Lawyer - Data Privacy Advice

Job summary

Lawyer – Data Privacy Advice

Full time / Part time

Salary:£57,815 - £65,021 pa, with potential for further progression to £73,211 pa with our pay progression scheme.

Location: Hybrid

Contracted to our Wilmslow, London, Edinburgh, Cardiff or Belfast office, however, we offer flexible home and office-based working opportunities. There will be times when you will be expected to attend the office to collaborate with colleagues or travel due to business need.

Why work for the ICO?

• Pay progression scheme.
• Hybrid and flexible working options.
• 25 days paid holiday per year, plus privilege and public holidays.
• Flexi leave (up to 26 additional days leave per year).
• Pension (employer contribution around 28.9%).
• Online discount scheme to save money at major supermarkets, retailers, gyms, restaurants, insurance providers and many more.
• Health Cash Plan.
• Fantastic development opportunities to learn and progress.

Further details can be found on the benefits section of our website .

Job description

The postholder will be taking the role at a pivotal moment for the organisation and for the UK’s information rights framework. The ICO is becoming the Information Commission, reflecting our evolving role and responsibilities following the Data (Use and Access) Act, alongside the introduction of a new corporate strategy with refreshed priorities. The ICO Legal Service plays a central role in delivering this new strategic ambition.

As a lawyer they will work within the ICO Legal Service (Data Privacy Advice team) on some of the most high-profile data protection and cyber matters, involving cutting edge legal issues. This will include providing quality, timely and risk based legal advice in relation to the UK GDPR, DPA 2018, FOIA 2000, PECR 2003 and NIS 2018.

They will act in accordance with directions given by the Executive Team and the senior legal leadership team, under the overall supervision of the ICO’s General Counsel.

As a lawyer in the Data Privacy Advice team, they will provide technical legal support to others across the organisation. They may supervise other lawyers and staff in the Legal team, and will work with external lawyers where appropriate.

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Key Responsibilities

• Provide high quality, timely and risk based legal advice on queries received across the ICO.
• Provide expert advice in areas of responsibility to decision makers regarding possible solutions, options and issues which need to be considered by them.
• Effectively manage a caseload of on-going legal issues/cases/queries and ensure that matters are dealt with in line with ICO standards, policy and regulatory priorities.
• Ensure that guidance published by the ICO is legally accurate and reflects current legislation.
• Liaise with case officers, managers and decision makers with regard to on-going legal matters and work as part of a project team as necessary.
• Ensure the ICO is professionally represented externally at key meetings, and events (both nationally and internationally), court/tribunals hearings (where appropriate) and at public speaking engagements.
• Contribute to the development of colleagues in the ICO by preparing or delivering in-house training as required.

Oversee the legal aspects of the workflow of support staff and ensure that such work is performed to the required standards

Person specification

Essential criteria assessed at application stage:

• Applicants must be qualified to practise as a Solicitor, Barrister or Chartered Legal Executive in England and Wales or, in respect of Applicants qualified in a jurisdiction outside of England and Wales, must have an appropriate equivalent professional qualification and may be required to undertake the Solicitors’ Qualifying Examinations (or apply and be granted an exemption of one or both parts) within a defined period.
• Current practising certificate (or entitlement to obtain one) from the Law Society or Bar Council
• Post qualification experience in information law work or the ability to quickly develop expertise in this area.
• Experience of providing strategic legal advice in a regulatory environment including knowledge of public law principles and/or the ability to quickly develop skills in this area.
• Experience of liaising with and instructing external lawyers and other organisations.

Essential criteria assessed during interview:

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to interpret and apply legislation to particular situations.
• The ability to understand and assimilate information quickly and make sound reasoned decisions in relation to matters of law.
• Excellent legal analytical skills.
• Experience of managing own workload effectively, particularly in a pressurised environment.
• Understanding of the regulatory environment and the public sector generally.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £57,815, Information Commissioner's Office contributes £16,749 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).Please visit ico.jobs for full details, including salary and benefits.

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

Equality, diversity, and inclusion

The ICO is committed to promoting and enhancing equality, diversity, and inclusion. We are focused on developing a workforce that is representative of the communities we serve and together we are building an inclusive workplace where all of our colleagues have the opportunity to make a real difference. We are championing this through our Equality Diversity and Inclusion Board together with a number of staff networks. Read more about our commitment on our website.

Candidates with a disability who meet the minimum criteria for this vacancy will be invited to interview as part of the ICO’s commitment to the Disability Confident Scheme.

If you have a disability or impairment and require an alternative application method, please email the HR team at recruitment@ico.org.uk .

Closing Date

Please submit your CV and cover letter detailing your suitability to the role by 23:59 on Wednesday 15th July 2026. Your cover letter should be no more than 1,000 words and should clearly demonstrate how you meet the essential criteria for the role.

We may close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications. To ensure your application is considered, we encourage you to apply as soon as possible. If you require any reasonable adjustments to support your application, please contact us at recruitment@ico.org.uk.

In the event of a high volume of applications, we may not be able to invite all candidates who meet the minimum criteria to interview. However, we encourage you stay in touch and apply for future roles that match your interests.

All candidates who meet the minimum criteria and apply in-line with our guaranteed interview scheme for disabled and ethnic minority applicants will be interviewed.

Interviews are to take place on w/c 10th August 2026

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Medical

Successful candidates will be expected to have a medical.

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

Please note this Post is NOT regulated by the Civil Service Commission.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.

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

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 : recruitment@ico.org.uk
• Email : recruitment@ico.org.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : recruitment@ico.org.uk