Shadow Football Regulator - Senior Lawyer
| Posting date: | 21 July 2025 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £59,003 to £79,556 per year |
| Additional salary information: | London £64,837 - £79,556, National £59,003 - £71,686 + benefits. If applying from another government department (including GLD) at the same grade you will have your current salary matched. If joining on promotion you will be appointed at either the minimu |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 04 August 2025 |
| Location: | SW1A 2BQ |
| Company: | Government Recruitment Service |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | 401318/2 |
Summary
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.
If applying from another government department (including GLD) at the same grade you will have your current salary matched. If joining on promotion you will be appointed at either the minimum of the pay scale or 10% above your current salary, whichever is greater. Eligibility for a higher starting salary will be assessed at interview.
We are recruiting a Senior Lawyer 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 IFR’s activities.
This work will include advising, amongst other issues, on the IFR’s powers and obligations, regulatory investigations and enforcement, litigation and appeals, the IFR’s 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.
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