Legal Information Manager

Job summary

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 4000 people, including nearly 3000 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. There are nearly 1000 colleagues playing 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. On our website you can hear from team members, find out how to apply and learn about the benefits of working for GLD. You can also read more about the future vision for GLD in our GLD Strategy 2024 – 2027.

Job description

About the Legal Knowledge and Learning Division

The Legal Operations directorate is dedicated to enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of GLD's legal services. The directorate includes Legal Knowledge and Learning (LKL), Legal Delivery, the AI Programme and the Bona Vacantia divisions. The directorate focuses on enabling an effective, efficient and engaged GLD that can deliver on its commitment to the highest standards of service and professionalism.

LKL equips government lawyers with the relevant knowledge, skills and tools to provide outstanding legal advice to ministers and officials.

As a multi-disciplinary team, we provide a portfolio of services spanning legal learning, knowledge development, online information services and knowledge systems.

Sitting at the heart of the Government Legal Profession, we develop lawyers’ knowledge and capability, connect lawyers through legal communities and facilitate sharing of knowledge and collaboration across government.

By caring about our lawyers as lawyers, we support their professional development at every stage of their careers through an extensive programme of learning opportunities.

Through our commitment to excellence and innovation across all our activities, we help GLD achieve its vision of being "an outstanding legal organisation, committed to the highest standards of service and professionalism".

The LKL Division is responsible for:

• knowledge development
• knowledge systems
• legal information
• legal knowledge & communities
• legal learning

The Role

The role takes operational responsibility and ownership of GLD’s current Legal Information Services used across the organisation and the wider Government Legal Profession (GLP). The role includes responsibility for managing the relationship with GLD’s subscription services providers including the high value contracts with Thomson Reuters and LexisNexis.

The role reports to GLD’s G6 Head of Knowledge, which sits in the LKL Division, led by Deputy Director and Head of Legal Knowledge and Learning, Helen Barker.

The postholder leads the work of the Legal Information Team, currently a team of two (one EO and one G7), to drive improvements in the quality and cohesiveness of these services, enhancing productivity of lawyers both within GLD and the wider GLP.

The team also contributes to AI initiatives across GLD as well as co-ordinating training to improve skills and share best practice with those using GLD’s legal subscription services.

In addition, the post holder works closely with the Head of Knowledge to support wider engagement with GLD and GLP on the knowledge systems and legal information services and wider knowledge initiatives.

Key responsibilities and deliverables include:

• working with the Director of Legal Operations and key stakeholders to plan for future subscription service’s contracts for GLD’s and GLP’s legal information provision.
• leading the legal information team within GLD including management responsibilities, establishing priorities and setting performance objectives for the team.
• managing and overseeing GLD’s electronic subscription-based services, including building and maintaining strong relationships with the subscription services providers.
• managing GLD’s (limited, distributed) print collections.
• anticipating and responding to the legal information needs of GLD’s lawyers as the legislative and regulatory framework in which we operate continues to evolve.
• co-ordinating with external providers and the internal subscription services liaison group to deliver effective training and guidance for new and current staff.
• effectively planning and managing the legal information budget.
• being a conduit for the department for new opportunities and best practice in legal information.
• managing the department’s legal current awareness and horizon scanning needs and provision including extending the current awareness services to Centres of Excellence and Client Relationship teams.
• providing an expert contribution to departmental projects relating to legal data and information (for example relating to search and data analysis).
• leading and co-ordinating the activities of the GLD Library Champions Network.

Person specification

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 and how they are used as an assessment method before completing your application.

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

• Changing and improving
• Communicating and influencing
• Managing a quality service
• Leadership
  

Key Skills & Experience

Essential – must be demonstrated at application and interview

• Experience of working in legal information role in a legal and/or public sector setting.
• Experience of managing and negotiating with legal information providers both print and electronic.
• Experience of planning and managing a legal information budget

Technical Professional Skills

Essential – must be demonstrated at application and interview

• A qualified librarian with good experience of working with and managing online and print collections including subscription services (LexisNexis and Thomson Reuters).
• An understanding of (and ideally experience in) technologies supporting current awareness and horizon scanning and search.
• An understanding of anticipating and responding to the legal information needs of lawyers.

Desirable

Desirable criteria will be used when there is a need to distinguish between candidates who are closely tied or the same after the initial consideration of essential criteria, at sift and / or interview.

• An understanding of how to be a conduit for the department for new opportunities and best practice in legal information in consultation with internal and external stakeholders.
• Ability to provide an expert contribution to departmental projects relating to legal data and information (for example relating to search and data analysis).
• Managing the collection and interpretation of data to inform strategic direction.

Qualifications – Minimum Eligibility Criteria

• Degree or Post Graduate Diploma in Librarianship or Library and Information Studies accredited by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals.

Security Clearance Level

All GLD employees must hold BPSS. If successful for this post you must hold or be willing to obtain CTC level clearance for this role. You can start this position while obtaining this clearance level, however continued appointment will be conditional upon obtaining the required security clearance. More information can be found about the vetting and clearance levelsbefore completing your application.

Sponsorship and Visas

There is the possibility that GLD can provide sponsorship for skilled workers, as long as they meet the full eligibility criteria set down under current immigration legislation. GLD does not guarantee sponsorship will be provided or that an applicant will be successful in gaining a skilled worker visa.

Candidates with Limited Leave to Remain can apply but must have at least 12 months remaining on an existing visa which allows them to work for GLD when employment commences. Please allow three months for the onboarding process from the point of offer.

It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that they meet the criteria for sponsorship. They also have the responsibility to notify the Resourcing Team that they require Sponsorship at the start of the onboarding process into GLD. This applies to existing civil servants as well as external candidates.

Qualifications

Degree or Post Graduate Diploma in Librarianship or Library and Information Studies accredited by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals.

Behaviours

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

• Changing and Improving
• Communicating and Influencing
• Managing a Quality Service
• Leadership

Technical skills

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

• Technical Professional Skills

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £57,263, Government Legal Department contributes £16,589 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).

• 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%

Benefits of working for the Civil Service

Whatever your role, we take your career and development seriously, and want to enable you to build a really successful career with the Department and wider Civil Service. It is crucial that our employees have the right skills to develop their careers and meet the challenges ahead, and you’ll benefit from regular performance and development reviews to ensure this development is ongoing. As a Civil Service employee, you’ll be entitled to a large range of benefits.

Learning and Development at GLD

GLD has a comprehensive learning and development offer for all employees.

We offer a programme of in-person/hybrid and virtual sessions providing learning on profession-specific, soft skills, technical skills, and different topics. We also support colleagues through a range of different professional qualifications.

Cross-Functional Professional

We support all Professions with building their careers and capability aligning with the wider Civil Service offerings for each Profession.

There are also talent and development opportunities offered throughout the year these include:

Senior Leaders and Future Leaders Schemes – cross Civil Service accelerated development schemes.

Beyond Boundaries – cross government development programme designed to help participants develop the knowledge, skills and networks required to build a satisfying and effective career in the Civil Service.

Mentoring and Coaching – we encourage all colleagues to share their knowledge, capability, and experience.

Apprenticeships - We have a range of apprenticeships on offer across all professions with the opportunity for all employees to explore a profession specific apprenticeship to support their development in role.

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

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

Application

To apply for this post you will need to complete the online application on Civil Service Jobs, searching the reference below. The deadline for this application is 12:00 Midday on Monday 14th September 2026

In your application you will be assessed on the following:

• A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities experience and achievements including any qualifications held. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years, as part of the online application form. The CV will be used to assess against the Key Skills & Experience and Qualifications as set out in the Person Specification.
• A Personal statement of no more than 750 words addressing the Technical Professional Skills criteria in the person Specification
  

CV Guidance for candidates

Please note that CV forms part of the online application form.

Please find the following guidance on how to populate the three sections of the CV when completing the online application: You will be asked to provide your, employment history, previous skills and experience, and qualifications.

For Employment History – please add your employment history, you can set out the roles you have completed in the past with start to end dates.

For Previous Skills and Experience - please add your experience, skills, achievements, key responsibilities, and any transferable skills you can bring to this role.

For Qualifications – please list the details of your education and qualifications achieved.

Application Errors

Please take extra care to tick the correct boxes in the eligibility sections of your application form. We understand mistakes sometimes happen but if you contact us later than two working days (Monday-Friday) before the vacancy closes, we will not be able to reopen your application for you. If you do make a mistake with your eligibility form, please contact us via: activecampaigns@governmentlegal.gov.uk . Use the subject line to insert appropriate wording for example – ‘Please re-open my application – 478417 closing date 14th September 2026’.

Selection Process

After the closing date, the appointing panel shall assess candidates’ suitability for the role based on evidence provided in their application against the behaviours, key skills & experience and technical professional skills outlined in the person specification.

Staged Sift

We will conduct a staged sift. The initial sift will be on CV alone. Candidates assessed as demonstrating the required qualifications in their CV will progress to the second stage of the two-stage sift where their full CV and Personal Statement will be assessed. Candidates assessed as not demonstrating the required qualifications in their CV will not progress to have their full CV and Personal Statement assessed; they will be deemed as unsuccessful in the first stage of the two-stage sift.

In the eventuality that there are a high number of applicants successful at sift, GLD may operate a longlist, whereby applicants who have been shortlisted and met the minimum pass mark but are not selected for interview will have their application placed on hold. After the initial interview round candidates on the longlist may be offered an interview, should there still be posts available.

Interview

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

• Behaviour: Changing and improving
• Behaviour: Communicating and influencing
• Behaviour: Managing a quality service
• Behaviour: Leadership
• Key Skills & Experience
• Technical Professional Skills
• Your interview will take place online

Offer

The timeline later in this pack indicates the date by which decisions are expected to be made, and all shortlisted candidates will be advised of the outcome as soon as possible thereafter.

All communications regarding your application will be made through Civil Service Jobs.

All candidates will be notified of the outcome as soon as possible after the interview. Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview.

We appoint in strict order of merit. If you meet the minimum criteria for this position but are not successful for a post, you will be placed on the reserve list. We may contact you to see if you are interested in a post at the same, or a lower grade, in GLD should one arise.

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) 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

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 : Paul Woods
• Email : paul.woods@governmentlegal.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : activecampaigns@governmentlegal.gov.uk

Further information

You have the right to complain if you feel there has been a breach of the Recruitment Principles. If you feel that your application hasn’t been treated in accordance with these Principles and wish to make a complaint, please contact recruitment_feedback@governmentlegal.gov.uk in the first instance. Please title your email as follows: 478417 – Legal Information Manager – Recruitment Complaint. Complaints must be submitted in writing within 30 days of the incident or the decision which has caused the complaint. To fully engage with the issues raised GLD require that you submit evidence of your complaint.

Attachments

Legal Information Manager Opens in new window (pdf, 573kB)