Lawyer - Welsh Revenue Authority

Job summary

We’re responsible for Land Transaction Tax and Landfill Disposals Tax. Our work raises revenue to support public services, like the NHS and schools, in communities across Wales. But that’s not all, we're also involved with and support future tax design for Wales.

Join a place with purpose
You’ll join a team of 100+ talented people from across 14 different professions. Our culture is best described as innovative, collaborative and kind. By working together, we’ll deliver a fair tax system for Wales.

Our people
You’ll be working with people from a wide range of backgrounds and experience. From Operations, Policy, Digital and Data, HR, Communications to Finance – there’s a place for you in our friendly team.

You’ll be our greatest asset

You’ll be joining an inclusive organisation and be part of a team where you can thrive, be rewarded and heard.

We’re recognised as one of the top organisations for people engagement in the Civil Service People Survey. Inclusion and fairness are one of our strongest areas, as well as pay and benefits – our People Survey results say it all!

We’re also recognised for being innovative and a digital, ‘cloud-based’ organisation that supports hybrid and flexible working enabling a great work-life balance. More about working for us, our roles and our Corporate Plan 2025 - 2028 .

Job description

Join our legal team at the WRA, where your expertise will be essential in shaping the legal landscape and contributing to the organisation’s success in raising revenue to support Welsh public services. This role is an excellent chance to be part of a young organisation that’s implementing new legal frameworks and initiatives.

Working directly to the Head of Legal, you will navigate a variety of legal issues across different aspects of WRA’s work as a tax authority. As part of a small legal team including both lawyers and paralegals, you’ll play a key role in ensuring our operations and decisions are legally sound. You’ll also contribute to the development of tax policy and support the development of new legislation relating to WRA’s work.

As a trusted adviser, your insights will influence strategy and operations at all levels of the organisation. Your collaboration will extend beyond the legal team, engaging with colleagues from various departments to ensure comprehensive and lawful execution of WRA’s functions. You’ll need resilience, adaptability, and a talent for making complex legal concepts accessible to non-specialists. You will often need to use your legal expertise to solve novel challenges. This role offers a blend of autonomy and teamwork, providing the opportunity to grow professionally while making a significant impact.

You will also be instrumental in WRA’s approach to tax risk by litigating on behalf of the WRA. Your litigation efforts will involve identifying and reviewing legal risks, preparing cases, and representing WRA in legal proceedings. By upholding the integrity of the legislative framework, you will ensure that tax legislation is applied correctly and promote tax compliance.

Your ability to build strong relationships and communicate complex legal concepts clearly will be instrumental in fostering trust and credibility within the organisation. You will need to balance organisational goals with independent judgement. By providing insightful and practical legal guidance, you will empower other teams to navigate legal risks effectively and make informed decisions.

The Legal Office is expanding as WRA continues to evolve and the role is likely to adapt over time. We seek individuals who are adaptable, comfortable with change, and eager to develop by embracing new challenges

“Lawyers are at the heart of so much of what WRA does. We understand our colleagues’ objectives in a way that isn’t always possible in a larger organisation and are valued for our independent viewpoint.

This is a chance to join a supportive, welcoming organisation at an exciting time in WRA’s development as the organisation matures and becomes involved in new areas of work. It’s a great opportunity for lawyers looking for something different or to gain professional and personal development.”

Amy Bowden, Head of Legal

Person specification

Your initial role will be to:

• With support from the organisation, including senior management and governance groups, act as a guardian of the rule of law within the organisation, ensuring that organisational activities align with all relevant law.
• Provide accurate, practical and timely risk-based legal advice on a broad range of matters relating to the exercise of WRA functions. This includes (but is not exclusive to) advising on the application of tax legislation, public law and the use of taxpayer data. Assist teams in understanding the legal implications of their activities and empower them to manage risks effectively.
• Identify where specialist legal advice may be necessary and manage the instruction of external advisors to ensure good value for money and high quality support.
• Work collaboratively with stakeholders across WRA to help shape and deliver on strategy and provide legal advice from an early stage or when requested, in projects and programmes.
• Where necessary, present your advice to WRA’s governance groups to ensure that decisions are based on sound legal principles, with an understanding of the risks involved and are aligned with WRA’s approach to risk.
• Provide legal advice on reviews and appeals, ensuring appropriate input to legal proceedings and litigating cases on behalf of WRA, working with Counsel where required and conducting advocacy in the First-tier Tribunal in appropriate (less complex) cases.
• Contribute to the development and carrying out of WRA’s enforcement strategies, including the use of civil investigation powers, criminal compliance, and debt enforcement, obtaining specialist advice where needed.
• Support the development of effective guidance and communications for taxpayers.
• Maintain accurate records of advice given and key decisions.
• Develop and maintain legal resources, including templates and guidance documents, to improve efficiency and support the wider organisation.
• Build and maintain positive relationships with key stakeholders, including within the legal profession, Welsh Government Legal Services, Welsh Treasury, Natural Resources Wales and other government departments.
• Provide legal support to policy colleagues as they work with Welsh Treasury and other stakeholders to improve the current devolved fiscal framework and develop potential new devolved taxes. This may include advising on the Welsh devolution settlement and the Welsh legislative process, working on policy and legal instructions and supporting the drafting of legislation.
• Work collaboratively with paralegals within the team, providing supervision and mentorship, supporting their development and ensuring high standards of performance.
• Advocate for appropriate resourcing and professional development opportunities for the legal team.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £61,098, Welsh Revenue Authority contributes £17,700 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• 31 days annual leave + Bank holidays, and 2 Privilege days
• Flexible and hybrid working
• Generous employer pension schemes with a contribution of up to 28.97%
• Tusker car scheme
• Vivup Cycle2Work and salary advances for season Travel Tickets
• Lifestyle Benefits offering discounts on shopping, restaurants and entertainment
• Wellbeing hour each week
• Access to subsidised sports groups
• Generous family-friendly leave policies
• Free Welsh language courses and time off to learn
• Access to a range of staff diversity networks
• Free counselling and support service via our Vivup Employee Assistance Programme and Your Care Health platform
• A thriving culture that’s described as innovative, collaborative and kind.

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

We recruit using success profiles. The success profiles guidance will help you in completing your application.

We look for what you can do, not just what you have done. This means we look for the behaviours, strengths and ability needed to do the job, and experience and technical knowledge where they are necessary too.

This starts at your application, and continues throughout recruitment, and we may only look for some things at certain stages. We will always make clear what we are looking for, when, in the table below.

Please see below for the evidence you should look to showcase during the recruitment process (you may also wish to refer to the main tasks mentioned above).

Behaviours

Criteria

Assessed in personal statement and CV

Assessed during interview or assessment

Making Effective Decisions

Use evidence and knowledge to support accurate, expert decisions and advice. Carefully consider alternative options, implications and risks of decisions.

Yes

Yes

Delivering at Pace

Take responsibility for delivering timely and quality results with focus and drive.

Maintain own levels of performance in challenging circumstances and encourage others to do the same.

Yes

Yes

Communicating and influencing

Communicate purpose and direction with clarity, integrity and enthusiasm. Respect the needs, responses and opinions of others.

Deliver difficult messages with clarity and sensitivity, being persuasive when required

Yes

Yes

Strengths

Criteria

Assessed in personal statement and CV

Assessed during interview or assessment

Problem Solver

You take a positive approach to tackling problems and find ways to identify suitable solutions.

No

Yes

Emotionally Intelligent

You draw insight from your own emotions and those of others to show empathy.

No

Yes

Strategic

You look at the big picture. You consider the wider factors and long term implications of decisions

No

Yes

Experience

Criteria

Assessed in personal statement and CV

Assessed during interview or assessment

Essential - The ability to analyse, apply and explain the law relating to the collection and management of taxes to sound, risk-based decision-making in an operational or policy context.

You will be assessed on your ability to do this, but prior experience of tax law is not essential.

No

Yes

Essential - Post-qualification experience of advising clients on complex, technical areas of law with minimal supervision.

Yes

No

Desirable- We’ll only use desirable criteria in the event of a strong field of candidates after essential criteria has been considered

Experience of developing new legislation in Government, which may include advising on consultations, working on instructions for drafters and involvement in the process for making primary and/or secondary legislation.

Yes

No

Technical knowledge

Criteria

Assessed in personal statement and CV

Assessed during interview or assessment

Essential - A good understanding of the principles of public and administrative law.

Yes

No

Qualifications

Criteria

Assessed in personal statement and CV

Assessed during interview or assessment

Qualified to practice in England and Wales as a:

• Solicitor,

• Barrister, or
• Chartered Legal Executive (as set out below).

Chartered Legal Executives are eligible to apply only if:

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:

1. Contract Law
2. 1. Criminal Law
3. Equity and Trusts Law
4. European Union Law
5. Land Law
6. Public Law
7. Law of Tort

Yes

No

If this seems like a role you’d be interested in, join us for our virtual Candidate Information Sessions. You’ll meet the Line Manager, get an overview of the role as well a feeling for what it’s like to work at the WRA. We’ll also talk through our benefits and provide helpful tips for your application with us. Please register for one of the sessions below:

Register here for 12.30pm on 17th June: https://CyfreithiwrLawyer.eventbrite.co.uk

Register here for 4pm on 17th June: https://CyfreithiwrLawyer4pm.eventbrite.co.uk

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.

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

The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).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 Team
• Email : Recruitment@wra.gov.wales
• Telephone : 03000254000

Recruitment team

• Email : Recruitment@wra.gov.wales

Further information

The law requires that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition. See the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles where this is set out.

If you feel your application has not been treated in line with the recruitment principles, and you wish to complain, you should contact the Head of HR.

Email: hr@wra.gov.wales

If you’re not satisfied with our response, you can contact the Civil Service Commission.

Attachments

Job description - Lawyer - FINAL Opens in new window (docx, 755kB)Disgrifiad swydd - Cyfreithiwr - FINAL Opens in new window (docx, 757kB)