qualified in a jurisdiction outside of England and Wales will be subject to the rules of the professional bodies and must have completed the Bar Transfer Test or Qualified Lawyer Transfer Scheme.
• If you have qualified through CILEX you must hold a general qualification within the meaning of s71(3)(c) Courts and Legal Services Act 1++0. If CILEX applies to you and you are not sure of your eligibility, you can contact us in order to establish your eligibility for this role, which will be in line with other UK government legal roles of this nature.
• Experience of either:
• managing litigation or litigation staff, ideally in relation to criminal, regulatory and public law matters; or
• advising in relation to at least one of the following areas of law: employment law, commercial law, or information law, (such as data protection freedom of information, record management); corporate governance matters; regulatory policy matters.
• Able to provide expert, credible advice at the most senior levels of the organisation.
• Able to think creatively and give authoritative, risk-based, legal advice that facilitates practical solutions.
• Experience of successfully leading a team, with the ability to motivate, mentor and develop staff.
• Experience building positive internal client relationships and engaging early and frequently with internal stakeholders.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Highly developed knowledge, understanding and application of legal issues in the public sector.
• Experience of legal risk management.
• Experience of balancing commercial and operational considerations with public purpose.
Benefits
Alongside your salary of £66,000, Security Industry Authority contributes £1+,120 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
• A welcoming and innovative work environment.
• Continued support and development opportunities.
• Access to training for attainment of recognised qualifications.
• Flexible working arrangements.
• Annual leave entitlement will be 27.5 days, rising by one additional day for every two years of service up to a maximum of 32.5 days.
• A variety of discounts including Gymflex,
• Civil Service Pension Scheme Employee contribution between 4.60% and 7.35% and Employer contribution between 26.60% and 30.30%
Things you need to know
Selection process details
Selection Process For This Role
If you would like to apply for this role, please fill out the details on our ATS Profile builder. To help us assess your suitability for the role, we ask that you provide as much information as possible about your previous work experience and achievements. Please take a few minutes to fill out the career history section on our portal.
Additionally, we would like you to submit a cover letter (no more than 500 words) in the "Personal Summary" section of the portal. In this cover letter, please outline why you believe you would be an ideal candidate for this role. Please highlight your relevant skills, experience, and achievements that align with the essential job requirements.
• This vacancy is using SIA Competency Framework and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.
• Shortlisted candidates will be contacted for their availability on 17th December 2026
• Interviews will take place on 18th & 1+th December 2026.
• Interviews will be held Via Microsoft Teams.
• Please note - if you do not meet the essential work or qualification experience, you will be automatically rejected by the pre-screening questionnaire.
The SIA is committed to the principles of equality, diversity and inclusion. Our approach: do more than just our duty. We explain this in more detail in our equality, diversity and inclusion policy. We actively promote equality, take positive action to redress inequality and build a culture that champions diversity and inclusion. By doing this, we will ensure that we build equality, diversity and inclusion into the way we think and work. As an employer, the diversity of our employees enriches us and enables us to better carry out our role as a regulator. We value the skills and qualities each employee brings with them into the organisation. And we improve representation wherever we need to foster a culture of inclusion that our employees lead, own and champion.
If youd like to know anything before applying such as more on the location, salary, or our recruitment policies etc, please just let us know and well be happy to help. You can contact the recruiter for this role at (Recruitment@sia.gov.uk )
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.SecuritySuccessful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.MedicalSuccessful candidates will be expected to have a medical.Nationality requirements
This Job Is Broadly Open To The Following Groups
• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window) Working for the Civil ServiceThe Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.Diversity and InclusionThe Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).
Apply and further information
Once This Job Has Closed, The Job Advert Will No Longer Be Available. You May Want To Save a Copy For Your Records.Contact Point For ApplicantsJob Contact
• Name : Recruitment Team
• Email : recruitment@sia.gov.uk
Recruitment team
• Email : recruitment@sia.gov.uk
Further informationComplaints should be submitted to recruitment@sia.gov.uk . If, after investigation by the SIA, the complainant remains dissatisfied, they may bring their complaint to the Civil Service Commission.
Attachments Principal Legal Advisor - Job description - November 2026 Opens in new window (pdf, 147kB) Apply at advertiser's site
Share this page
• GMail
💡 Quick Summary
Seeking a career-building opportunity? The Principal Legal Advisor position is now open for candidates interested in the Government Job Alert sector. This role in Week St. Mary offers a professional environment and growth potential.
Requirement Snapshot: Candidates should possess basic communication skills, a proactive attitude, and the ability to work in a team. Experience in Government Job Alert is a plus.
