Commercial Lawyer

Job summary

About the Government Legal Department

From healthcare to artificial intelligence, energy to national security, we provide legal advice to government departments on nation-changing subjects.

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 fulfill 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 government’s 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 3000 people, including over 2600 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. These play 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 here and visit the GLD’s microsite. You can also read more about the future vision for GLD in our GLD Strategy 2024 – 2027.

Job description

About the Commercial Law Group (CLG)

CLG was formed in June 2014 and is a fast-evolving group of around 240 lawyers. CLG's formation and growth reflects the increasing importance of commercial skills to government, as new projects and programmes are increasingly delivered through commercial arrangements.

GLD commercial work is unique: we work in small teams, often closely embedded in departments, combining our legal expertise on all aspects of the government's commercial relationships with knowledge of public law and government.

Our work is often at the forefront of major government initiatives and includes many of the governments highest profile and most sensitive matters. The CLG teams advise a range of government departments including but not limited to:

• Cabinet Office
• Crown Commercial Service
• Department for Business and Trade
• Department for Education
• Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
• Department of Health and Social Care
• Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
• Department for Work and Pensions
• Home Office
• Ministry of Justice
• Ministry of Defence

Our lawyers have a high level of responsibility and work on some of the most consistently challenging, interesting, varied, complex and high-profile commercial legal work available. The issues that we advise on impact the lives of citizens across the UK. We have been and continue to be at the forefront of supporting government commercial efforts to meet the challenges faced over the last decade. We work alongside legal teams advising on policy decisions and implementation. CLG is high performing, friendly and welcoming, with a strong and established culture of collaboration and teamwork, excellent KM and specialist training and support. D&I is at the core of how we manage our people and teams.

Areas of work include but are not limited to:

• General commercial law
• contract law
• procurement law
• grants
• subsidy control
• data protection

The Role

Commercial lawyers are in the frontline of CLG’s legal service delivery. They provide a wide range of commercial legal advice, including on;

• Commercial contracts
• public procurement
• public law aspects of commercial work/commercial decision making
• information technology
• intellectual property
• information law (including GDPR) where it arises in a contractual/commercial context
• construction
• grants and Subsidies Control

They draft and advise on every part of the commercial process, from the commercial law implications of a policy, through to designing the appropriate commercial contract, ensuring that projects appropriately manage legal risk, and that any disputes are resolved as effectively as possible.

As a result, our commercial lawyers are called upon to advise on handling performance issues and disputes before they reach a formal dispute resolution procedure. Risk management of all types is a very large element of the role of our lawyers. If a dispute resolution procedure is commenced, then commercial lawyers often work alongside litigation lawyers and counsel.

Our commercial lawyers also play a key role in instructing, working alongside and managing external law firms and counsel where additional and/or specialist advice is required. They also often work closely with their advisory law colleagues in the GLD. The advisory teams advise on the development and implementation of government policy and the commercial team are often consulted to advise on the commercial legal issues raised. The CLG acts as the inhouse legal resource to our many Departmental clients and, ultimately, as trusted advisors in relation to their commercial legal needs.

Don’t just take our word for it, one of our commercial lawyers had this to say about CLG: “Since joining CLG, I have been involved in lots of high profile and important work for various government departments. It is a role that really does deliver on the variety of commercial work and ‘coal face’ exposure to projects at the forefront of government policy. Along with our business management and KM colleagues, I feel that I am part of a really supportive network of professionals. Outside of legal work, there are loads of initiatives and groups to get involved with where you can develop managerial, leadership and other skills, gain wider experience and contribute to GLD’s corporate and cultural objectives.”

Key requirements of the role

• Good commercial and contract law experience (including contract drafting) is essential
• excellent powers of analysis of legal commercial problems together with a sound commercial legal judgement
• an ability to negotiate effectively
• the ability to think strategically and creatively, see legal issues in their wider context and advise accordingly
• sound analysis, using secure legal research to produce timely and fit for purpose advice
• a constructive approach to solving problems along with reliable legal judgement and the ability to provide legally sound, risk-based advice
• a good working knowledge of and experience of public procurement issues is desirable
• an understanding of public law is desirable

Person specification

Below are the Essential and Desirable criteria, including the Civil Service Success Profile Behaviours, that you will need to demonstrate in your application and/or interview for this role:

Technical Legal Skills

Essential - must be demonstrated at application and interview

• Commercial and contract law experience
• able to draft commercial contracts
• ability to analyse legal commercial problems
• a constructive approach to solving problems
• ability to provide legally sound, risk-based advice
• sound commercial legal judgement

Motivational Fit

Essential - must be demonstrated at application and interview

• Your motivation to join the Commercial Law Group
• how you will contribute effectively to such a role within GLD
• an understanding of the role of lawyers in Government

Experience

Essential - must be demonstrated at application

• Qualified Lawyer with commercial legal knowledge
• experience of advising clients on commercial matters including contract drafting, problem solving and strategic commercial advice.

Desirable

• Public procurement and/or public law experience.

Behaviours

Below are details of the Success Profiles that make up this role. Demonstrating all the behaviours listed below is essential at either application or interview. You can read more about Success Profiles here.

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

Working Together

Essential - must be demonstrated at application and interview

• Actively build and maintain a network of colleagues and contacts to achieve progress on shared objectives
• challenge assumptions while being willing to compromise if beneficial to progress
• build strong interpersonal relationships and show genuine care for colleagues
• ensure consideration and support for the wellbeing of yourself and individuals throughout the team
• remain available and approachable to all colleagues and be receptive to new ideas

Communicating and Influencing

Essential - must be demonstrated at application and interview

• Communicate with others in a clear, honest and enthusiastic way in order to build trust
• explain complex issues in a way that is easy to understand
• take into account people’s individual needs
• deliver difficult messages with clarity and sensitivity, being persuasive when required

Managing a Quality Service

Essential - must be demonstrated at interview

• Demonstrate positive customer service by understanding the complexity and diversity of customer needs and expectations
• deliver a high quality, efficient and cost effective service by considering a broad range of methods for delivery
• make clear, practical and manageable plans for service delivery
• proactively manage risks and identify solutions

Qualifications

Academic and Professional
Applicants should have a minimum of a 2:1 honours degree in their first degree (in any subject). Where an applicant holds an overseas degree qualification this should be equivalent to a 2.1 degree. GLD will consider applicants who do not have a 2.1 degree but only where satisfactory evidence of equivalent high level academic and/or professional achievement can be provided (e.g. via relevant experience and results achieved for the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL)/CPE, Legal Practice Course (LPC), Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC)).
Applicants must be qualified to practise as a Solicitor, Barrister or Chartered Legal Executive in England and Wales however, we also accept applications from overseas qualified candidates. You must have completed a training contract/pupillage/qualifying employment or have been exempted from this by the Law Society, the Bar Council or CILEx.
Please note that candidates cannot apply more than 3 months before their qualification date.
Professional entry criteria for Chartered Legal Executives (i.e. Fellows): Chartered Legal Executives are eligible to apply where (i) a Qualifying Law Degree (QLD) is held; or (ii) the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL)/CPE has been completed; or (iii) where exams have been passed (i.e. a score of 50% or above achieved), at CILEx Level 6*, in all of the following seven foundation subjects in law:
Contract Law
Criminal Law
Equity and Trusts Law
European Union Law
Land Law
Public Law
Law of Tort
*Note: There are specific requirements relating to academic achievement in the CILEx Level 6 exams where these are being used to demonstrate 2.1 degree equivalence as set out below.
Chartered Legal Executives should note that GLD will be willing to accept an, overall, average score of 65% or above across exams passed in the seven foundation subjects in law (where studied at CILEx Level 6) as demonstrating 2.1 degree equivalence (where a 2.1 degree is not held).

Behaviours

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

• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Managing a Quality Service

Technical skills

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

• Technical Legal Skills

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £59,200, Government Legal Department contributes £17,150 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

Application

To apply for this post you will need to:

• Step 1 – Contact Hays Legal to discuss the role in more detail and determine your eligibility:

Leeds – Adele Callaghan or Sam Higgins

London – Hannah East or Lucy Kelly

• Step 2 - Provide your CV, setting out your career history, key responsibilities, achievements and relevant experience to Hays to register your interest allowing sufficient time to submit your application as per the below.
• Step 3 - You may choose to have a 15-minute informal conversation with a CLG lawyer. Please note this is not mandatory and is not assessed. If you would like an informal conversation, please contact the relevant consultant as above.
• Step 4 - Complete and return the ‘Essential Criteria’ to Hays no later than Midday Monday 16th February 2026.

You will be required to provide evidence of how you meet the Essential Criteria as detailed in the Person Specification via the following:

• A CV, setting out your career history, key responsibilities, achievements and relevant experience (Used to assess Experience and Technical Legal Skills)
• Demonstrate your technical legal knowledge and skills (Used to assess Technical Legal Skills – no more than 300 words)
• Demonstrate collaborating well with others (Used to assess Behaviour: Working together – no more than 300 words)
• Demonstrate why you want to work for the Civil Service and why in this role, illustrating your interest and motivation for being a GLD lawyer (Used to assess Motivational fit – no more than 300 words)

Selection Process

Candidates will be assessed on an ongoing basis. Candidate suitability for the role will be based on evidence provided in their CV and response to questions addressing the essential criteria. Candidates who pass the sift will then be invited to interview.

Please note, no actions will take place over the festive period from w/c 15th December for this campaign. Please expect to hear back from Hays recruitment consultant’s w/c 5th January 2026.

Interview

If you are invited to interview, you will be assessed on your performance in the criteria listed in the Person Specification, alongside a written exercise, presentation and strength-based questions. These criteria are:

• Technical Legal Skills
• Motivational Fit
• Behaviour: Working Together
• Behaviour: Communicating and Influencing
• Behaviour: Managing a Quality Service

You will be asked to complete a written exercise under timed conditions. This may take place the day before the interview date. You will also be asked to deliver a 5-minute presentation as part of your interview. Candidates invited to interview will be given further information.

You will be interviewed remotely by a GLD panel via a Teams video conference call. Full details of the interview format will be provided to shortlisted candidates prior to interview.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Adele Callaghan (Leeds) and Hannah East (London)
• Email : adele.callaghan@hays.com

Recruitment team

• Email : Hannah.East@hays.com

Attachments

431519 Commercial Lawyer Candidate Pack extended Opens in new window (pdf, 681kB)