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GOV.UKLegal Deputy Director A6: Enforcement, Illicit Finance and General Litigation
HM Revenue and Customs
Apply before 11:55 pm on Sunday 29th January 2023
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Senior leadership
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About the job
Job summary
Solicitor's Office and Legal Services (SOLS) is HMRC’s legal function. We support the department to achieve its objectives through our collective legal, tax, accountancy, insolvency and other professional expertise. This includes:
- Legal advice on policy and compliance across the range of HMRC’s functions.
- The development and drafting of primary and secondary legislation.
- The conduct of litigation in a variety of courts and tribunals in relation to tax, benefits and other matters.
- Criminal law advice to HMRC’s Fraud Investigation Service.
- Commercial law advice to HMRC as a major buyer of complex IT and other services.
- The provision of legal advice and support to HMRC in relation to the UK Covid-19 Inquiry.
We also provide technical accountancy and forensic services to HMRC, are head of the Compliance Accountants’ and insolvency professions as well as handling Ministerial Correspondence and Freedom of Information requests for HMRC. On 21 July 2020, the government published its 10-year strategy to build a trusted, modern tax administration system and SOLS is at the heart of delivering that strategy.
Job description
This role sits in the Litigation Directorate (SOLS A) and will be part of the Litigation Directorate Leadership Team, reporting to the Director of Litigation.
The Litigation Directorate (SOLS A) conducts litigation on behalf of HMRC in relation to the most complex, high-value and high-profile cases, including corporate tax disputes and the bigger individual disputes. SOLS A is made up of six teams of about 130 colleagues who are mainly lawyers, alongside paralegals and support staff.
Person specification
The successful candidate must be qualified as a Solicitor or Barrister and able to practice in England and Wales.
Essential Criteria:
- Excellent legal professional skills with knowledge of public law and experience in delivering legal services within a government or wider public sector context; the ability to think creatively and give authoritative risk-based legal direction that facilitates practical solutions.
- A strong leader who can engage and inspire a geographically disparate team to deliver excellent legal services, and drive and influence transformation within the wider team, particularly in digital and data.
- The ability to contribute to the effective leadership and management of the wider Directorate and SOLS, embedding a positive, diverse, and inclusive culture that supports wellbeing and encourages learning and development.
- The ability to work collaboratively to understand diverse customer needs in order to deliver high quality and efficient legal services.
- Demonstrable ability to work collaboratively with senior leaders across SOLS, HMRC, GLD and external stakeholders.
Desirable Criteria:
- Experience and knowledge of civil litigation, enforcement and insolvency and the other legal areas within the role profile.
Qualifications
Benefits
• 25 days annual leave on entry, increasing on a sliding scale to 30 days after 5 years’ service. This is in addition to your public/bank holidays.
• Interest-free loans allowing you to spread the cost of an annual travel season ticket or a new bicycle.
• A competitive contributory pension scheme that you can enter as soon as you join where we will make a significant contribution to the cost of your pension; where your contributions come out of your salary before any tax is taken; and where your pension will continue to provide valuable benefits for you and your family if you are too ill to continue to work or die before you retire.
• Flexible working patterns and access to Flexible Working Schemes allowing you to vary your working day as long as you work your total hours.
• Generous paid maternity and paternity leave which is notably more than the statutory minimum offered by many other employers.
• The use of onsite staff canteens (where applicable).
• Occupational sick pay.
Team members that are moving offices as a result of the Locations Programme will be entitled to a Moves Adjustment Payment for three years where they incur additional costs. This is calculated based on the difference between the costs of travelling to and from the new and old office, over a weekly period. You will get more detail on this as part of targeted locations move communications.
Find more about HMRC benefits in 'Your little extras booklet' for further information or visit Thinking of joining the Civil Service
Things you need to know
Selection process details
To apply for this post, you will need to complete the online application process which includes completing the application form as outlined below:
- A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years.
- A Statement of Suitability (no longer than 1250 words) explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with particular reference to the criteria in the person specification.
Failure to submit a CV and a Statement of Suitability will mean we only have limited information on which to assess your application against the criteria in the person specification.
Guaranteed Interview Schemes
Candidates applying under the Disability Confidence Scheme are guaranteed an interview if they meet the minimum criteria outlined in the person specification.
This scheme works in conjunction with the Great Place to Work for Veterans, for former members of the armed services, and the Redeployment Interview Scheme for existing Civil Servants at risk of redundancy. Each scheme works in the same way.
Shortlist
An application pre-sift will be conducted by the SCS Recruitment Team followed by an in-depth review by the Vacancy Holder and Panel. The panel will assess and select applicants who demonstrate the best fit with the role by considering the evidence provided against the criteria set out in the Person Specification. Failure to address any or all of these may affect your application.
- The closing date for applications is Sunday 29th January 2023 and a shortlist decision is expected to be made by Monday 6th February 2023. All candidates will be notified of the outcome shortly afterwards.
- All shortlisted candidates will be offered an opportunity to have an informal conversation with the vacancy holder, Samantha Pullin. This is not an assessment phase but is an opportunity for each candidate to gain greater insight into the context of the role. This is optional, but highly recommended.
Use of Data
As part of the recruitment process, we may share your data and assessment results internally with our SCS Talent team.
This will provide insight into how to support your development and wider talent management, should you be successful in your application.
If you do not want your data to be shared please email claudia.mullins@hmrc.gov.uk
Assessments
If shortlisted for interview, you will be asked to take part in an Alternative Leadership Assessment (ALA).
Assessments don’t result in a pass or fail decision. Rather, they are designed to support the panel’s decision making and highlight areas for further exploration at interview.
Full details of the assessment process will be made available to candidates if shortlisted for interview.
We will send you a copy of any report for any assessment that you may have undergone as part of the recruitment process (where applicable).
Interview
You will be asked to attend an interview for a more in-depth discussion of your previous experience and professional competence.
We will also ask you to prepare a 5-minute verbal presentation. Details will be issued in advance of your interview.
Interviews are expected to take place in the week commencing 27th February 2023. Interviews will be held in person. Full instructions will be issued prior to interview.
Regardless of the outcome, we will notify all candidates as soon as possible once all interviews have concluded.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
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
Nationality requirements
Working for the Civil Service
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles.
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : Claudia Mullins
- Email : claudia.mullins@hmrc.gov.uk
Recruitment team :
- Email : claudia.mullins@hmrc.gov.uk
Further information
