Contract type: Permanent

Hours: 30 hours a week, will consider 22.5 hrs. We are willing to talk flexible working.

Location: Remote, with up to twice-monthly visits to London, public transport travel costs covered.

Salary: Between £52,000 and £58,000 (FTE) pa, (depending on PQE experience) + benefits. 

Reports to: CEO 

Direct reports: Senior Rights Adviser, Rights Advisers, Senior Benefits Advisers, Benefits Advisers, Supervising Solicitor, Trusts & Foundations Manager (line management divided up between the two heads). 

Start date: December 2024 (negotiable)

About the role

Working Families is the UK’s national charity for working parents and carers. Our mission is to remove the barriers that people with caring responsibilities face in the workplace.

This is a new role managing the Legal Advice Services. This role will be a job split, with an existing Co-Head in place. The new role is for 30 hours a week (0.8 FTE). We are willing to talk flexible working. 

This new Co-Head will focus on developing strategic relationships with trusted partners and stakeholders, including new and existing law firms who provide pro bono support.

You will focus on the strategic framework, delivering the 5 year plan and, as part of the Senior Leadership Team, s­­­­upporting the organisation to be a great place to work with and for. There will be some line management responsibilities. There will be some oversight of Working Families employment contracts, handbooks and policies.

This is a joint role, with a Co-Head of Legal Advice Services (already in place) whose focus is managing the service and the team of advisers, overseeing AQS accreditation and supporting the Trust and Foundations Manager with fundraising applications. This role ensures quality advice is provided by the service. 

The Job Description below is for the Head of Legal Advice Services role as a whole. Specific responsibilities and focus for each Co-Head will be set out in a job split agreement.

The advert is open until Monday 9 December 2024, but we will be reviewing applications from the start date and may interview and appoint earlier.

Key responsibilities:

Employment Legal Advice Service

• Oversee the advice pages of Working Families website, ensuring this is timely, appropriate, and fit for purpose

• Oversee the effective and efficient delivery of Employment legal advice to working parents and carers

• Manage the LAS team

• Keep abreast of changes in employment, financial or other relevant support for parents and carers, incorporating these into the service as appropriate

• Support increasing brand awareness of the service, working with the charity to increase the engagement and number of working parents and carers accessing Working Families website and bespoke advice

Stakeholders & Partners

• Manage, and enrich the partnership with pro bono network

• Manage and build the partnership with solicitors and law firms

• Delivery of specific projects to analyse and develop the work of the LAS and partnering with other organisations

• Fully participate in the Parents & Carers Panel, as invited

• Ensure funders’ requirements are met, provide feedback, and contribute to the improvement of feedback

Strategic Involvement

• Identify and manage strategic judicial interventions

• Identify policy, legal and strategic issues and collaborate with the Head of Policy & Influencing and/or the CEO to develop policy relevant to employment legislation

• Support the Head of Employer Services with best practice for employers

Governance

• Manage the legal, ethical, and other compliance needs of the legal advice service

• Manage all monitoring of service users, in line with the charity’s needs

• Manage all quality standards relating to the legal advice service

Senior Leadership Team

• Key contributor to the SLT, sharing accountability for collective decision making and supporting the effective running of the charity

• As part of the SLT, focus on strategic HR management

• As part of the SLT, focus on strategic Health & Safety management

• As part of the SLT, focus on Safeguarding

Other

• Comply with, and fully participate in, all Working Families policies and processes

• Represent Working Families externally

• Support and participate in fundraising activities for Working Families

• Contribute to the wider Working Families team, undertaking any other reasonable duties as directed

Person specification:

Essential

• Employment lawyer (solicitor or barrister) with at least 5 years PQE in employment law with a reputable organisation

• Expertise in and experience of providing autonomous advice on employment law and discrimination

• Ability to identify policy issues arising from advice work

• Ability to identify own training and development needs and commitment to keeping up to date with all relevant changes in benefits and employment rights

• Ability to represent the organisation externally as subject matter expert

• Ability to set priorities and training needs and manage own workload

• Ability to manage, motivate and sustain advisers and a wider team of volunteers

• Ability to manage a budget

• Ability to work as part of the Senior Leadership Team of the Charity

• Proven experience of establishing rapport, credibility and collaborative relationships with key customers, partners, and stakeholders at the highest level both internally and externally

• Ability to manage a budget

Desirable

• Experience working in the charity or not-for-profit sector

• Experience of working with public bodies to shape policy and law

• Experience of planning and writing advice publications for members of the public

• Knowledge of disability equality issues

• The ability to read, write and communicate data in context, including an understanding of data sources

• Understanding of benefits and other support available to families 

• Experience of providing training

Right to Work

Working Families is unable to sponsor work permits or visas. All candidates must have the right to work in the UK.