Head Of Regulatory Compliance

Job Description

Head of Regulatory Compliance (£71,100pa)

It is an exciting time to join the Law Society of Scotland. Due to organisational growth we have a new opportunity within the Regulation Directorate for a Head of Regulatory Compliance.

This new role, leading our Regulatory Compliance Team, will include line management of senior and specialised regulatory solicitors and report to the Executive Director of Regulation. The work of the Regulatory Compliance Team is varied and plays a key role in our regulation of Scottish solicitors and licensed legal service providers.

The team works closely with the Regulatory Committee of the Society and several of our regulatory sub-committees. The role will include being part of the team working on the Regulation of Legal Services (Scotland) Bill, which will significantly change how we regulate legal services in the future.

We want to get even better at what we do. You will have the opportunity to use your skills and experience to shape the role and how our work is done, to the benefit of the public and profession alike

Key Responsibilities for this role

- Leading the Regulatory Compliance Team (currently four people), including performance and budget management
- Ensuring effective regulation of licensed legal services providers
- Drafting and revising Practice Rules and Guidance
- Overseeing waivers from Practice Rules
- Making decisions in relation to Practicing Certificates
- Managing appeals and reviews of some regulatory decisions
- Overseeing the quality assurance scheme for civil legal aid practitioners
- Overseeing the regulation of immigration services provided by Scottish solicitors
- Assisting with the preparation of consultation responses to the governments of Scotland and Westminster on regulatory policy matters
- Creating new regulatory policies and processes to ensure that the team’s work is in line with the new regulatory framework under the - Regulation of Legal Services (Scotland) Bill
- Overseeing the secretariat work for the Rules, Waivers and Guidance Sub-committee, the Practicing Certificate Sub-committee, the Appeals and Reviews Sub-committee, and the Civil Legal Aid Quality Assurance Sub-committee
- Assisting with the secretariat work for the Regulatory Committee

Key Knowledge, Skills and Experience:

The role is open to qualified lawyers with a current practicing certificate or licence to practice. Ideally, you will be a Scottish qualified solicitor with a current practising certificate. Given the nature of the role, you should disclose in your application whether you are subject to any pending regulatory proceedings.

We are looking for a motivated, dynamic and high performing team player. You will have excellent technical legal skills and significant experience of administrative law and / or regulation and compliance law. You will be able to combine these skills with an extensive range of well-developed business skills such as people management, resource management and change management.

The role will suit someone who communicates clearly, responds flexibly in a fast-paced work environment and can solve complex problems. 

What we offer our employees?

We offer a comprehensive benefits package to support our colleague’s professional and personal needs. Some of these include:

- A hybrid working environment.
- Flexible working, to allow you to work around your lifestyle and commitments.
- 30 days holiday plus bank holidays
- A competitive pension provision scheme
- Excellent family friendly benefits
- Learning and Development opportunities to enhance your skills or through programmes leading to professional or academic qualification.
- Various health and wellbeing benefits such as confidential counselling services, bike to work scheme, eyecare, and offers on well-known brands through Edenred.

The Law Society of Scotland is an equal opportunities employer, and we welcome applications from candidates with diverse backgrounds. We hold an Investors in Diversity Award in recognition of our commitment to advance fairness, respect, equality, diversity, inclusion and engagement within our organisation and the Scottish legal sector. More information can be found on our Equality and Diversity page. 

We are always on the look for new talent to join our incredible workforce. If you are looking for a new opportunity within the society, we would love to hear from you!

If this opportunity sounds like the one for you, click Apply now.

This vacancy will close at 12 noon on Monday 12th February. It is anticipated that interviews will take place the following week.