Director, Company Law and Governance

Job summary

The Director’s responsibilities are central to the operation of the UK economy. Investing, lending, contracting – none of these would happen without the underpinning regimes of limited liability, insolvency, audit and corporate governance. That's why the ambitious reform agenda we have underway is so vital.​

​The legal framework and its enforcement support the trust and confidence that drives investment in the UK. But we’ve got to keep challenging ourselves to make it as good as it can be, to keep the UK competitive and to ensure our businesses can succeed and grow. That’s why current priorities include major reform of corporate reporting to streamline and modernise the system; a big enhancement of our ability to tackle economic crime through the implementation of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act; and a drive to ensure all of our partner organisations continue to deliver efficiently and effectively for their customers and the UK economy more widely.​

​Your relationships will be crucial to this, from Whitehall colleagues to city stakeholders from audit and accountancy firms, large listed companies, investment firms and corporate lawyers. You will have oversight of key public bodies - Companies House, the Insolvency Service, and the Financial Reporting Council – and sit on the Boards of the first two. You will be ambitious in identifying and driving forward a modernising agenda. ​

​​If you are successful, you'll join a team of professional, expert and committed people motivated by public service and working collaboratively. You will care passionately about making the directorate a fun, diverse and inclusive environment in which individuals flourish and can contribute their best. You'll also be a key part of the senior leadership team for our wider Group.​

​We strongly welcome applications from candidates from all backgrounds, with different experiences and perspectives, as we build a diverse and inclusive team. ​

Candidate Information Call ​

The hiring managers for this position, Gavin Lambert and Caleb Deeks will be hosting a virtual call for any interested applicants to discuss the role and answer any questions. ​

This will be held via Microsoft Teams on 25th February 2026 at 14:00-15:00 (UK time). Please click here for the meeting link.

Job description

As the Director for Corporate Law and Governance you will be responsible for:​

• Leading a once in a generation review of corporate reporting​ to deliver the most proportionate framework in the world​
• Leading implementation of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act (ECCTA), including landmark reforms to Companies House to make a step-change in its impact tackling economic crime and drive wider digitisation and modernisation​
• Building a wide and influential network of stakeholders in the City and beyond​
• Delivering creative, ambitious and high-quality support and advice to Ministers, personally and through your teams​
• Leading and developing a high performing team of just under 70 people and contributing to the leadership of CMRR and across DBT​​
• Managing expenditure of c£570m across core DBT budgets and sponsorship of Companies House, the Insolvency Service & the Financial Reporting Council and leading the Directorate’s response to the Spending Review​
• Playing a key role as a member of the Companies House and Insolvency Service Boards supporting and challenging delivery of their objectives and driving an ambitious modernisation agenda​
• Playing a wider corporate role in driving stronger sponsorship across DBT of its other Arm's Length Bodies​

Person specification

• A strong track record as a confident, collaborative, empowering and inclusive leader, able to build and maintain innovative, high-performing teams in a highly pressured environment​
• Excellent strategic and political judgment, to make an impact in a complex context​
• Ability to build trusted and effective relationships with a diverse range of senior stakeholders inside and outside government, including operating effectively at C-suite level and particularly with City and investment contacts and the major accountancy and audit firms in the UK​
• Capability to drive large policy projects, setting a compelling vision and marshalling a range of capabilities across multidisciplinary teams (analysis, legal, engagement etc) to deliver meaningful change​
• Ability to demonstrate an understanding of some/all of corporate governance, corporate finance or company law

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £100,000, Department for Business and Trade contributes £28,970 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

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

How to apply​​​

Please follow the online instructions on the Civil Service Jobs website to apply for this role. Applications must be submitted no later than 23:55 on 08/03/2026. ​

​You will be asked to upload the two documents outlined below.

It is essential you add your full name to both documents:​​

1. A CV setting out your career history, highlighting specific responsibilities and achievements that are relevant for this role. Please provide reasons for any gaps within the last two years.​​​
2. A Supporting Statement of around two pages of A4, providing examples of how your experience meets the essential criteria (refer to slide 8 in the Candidate Pack for details).​

​Failure to submit both documents will mean the panel only have limited information on which to assess your application against the criteria in the person specification. ​​​

​For further information on the recruitment process please see the Candidate Information Pack attached at the bottom.

If you encounter any issues or are unable to apply online please contact SCSRecruitment@businessandtrade.gov.uk in the first instance​.

DBT now host Senior Civil Service (SCS) Candidate Support sessions for those wanting to learn more about the application and recruitment processes for SCS roles within DBT, if you are interested, please register for a session here - https://registration.crowdcomms.com/dbtscsrecruitment

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.This role has a minimum assignment duration of 3 years. An assignment duration is the period of time a Senior Civil Servant is expected to remain in the same post to enable them to deliver on the agreed key business outcomes. The assignment duration also supports your career through building your depth of expertise.

As part of accepting this role you will be agreeing to the expected assignment duration set out above. This will not result in a contractual change to your terms and conditions. Please note this is an expectation only, it is not something which is written into your terms and conditions or indeed which the employing organisation or you are bound by. It will depend on your personal circumstances at a particular time and business needs, for example, would not preclude any absence like family friendly leave. It is nonetheless an important expectation, which is why we ask you to confirm you agree to the assignment duration set out above.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).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 : SCS Recruitment Team
• Email : SCSRecruitment@businessandtrade.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : SCSRecruitment@businessandtrade.gov.uk

Further information

Our recruitment process is underpinned by the principle of appointment on the basis of fair and open competition and appointment on merit, as outlined in the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should in the first instance contact DBT by email at SCSRecruitment@businessandtrade.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can contact the Civil Service Commission, which regulates all Civil Service recruitment. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web pages: Civil Service Commission Complaints​

Attachments

DBT Director Company Law and Governance - Candidate Pack (8) Opens in new window (pdf, 6528kB)Accessible Candidate Pack - Director Company Law and Governance Opens in new window (docx, 172kB)