Shadow Football Regulator - Senior Lawyer

Shadow Football Regulator

We lead the Government's work on the future governance of football. At present, the Shadow Football Regulator comprises over thirty members of staff, led by an interim Chief Operating Officer, undertaking a range of activities in preparation for passage of the Football Governance Bill, which is currently in Parliament.

The Shadow Football Regulator is a dedicated team within DCMS which is responsible for setting up the Independent Football Regulator. It is ensuring the regulator has the right skills, governance and corporate functions so it can start work as soon as possible after the Bill receives Royal Assent.

This post, and its recruitment, is dependent on progress of the Bill, and the intention is for this role to transfer to the Regulator once it's legally established.

Please note that the Independent Football Regulator will be based in Greater Manchester but an exact location has yet to be determined.

We are recruiting 3 xSenior Lawyers to join the Shadow Football Regulator (SFR) to help advise and shape the organisation in parallel with Parliamentary passage of the associated legal framework.

At present, the SFR comprises over 30 members of staff, led by an interim Chief Operating Officer, undertaking a range of activities in preparation for passage of the Football Governance Bill. The successful candidate will play a crucial role in developing the legal function within the new organisation, determining the right balance between in-house and outsourced provision, and work collaboratively with others in considering how best to operationalise the provisions of the Bill.

They will also support the Chair (designate) when they are appointed and advise on on a wide range of legal issues. The successful candidate will work with the legal team and wider organisation to identify, monitor and manage legal risks attaching to the IFRs activities.

This work will include advising, amongst other issues, on the IFRs powers and obligations, regulatory investigations and enforcement, litigation and appeals, the IFRs decision-making obligations, corporate governance and wider public law issues.

The candidate will be required to provide practical legal advice to IFR teams within a nascent legal framework, and to ground this advice in the relevant statutory, public law and industry context. They will also be required to instruct and oversee the work of external counsel.

The legal team will also be expected to work collaboratively with the sponsor department, DCMS, as well as with a variety of other bodies, including within the football industry.

Essential Requirements

• Creative thinking and excellent judgement to deliver authoritative and credible legal advice, at pace, to facilitate practical solutions, including at senior levels
• With this being the first legal role within the Shadow Football Regulator, we need someone with the knowledge and experience to shape the legal offering. This role requires an in depth understanding of regulation and enforcement who can add value to the team through sharing their expertise.
• Experience of proactively creating, maintaining and promoting a strong network of contacts across an industry.
• Effectively managing legal risk, providing sound legal direction, leadership and oversight to ensure quality outcomes and delivery of legal excellence.
• Have a track record of picking up new and complex areas of legal work quickly and providing context-appropriate advice in high-profile and fast-moving situations.
• Professional experience: Significant knowledge of and post-qualification experience advising on regulatory compliance or enforcement, whether as part of a regulator or more generally on matters subject to regulatory oversight. Candidates will also require some appreciation of public law considerations.

Please see slide 9 on the candidate information pack for further details on the essential academic and professional qualifications.

Desirable Skills

• Understanding of the football industry, including financial regulation and familiarity with the English football pyramid

We are running an information session where prospective applicants can find out more about the role. This will be hosted by Martyn Henderson, and will take place on:

• Monday 9th January at 3pm

The session will be an opportunity to hear more about the role, the team and wider directorate and the department. It will also be an opportunity for you to ask any questions.

Please register your interest by filling out this form and you will be sent an invitation.

Please note that the session will not focus on the DCMS recruitment process - please direct any queries that you have on this topic (timelines, reasonable adjustments, onboarding etc) to [email protected]

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Leadership
• Delivering at Pace