Government Property Agency
Legal Manager
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Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Leeds, Manchester, Nottingham, Swindon
Job Summary
The Government Property Agency is the largest property holder in government, with more than £2.1 billion in property assets and over 55% of the government’s office estate.
We are transforming the way the Civil Service works by creating great places to work, leading the largest commercial office programme in the UK, working towards halving carbon emissions from government offices, and achieving greater value for taxpayers. And we are looking for innovative, solutions-focused people to join our team.
Representing the best covenant in the UK – His Majesty’s Government – we are leading significant transformational programmes such as the Government Hubs Programme, Whitehall Campus Programme and Net Zero Programme. We are also delivering cost-effective property services such as asset management, lifecycle replacement and workplace services.
Innovation And Progress Underpin Our Behaviours
We Foster a Culture Of Lifelong Learning, Where Curiosity And Self-improvement Are Encouraged. Our Four Core Values Are At The Heart Of Everything We Do. They Shape Our Culture And Guide How We Work, Lead And Grow Together
- Striving for excellence- We always aim to deliver great results
- Empowering through respect- We insist on fair treatment for all, always
- Acting with integrity- We consistently do the right thing
- Succeeding together- We rely on each other to achieve success
We are committed to representing the communities we serve by making Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) part of everything we do. Our strong emphasis on EDI is not just about driving inclusion across our organisation, it is also about ensuring our services meet the needs of government departments and the civil servants who use our spaces. To ensure that we are always recruiting and retaining a diverse mix of talent, we are particularly inviting applications from candidates who are disabled, ethnically or gender diverse, and people who identify as being part of the LGBTQ+ community.
Join our dynamic and diverse team that leads with purpose, improving sustainability, nurturing social value, driving inclusivity and flexibility, and kickstarting economic growth.
We are driven by purpose, and you can be part of it too: where you make a meaningful impact; where you influence; where your voice really matters; where you help to shape our future direction.
Job Description
This is a new senior expert strategic and operational role to develop and manage the relatively new legal and compliance function within the GPA.
The key responsibilities involve providing advice, guidance and effective management of internal and external specialist legal and compliance resources and budget with the deliverables being ensuring that the GPA’s activities comply with legal, ethical and public sector regulations whilst delivering business plan targets in accordance with the GPA governance framework.
This role includes the management of 2 specialist inhouse legal and compliance resources, external legal advisers and support to the GPA governance function as well as delegated budget responsibilities.
Person specification
Experience & Technical Skills
- England & Wales qualified practicing solicitor either specialising in procurement with experience of managing other lawyers and external advisers and ideally experience of both private and public sector and working in or leading multi-disciplinary projects.
- Understanding court process, government regulations and legal precedents;
- Able to research and analyse complex legal issues, case law and factual information;
- Knowledge of legal principles, rules and statutes including awareness of public law.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills for conveying complex information and legal solutions to clients, colleagues and stakeholders;
- Analytical thinker;
- Strong problem solving skills;
- Strong interpersonal skills to help build strong relationships and work effectively with colleagues and clients;
- Attention to detail;
- Strong time management skills.
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Essential Criteria
- Experience of managing external advisers;
- Experience of working in or leading multi-disciplinary projects;
- Experience of advising senior management.
Desirable Criteria
- Experience or awareness of effectively navigating MPM and other public sector requirements to deliver legally robust outcomes.
Qualifications And Accreditations
Essential criteria:
It is essential that candidates are an England & Wales qualified practicing solicitor with procurement, property or construction experience.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Leadership
- Managing a Quality Service
- Making Effective Decisions
- Delivering at Pace
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- Customer Perspective
- Commercial Acumen
- Property Market Knowledge
- Innovation
Benefits
Alongside your salary of £70,968, Government Property Agency contributes £20,559 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%
- Generous annual leave
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.
We encourage applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that represents the communities and wider society that we serve. We pride ourselves on being an employer of choice. We champion diversity, inclusion and well-being and aim to create a sense of belonging in a workplace where everyone feels valued. The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service D&I Strategy.
Please note - At this time GPA are unable to offer any Visa Sponsorship to candidates as we do not currently hold a visa sponsorship licence. Please do not apply for permanent roles with GPA if you will require your employer to take on the sponsorship of your current or any future visas.
Sift
The sift is due to take place week commencing 5th October 2026.
As part of the application process, you will be asked to include a CV, a 750 Statement of suitability. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
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Should we receive a large number of applications, an initial sift will be conducted using the Statement of Suitability only. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.
Interview
GPA policy is for interviews to be held face to face, with virtual interviews only by absolute exception. The date and location will be confirmed if you are invited to interview. If you feel this will be a problem for you, please contact recruitment@gpa.gov.uk to discuss prior to submitting your application.
At interview, applicants will be scored against 4 behaviours - Leadership, Managing a Quality Service, Making Effective Decisions and Delivering at Pace
Interview questions will be a blend of Behaviour, Experience, Strength and Technical (core skill) questions.
This role is full time only. Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.
Further Information
A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.
Any move to GPA from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare; for further information visit the Childcare Choices website.
Reasonable Adjustment
If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.
If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:
-
Contact Government Recruitment Service via gparecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
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Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section in the ‘Additional requirements’ page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.
If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.
In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf.
However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.
Please note: in addition to the standard pre-employment checks for appointment into the Civil Service, all candidates must also obtain National Security Vetting at Security Check (SC) clearance level for this vacancy. You will normally need to meet the minimum UK residency period as determined by the level of vetting being undertaken, which for SC is 5 years UK residency prior to your vetting application. If you have any questions about this residency requirement, please speak to the vacancy holder for this post.
For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the Demystifying Vetting website.
Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on
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