Overview

This is a senior role providing inspirational leadership to our Legal and Accountancy teams and to the Charity Commission as a whole. The role offers the opportunity to influence the regulatory landscape and charity law in England and Wales, upholding our global reputation for fair, independent and balanced regulation. You will be involved in developing Parliamentary bills, secondary legislation and Charity Commission guidance to develop the law and policy affecting charities and charity regulation in a creative, proportionate and innovative way.

The role offers the opportunity to make a difference every day to a sector that is vital for the UK, our people, economy, environment, health, animal welfare and democracy. This is a key influencing and ambassadorial role, representing the Commission effectively with UK Government Ministers, the Attorney General and their Office, international regulators and other bodies, the Charity Law Association, and other high-profile external stakeholder groups, including major charities.

Responsibilities

The main responsibilities include:

• Secure the legal integrity of the Commission’s regulatory work by leading and providing an efficient and effective legal advisory service to all stakeholders including the Board, Chair and CEO, Directorates and all Board committees.
• Be an innovative leader who drives and enables continuous improvement in the delivery of legal and accountancy services and drives and encourages innovative solutions maximising use of latest tools and technology.
• As part of the Executive Leadership Team, jointly responsible for the long-term strategic planning of resources and workforce with fellow Directors to ensure we have what we need to succeed in the delivery of our 5-year plan.
• Provide leadership and role modelling across the Commission, maintaining and supporting a positive culture and morale in the legal and accountancy teams and across the Commission.
• Develop and deliver the Legal and Accountancy Service’s strategic and business plans, with and through the Legal and Accountancy Senior Management Teams (SMTs), ensuring they deliver our strategic outcomes and objectives.
• Lead both teams of senior leaders (SMTs) to demonstrate positive leadership across the legal teams and more widely in the Commission.
• Lead both SMTs to develop and encourage their functional legal teams to higher levels of expertise and to fully develop their knowledge management.

This role also entails leadership of the Regulatory Accountancy Team and accountability for the delivery of their service against the business plan. The Assistant Director of the Accountancy Profession will cover the technical aspects of the role. You will oversee them in their role as Assistant Director of the Accountancy Profession and through them, be assured that the team’s professional advice is risk-based, proportionate and delivers our regulatory outcomes. You are, through the Head of the Accountancy Profession, accountable for ensuring that the UK Charity reporting accounting framework and policy is developed and maintained.

As a full partner in the Executive Leadership Team, you will lead the Legal and Accountancy Directorate, helping to shape the Commission towards the Board’s ambition to be fair, balanced and independent so that the charity can thrive. You will be integral to the development and delivery of the Commission’s new five-year Strategy for 2024-2029.