General Dental Council
Principal Advisory Lawyer
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Principal Advisory Lawyer
Salary: £82,409 - £96,158 pa (Basic salary + location allowance of £4,500)
Location: London/Hybrid (2 days per week in the office)
Hours: Full-time
Contract: Fixed-term contract – 15 -18 months, internal secondment cover
About the Role
As a Principal Advisory Lawyer, you will play a leading role at the General Dental Council, providing strategic and risk-based legal advice across a wide range of complex and high-profile regulatory, wider public and commercial law matters.
The team provides legal advice on a myriad of different disciplines – including in respect of:
- Our regulatory remit in Fitness to Practise and Registration
- Policy development and our public and administrative law obligations
- Legislative development and drafting
- Commercial law – including procurement, contracts and corporate obligations
- Employment law
- Information law
- EU law
- Human rights and equalities legislation
- Criminal enforcement
Key Responsibilities
- Support the Senior Counsel and Associate Director, Legal by ensuring the provision of accurate, timely and risk-based advice to GDC colleagues and Council.
- Contribute to the delivery of the GDC’s Corporate Strategy by early identification of legal issues and working proactively with colleagues to highlight and mitigate these where possible, this includes playing an active role on Project and Programme Boards and presenting to the Executive Leadership Team (ELT), Committees and the Council as appropriate.
- Draft, review and provide critical comment on draft legislation, and give advice to ELT and colleagues across the GDC as to the impact of implementation.
- Lead, manage and develop others within the team, by proactively identifying opportunities for learning and improvement and ensuring work produced is accurate and focused on delivering solutions. Line manage a number of colleagues and deputise for the Senior Counsel and Associate Director, Legal as appropriate, whilst role modelling professional leadership behaviours.
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Person Specification
This post is being recruited to support the delivery of the team’s core business activities as outlined above, and when necessary, the postholder will be required to support the delivery of the GDC’s Corporate through leading key projects. Therefore, we are looking for significant experience in public law and policy, including interpretation of legislation and drafting legislation.
Demonstrative experience in employment law and commercial law is also desirable. Finally, successful candidates will have experience of sitting on Project Boards and taking a leading role in the delivery of strategic ambitions.
Specialist Knowledge and Qualifications
- A qualified and practising solicitor or barrister or ILEX qualified (essential) with significant post-qualification experience of advising on public and regulatory law issues within a statutory, regulatory or similar framework.
- Excellent legal analytical skills, with the ability to analyse complex legal issues and present legally sound, risk-based and pragmatic advice and instructions.
- Ability to understand and engage with strategic issues, identifying potential legal risks at an early stage and providing advice that takes account of the wider context.
- Demonstrable experience of promoting adherence to the principles of equality and diversity, both in legal advice and day-to-day conduct.
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Benefits
The GDC is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace that provides an environment that reflects our values and culture and allows employees to flourish.
To support this, we offer a range of family friendly, inclusive employment policies, including flexible working arrangements from day one and employee networks that aid growth and development.
Some of our benefits include:
- 27 days’ holiday (plus 8 bank holidays) - rising to 30 days (plus 8 bank holidays) after 2 years’ service
- Flexi-time scheme
- Employer pension contributions up to 10%
- Buy/Sell annual leave
- Enhanced Maternity, Paternity and Adoption leave from 1 years’ service
- Life assurance, income protection plan and enhanced sick leave policy
- Staff discounts, including eye care contributions and discounted gym membership
We encourage and support the recruitment, retention, and career development of people from as wide a range as possible of ethnic, cultural and social backgrounds.
How to Apply
For further details about the role and to apply, please click the apply button.
As part of your supporting statement, we would request that you expand on your experience within the person specification areas above.
Closing date: 23:59 on 23 September 2026.
Interviews: w/c 12 October 2026.
Please note that we reserve the right to bring this recruitment campaign to an end without notice, and we encourage all interested candidates to apply as soon as possible.
Please no agencies unless instructed otherwise.
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