Deputy Directors, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government Legal Advisers (3 roles available)

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At Government Legal Department we have a vital, single-minded purpose: to help the Government govern well within the rule of law. This is complemented by our exciting vision to be an outstanding legal organisation, committed to the highest standards of service and professionalism and a brilliant place to work where we can all thrive and fulfil our potential.

Our work touches almost every aspect of public life. We are the largest provider of legal services across government, working on high profile matters.

Our respected professionals are involved in everything from regulation and litigation to advice on drafting legislation. They provide expertise to the full range of government departments. We are at the heart of delivering the governments priorities and our success depends on our people.

GLD is a non-ministerial government department headed by the Treasury Solicitor, our Permanent Secretary, and employs nearly 4000 people, including nearly 3000 legal professionals. We have offices nationwide, in Bristol, Leeds, inner and outer London and Manchester. Our lawyers can also be located within other departments and overseas.

GLD also depends on a range of cross-functional professionals to provide our corporate services. There are nearly 1000 colleagues playing an essential part in helping GLD to achieve its purpose and truly deliver much more than law.

This is an exciting time to join GLD, with cutting edge legal work on global issues and a transformation agenda which is ensuring the Department exemplifies the Modern Civil Service .

To find out more about what we do you can view our introductory film . On our website you can hear from team members, find out how to apply and learn about the benefits of working for GLD. You can also read more about the future vision for GLD in our GLD Strategy 2024 2027 .

The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG) Legal Advisers is a friendly, inclusive, high performing and collaborative Directorate with a strong sense of shared purpose. We provide legal support to the Secretary of State, Ministers and officials in MHCLG to support delivery across all MHCLGs policy areas.

Lawyers in MHCLG help implement policies to empower local leaders, spread opportunities, improve living standards across the UK and restore local pride. The Department has an ambitious agenda to drive up housing supply, increase home ownership, improve building safety, devolve powers and budgets to boost local growth and to support strong public services and create community cohesion and social integration.

We have a substantial programme of primary and secondary legislation and enjoy a wide and exciting portfolio of core government legal work supporting policy development and delivery in areas that make a real difference to the lives of UK citizens, which is hugely rewarding.

The Directorate is currently comprised of twelve legal teams in 4 legal groups, with each team headed by a Deputy Director. It is co-located with MHCLG in its London office and at the Planning Inspectorate in Bristol, with lawyers also working from our GLD Bristol, Croydon, Leeds, and Manchester offices. The Legal Directors are Amanda Garner-Patel and Susan Carter, working in a job share.

Number of posts

We are seeking 1 Deputy Director for each of the following teams:

• 1x Deputy Director - Private Rented Sector and Housing Strategy
• 1x Deputy Director - Planning and Planning Inspectorate
• 1x Deputy Director - Local Government, Devolution and Grants

Blow is more about each role:

Deputy Director, Private Rented Sector and Housing Strategy Division

The Housing and Land group is a large, friendly and collaborative group, currently led by three Deputy Directors with lawyers based across all GLDs offices. The group has a busy and exciting portfolio, with a current focus on primary and secondary legislation reforming leasehold and commonhold, implementing the Renters Rights Act 2025, supporting a Social Housing Bill, alongside a range of legal support and advice on wider housing policy including homelessness, resettlement, migrant benefits and social housing. The work is often high-profile and makes a real difference to the lives of people living in this country.

The postholder will lead the Private Rented Sector and Housing Strategy division comprised of around 12 lawyers and advising on:

• The implementation the Renters Rights Act 2025 (the first tranche of measures having come into force on 1 st May 2026) which includes the delivery of a new private rented sector (PRS) ombudsman redress scheme and a new PRS database for landlords.
• The division also advises on other PRS policy and operational work, Bill work to deliver a rent appeal process and advice and legislation on housing markets and strategy which includes initiatives in support of the Governments housebuilding agenda.

Deputy Director, Planning and Planning Inspectorate Division

The four MHCLG planning teams work together as a large, friendly and collaborative group led by four Deputy Directors. The group delivers an ambitious programme of planning reform essential to MHCLGs purpose of building good homes and strong communities where people can live, work and thrive. The group has recently been restructured into four planning divisions, with one also advising the Planning Inspectorate (PINS), and one focusing on delivery of new towns and place-based projects.

The postholder will lead the Planning and PINS division comprised of around 12 lawyers. The division currently provides advice to PINS, an independent executive agency responsible for processing planning appeals, examining local plans, and deciding on major infrastructure projects. It ensures impartial, fair, and timely decisions on land-use issues, balancing development needs with environmental protection and community views. The division also provides advice on planning policy on national significant infrastructure projects (NSIPs), as well as chairing the Cross Whitehall Infrastructure Lawyers Group. The reform of infrastructure planning is a key part of the Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025, introducing major changes to the Development Consent Order and National Policy Statement planning process for NSIPs.

The post holder will provide legal leadership across a wide range of complex planning issues and be part of the collective leadership of the planning group, together with the three other DDs. Over time there may be more rebalancing of planning reform between the divisions, in support of MHCLGs priorities and resilience in the group.

Deputy Director - Local Government, Devolution and Grants Division

Our local government group is comprised of three collaborative and friendly legal divisions each led by a Deputy Director. Its work is at the heart of delivering essential services to communities, ensuring that councils have the resources they need and meet expected standards of performance and behaviour, that funding systems are fair and robust, delivering local government devolution and re-organisation, and electoral reform through the Representation of the People Bill. The group also advises on community integration, faith and social cohesion.

The post holder will lead the Local Government Devolution ...