Advisory Lawyer/Grade 6

We are recruiting a Senior Advisory Lawyer to join an expanding team. Following Dame Judith Hackitts Building a Safer Future Report, the Building Safety Act 2022 created the Building Safety Regulator (BSR), alongside new powers and responsibilities. There are two main operational areas within BSR legal team. The regulation of Higher Risk Buildings and the regulation of the Building Control Profession. BSR is also the Building Control Authority for Higher Risk Buildings. These areas require legal advice and assistance to support decision making and formal legal action in courts and tribunals, including prosecution for non-compliance with regulatory standards and in relation to incidents.

The work of the BSR legal team is wide ranging, interesting and challenging. It encompasses criminal and civil proceedings, appeals against civil sanctions in the context of regulation of the building control profession, and supporting BSRs role as a statutory consultee in planning applications and Inquiries. This role predominantly involves line management and the provision of risk based legal advice on policies and the interpretation of legislation relating to the safety of buildings.

The legal issues the BSR legal team encounters are often complex, wide ranging and novel and our advisory lawyers will work closely with policy officials to assist them in making proper and lawful decisions, in accordance with public law principles, whilst at all times considering legal risk and anticipating legal challenges.

We are looking for a highly capable qualified lawyer, to provide legal advice on the more complex matters and to assist the General Counsel with leading and managing the BSR legal team as well as contributing to the work of the Senior Management Team.

This is an exciting opportunity to help manage and contribute to the leadership of the BSR legal team, whilst advising on some of the most significant and challenging aspects of regulatory law.

Working Pattern

Part time working hours are available for this role. We can accept part time applicants who can commit to working a minimum of 22.2 hours per week. (0.6 FTE)

Travel

This post can be based in any of the advertised locations however, there will be a requirement to travel to other offices for various activities including collaborative working and involvement with supporting and training colleagues.

This may involve overnight stays. This aspect of the work can usually be planned in advance.

The government announced on 30 June 2025 that the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) is to become an Arm's Length Body (ALB) of Ministry for Housing, Communities, and Local Government (MHCLG) and will be moved out of HSE.

It has been confirmed that the ALB will be a Non-crown, Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB), and as such its employees will be Public Servants, rather than Civil Servants.

All employees will have access to:

• The Civil Service Pension Scheme.

• Civil Service Jobs and the ability to apply for roles advertised Across Government.

• The entitlement to compensation being calculated in line with the Civil Service Compensation Scheme.

Existing Civil Servants transferring into BSR will have their continuity of Service recognised for the purposes of sick pay and annual leave entitlement. However, if they later move to another Civil Service department, continuity of service may not automatically be recognised by the receiving department.

This would be subject to that departments own policies and arrangements.

Key Responsibilities

• Providing legal advice on the more challenging and complex aspects of BSR policy and legislation
• Leading on and drafting the more complex Statutory Instruments through the parliamentary process
• Building and Maintaining effective working relationship with senior colleagues within BSR as well as with external partners including other Regulators and Government Departments
• Line managing, leading and developing a team of lawyers, ensuring that advisory cases and drafting projects are progressed in a timely and efficient manner, to high professional standards
• Playing a key role in the Senior Leadership Team of Legal Services
• Taking part in the wider strategic direction and management of the organisation
• Contributing to and leading on the design and delivery of training

Essential Skills & Criteria

• Significant experience of providing risk based public law advice in a regulatory context, demonstrating capability in statutory interpretation, reliable legal judgement and appreciation of risk
• An ability to communicate both in writing and orally in a clear, effective and influential manner
• The ability to think strategically and creatively, appreciating legal issues in their wider context and advising accordingly
• Well developed analytical skills, using secure legal research to produce timely and fit for purpose advice
• An ability to build, maintain and manage relationships with senior internal colleagues and other regulators, and other government departments
• An ability to quickly assimilate new areas of law with a keen interest in expanding your legal knowledge and skills
• An aptitude to lead and develop a team of lawyers. This need not be demonstrated by formal line management experience but could be shown by using examples of mentoring or by leading a project

At BSR, we are proud to be able to offer our people the opportunity to work in a hybrid way which combines working from home and the office. This is a voluntary, non-contractual arrangement, and your allocated office will be your contractual place of work.

There will be a requirement to travel to the office for various activities, e.g., collaborative working, supporting and training colleagues. If hybrid working is suitable for you and your role, you will be expected to attend the office, or other business-related site, for 60% of your working week. The arrangements will be determined primarily by business need, but personal circumstances and other relevant circumstances will also be taken into account.

Therefore, we would encourage candidates to consider if the commute from home to the office is a feasible distance to travel before making an application. Please note that if you are successful, hybrid working will be discussed prior to taking up the post.