Senior Legal Adviser
| Posting date: | 12 February 2026 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £68,720 to £72,004 per year |
| Additional salary information: | + £7,500 allowance plus London weighting £3,566 (where relevant) Generous Civil Service defined benefit pension |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 14 March 2026 |
| Location: | London / Bristol |
| Remote working: | Hybrid - work remotely up to 2 days per week |
| Company: | Office For Students |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | R0001461 |
Summary
Senior Legal Adviser
Location: Bristol or London
Salary: £68,720 - £72,004 + £7,500 allowance plus London weighting £3,566 (where relevant)
Generous Civil Service defined benefit pension
Use your regulatory and public expertise in an organisation that’s shaping policy and regulation
The opportunity
Make a real difference to the lives of students by bringing your regulatory and public law expertise to the Office for Students (OfS).
As the independent regulator of higher education in England, we ensure the best experience and the best value – for students, for taxpayers, for the economy and for the public good. This is a unique opportunity to lead on the provision of complex public law advice across our diverse and rapidly evolving organisation.
The role
You’ll lead on lead on provision of legal advice for a broad range of legal matters relevant to the functions of the OfS. Key responsibilities include supporting the Legal Senior Leadership Team in tasks relating to the operation of the legal function within the OfS and leadership of specific initiatives.
In addition, you will broaden your knowledge of the sector by providing legal advice and support for a broad range of regulatory matters relevant to the functions of the OfS.
Expect to work collaboratively with internal legal and policy colleagues, as well as external legal support, owning these key relationships and advising at the most senior level in the organisation.
You will lead and manage junior colleagues in the provision of legal complex legal advice in a range of areas, including the OfS’s enforcement and information gathering powers; public law principles, statutory duties and considerations; equalities legislation; Human rights law and consumer protection law.
Location: Bristol or London
Salary: £68,720 - £72,004 + £7,500 allowance plus London weighting £3,566 (where relevant)
Generous Civil Service defined benefit pension
Use your regulatory and public expertise in an organisation that’s shaping policy and regulation
The opportunity
Make a real difference to the lives of students by bringing your regulatory and public law expertise to the Office for Students (OfS).
As the independent regulator of higher education in England, we ensure the best experience and the best value – for students, for taxpayers, for the economy and for the public good. This is a unique opportunity to lead on the provision of complex public law advice across our diverse and rapidly evolving organisation.
The role
You’ll lead on lead on provision of legal advice for a broad range of legal matters relevant to the functions of the OfS. Key responsibilities include supporting the Legal Senior Leadership Team in tasks relating to the operation of the legal function within the OfS and leadership of specific initiatives.
In addition, you will broaden your knowledge of the sector by providing legal advice and support for a broad range of regulatory matters relevant to the functions of the OfS.
Expect to work collaboratively with internal legal and policy colleagues, as well as external legal support, owning these key relationships and advising at the most senior level in the organisation.
You will lead and manage junior colleagues in the provision of legal complex legal advice in a range of areas, including the OfS’s enforcement and information gathering powers; public law principles, statutory duties and considerations; equalities legislation; Human rights law and consumer protection law.
Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme
Disability Confident
About Disability Confident
A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to Disability Confident.