Legal Manager – Inquiries Team

Job summary

Make a difference
Every role at CQC contributes to our mission, If you’re looking for a new role in Legal Services that gives a true sense of meaning and purpose, then you’ve found it. As a Legal Manager – Inquiries Team, you’ll help CQC respond openly, fairly and lawfully to public inquiries that shape safer health and care for everyone.

Picture this
You’re leading a skilled legal team through complex, high‑profile inquiries, helping CQC tell its story clearly, meet legal duties, and learn lessons that improve care. You balance legal expertise, people leadership and calm decision‑making in a fast‑moving environment where your work really matters.

As a Legal Manager in the Legal Services Directorate you might:

• Lead CQC’s preparation for a major public inquiry, coordinating evidence, drafting corporate witness statements and meeting tight statutory deadlines.
• Help shape how CQC learns from inquiry findings, influencing improvements across digital, operational and knowledge systems.

Job description

The role
You’ll play an important part in delivering our mission. In this role, you’ll:

• Lead and manage an inquiries sub-team: Oversee a multidisciplinary legal team, plan and prioritise work, allocate cases, and support people to deliver high‑quality outcomes while looking after wellbeing.
• Provide expert legal direction: Act as CQC’s senior legal lead on public inquiries and investigations, advising on risk, approach and compliance, and escalating issues where needed to senior leaders.
• Coordinate briefings and engagement: Ensure clear, timely briefings for the Executive, Board and senior colleagues, while managing relationships with inquiry teams, legal partners and both external and internal stakeholders.

Person specification

Show us
We will be looking for specific skills, knowledge and experience in your application form:

• Leading legal teams: Experience managing qualified legal professionals, including workload planning, quality assurance, coaching and performance support in a complex environment.
• Handling public inquiries or public law work: Experience advising on public inquiries, inquests or significant public law matters, including preparing submissions, witness statements, or acting as a legal representative.
• Clear legal communication at senior level: Experience drafting and presenting complex legal advice or briefings for senior leaders, explaining risks, options and recommendations in plain language.

If this sounds like a role where your experience can make a real difference, apply today to join a workplace where your impact is felt every day.

Benefits

The Benefits
We offer a wide range of benefits, including:

• Annual leave starting at 27 days per year, rising to 32.5 days with service, plus bank holidays (usually 8 days per year).
• Training and development opportunities.
• Wellbeing initiatives, such as gym discounts and meditation.
• NHS pension scheme, with around 14% employer contribution.
• Discount schemes (including eligibility for a Blue Light card, at a cost of £4.99 and valid for 2 years), reward vouchers, car leasing and more!

Please see our benefits page for the full list.

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

To apply, please click the ‘Apply at advertiser’s site’ button located at the bottom of this page.

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

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

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 : Suleman Patel, Deputy Director of Public Inquiries
• Email : Suleman.Patel@cqc.org.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : recruitment@cqc.org.uk

Attachments

20260422 Legal Manager - Public Inquiries JD (Revised) Opens in new window (docx, 106kB)