From £68,820 per annum

We are looking for a strong lawyer and leader for the role of Senior Managing Lawyer Radioactive Substances Regulation. This role leads and manages a team providing legal support covering Radioactive Substances Regulation, including advice on legislation, policy implementation, national issues and regulation, including enforcement and related appeals and litigation.

You will provide leadership in advising on Radioactive Substances law and regulation and you will be a role model for the Environment Agency’s leadership behaviours. You will be responsible for your team providing timely, risk-based and high quality legal advice covering nuclear and non-nuclear radioactive substances law and regulation in England to protect people and the environment from the harmful effects of ionising radiation, now and in the future, and to protect and enhance the environment as a whole. You will have the opportunity to influence, directly and through your team, new legislation and implementation of policy including the recent Government response to the Nuclear Regulatory Review. You will represent the Environment Agency’s interests effectively with Government, partner regulators and stakeholders. Your team also advises the Nuclear and Non-Nuclear Radioactive Regulatory operational delivery teams on permitting, regulation, enforcement and appeals.

You will lead, plan and monitor the strategic direction of the team’s contribution to support the delivery of business plans. You will develop and maintain relationships at management level, providing an intermediate escalation point on legal issues for internal Executive Managers and Managers to anticipate and resolve issues, promoting effective partnership working. As with all Senior Managing Lawyer roles you will be required to own, manage and deliver agreed cross-cutting issues on behalf of Legal and Audit Services.

The Team:
You will lead a team of 3 Senior Lawyers working on Radioactive Substances Regulation. This team is part of the National Legal Team, which advises Environment & Business directorate on developing and implementing new legislation and policy. They also advise Regulatory teams in Operations and Chief Regulator’s Group on permitting, regulatory and enforcement matters. All Senior Managing Lawyers may be required to lead on other areas of law from time to time.

Experience/Skills Required:
You will have:

• Experience of managing and leading people;
• Experience of handling complex technical issues;
• Experience of advising on Radioactive Substances law and regulation or willingness and aptitude to rapidly gain a grasp of these;
• Extensive experience advising on one or more of the relevant legal areas: (1) public law, (2) development and implementation of legislation, (3) regulation
• Thorough and up-to-date knowledge of relevant legislation or ability to get up to speed rapidly;
• Confidence and experience to assimilate a new area of environmental or other law quickly;
• Ability to collaborate with other senior lawyers effectively on cross-cutting issues;
• Ability to write detailed legal briefings for use at senior and government level, and correspondence in response to parliamentary questions;
• Confidence and ability to brief orally at director/board/government level;
• Experience of working effectively at a national level and/or with government.

Contact and Additional Information:
You will be a qualified solicitor or barrister with a current right to practise in England.
Your application should outline how you would lead your team to provide an outstanding legal service, and demonstrate your experience and suitability for the role against each of the competencies: Leads People; Influences and persuades others; Shapes organisational approach and delivery.

Details of how to apply in the additional material candidate pack. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and including career returners. The role can be based at any of our main office locations (Bristol, Exeter, Birmingham, Peterborough, Warrington, Leeds, Reading). Some travel will be required.
Interviews are planned for 11 May 2026.

Please contact Estelle Palin if you would like to discuss the role in more detail: estelle.palin@environment-agency.gov.uk
 
Closing date: 20 April 2026.
 
For further information or to apply, please click on the 'Enquire/Apply' button below.