What Government Departments Jobs are in the United Kingdom?

Government Legal Department is seeking a Head of the Management Accounting function to lead budgeting, forecasting and management reporting across the department. The role focuses on coordinating annual budgeting, quarterly forecasting, and fee setting while ensuring high-quality financial insight for strategic decision-making.

The successful candidate will oversee an HEO direct report, work with senior stakeholders, and support modernising finance processes in a large public sector department.

Join to apply for the Senior Knowledge Development Lawyer role at Government Legal Department

The Government Legal Department (GLD) is the largest provider of legal services across government, working with all the main Whitehall departments. Our work touches on most aspects of public life, including developing and drafting legislation, helping to secure economic and trade relationships, providing legal advice on policies and ensuring value from contracts.

The Litigation Directorate focuses on public and private law litigation with constitutional importance. We handle matters such as immigration, welfare, climate change and energy, and provide expert representation to inquests and public inquiries, including a range of judicial review challenges.

When you join us in this important leadership role, you’ll take responsibility for the development and improvement of our Knowledge Management function. You’ll foster a positive culture of knowledge sharing and learning among our lawyers, provide strategic support to our senior management team, and work closely with colleagues across GLD, including the Professional Development, Digital and Change teams. Your additional responsibilities will include:

• Leading on the development of the Directorate’s knowledge and learning plans
• Line managing a team of four Knowledge Development Lawyers, each with a different specialism or focus (public law, private law, immigration, public inquiries)
• Monitoring, curating and promoting relevant developments in law and practice across various platforms to keep lawyers up to date
• Ensuring the team has access to relevant online research services and collections
• Using online knowledge and learning platforms to create, collect and share ideas and information
• Working with legal training sub-groups and other specialists to organise, design, promote and deliver relevant training
• Signposting and procuring training on research resources and carrying out research on specific issues
• Supporting clients with legal awareness publications, training and development of material for the client portal
• Identifying colleagues with relevant expertise and promoting this
• Participating in innovation programmes, promoting improvements to the legal process and liaising with panel firms to learn from their experience

In order to carry out your work successfully you’ll need to have security clearance to BPSS level. More information about the vetting process can be found here.

To be successful in this role you should possess strong leadership skills and a sound understanding of Public Law gained by advising clients and conducting cases, or through a specific knowledge-focused role. You should have the ability to approach legal issues by applying sound research, reliable judgement and an appreciation of risk, and experience of developing knowledge resources and delivering training.

You should be able to see legal issues in their wider context and advise accordingly. You’ll need to be highly organized and timely in your coordination and delivery of projects, and able to communicate complex legal issues in an accessible way tailored to your audience. Experience in knowledge development is essential; understanding immigration law would be desirable.

You should be a qualified Solicitor, Barrister or Chartered Legal Executive in England and Wales, and will have completed a training contract, pupillage or qualifying employment, or been exempted from this by the Law Society, the Bar Council or CILEx. A minimum 2.1 honours degree in any subject (or overseas equivalent), or evidence of high-level academic or professional achievement (such as a Graduate Diploma in Law, Legal Practice Course or Bar Professional Training Course) is required, underpinned by practical experience.

Chartered Legal Executives are eligible to apply where a qualifying law degree is held or the Graduate Diploma in Law has been completed, or where CILEx Level 6 exams have been passed at 50% or above in Contract Law, Criminal Law, Equity and Trusts Law, European Union Law, Land Law, Public Law and the Law of Tort.

GLD encourages its people to develop their skills in a nurturing environment. Other benefits include access to a valuable civil service pension and flexible working arrangements.

Our vision is to be an outstanding legal organisation and a brilliant place to work where everyone can thrive and fulfil their potential. This is an exciting time for GLD, with cutting-edge legal work on global issues and a transformation agenda that supports the Modern Civil Service.

Closing date for applications: Noon Monday 1st September 2025.

• Mid-Senior level

• Full-time

• Legal
• Industries: Legal Services

Closing date indicates this posting may be closed; ensure you apply promptly if interested.

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero seeks a strategic leader to drive policy development and delivery for major UK nuclear infrastructure projects. You will oversee policy, communications and reporting across SZC, HPC, and SZB portfolios, partnering with Ministers and senior officials to shape governance, financing and regulatory strategies.

Lead a ~15-person team and coordinate cross-departmental work.

Location: Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Darlington, Edinburgh, London, Salford Job summary

Would you like to be a driving-force behind some of the biggest capital infrastructure projects in the UK and Europe, which will help secure UK energy security, and contribute to the UK’s net zero ambitions for decades to come? This is your opportunity.

Nuclear power has a key role to play in the UK's energy mix and is at the forefront of debates on how to address the UK's energy needs. By generating reliable low‑carbon power at all times of day and regardless of the weather, nuclear provides a firm foundation for a lower‑cost, more reliable and more secure electricity system, reducing our reliance on fossil fuels and the vulnerability of consumers' energy bills to their volatile prices.

The directorate oversees HMG’s interests in Sizewell C (SZC), Hinkley Point C (HPC) and Sizewell B (SZB). SZC is a new large gigawatt nuclear power station being built in Suffolk, as an above-ground replica of HPC. Once operational it will generate enough electricity for 6 million homes for more than 50 years, making a huge contribution to UK energy security, with significant benefits for UK jobs and businesses.

A Final Investment Decision on SZC was taken in July 2025, with the Regulated Asset Base funding model – a first for a new nuclear project – commencing in November as new private investors assumed their stakes in the project. The Nuclear Projects Delivery team is responsible for navigating strategic, commercial, regulatory and technical challenges to progress SZC in HMG’s roles as Shareholder, Policy Sponsor and Debt Provider. The team is also responsible for assuring the delivery of HPC and is currently involved in negotiations with EDF to extend the life of Sizewell B (SZB).

This work, at the cutting edge of the Government’s energy policy delivery, is exciting and fast‑paced, dealing with varied and complex issues in a complex multifaceted stakeholder, commercial and legal environment.

We are seeking candidates with strong policy and project delivery backgrounds. This is a stretching role providing exciting opportunities for professional development through involvement in large scale nuclear projects, including access and exposure to senior stakeholders in/outside Government. This is a unique opportunity to be at the heart of net zero projects of cross‑generational significance.

The team prides itself on having a warm, supportive culture, drawing on a unique range of experience and expertise to ensure individual and collective wellbeing at all times, and to allow the space needed for personal development whilst pursuing our collective objectives.

Working closely with the Technical and Shareholding Deputy Directors, this role sits at the centre of the Nuclear Projects Delivery Directorate, providing strategic leadership across policy, communications, and reporting for three of Government’s most significant nuclear projects. It combines high‑profile policy development with operational oversight, supporting delivery across a complex and politically sensitive portfolio.

The postholder will lead on a broad and evolving set of policy issues, ensuring the Department is well‑positioned to respond to emerging challenges and opportunities. This includes shaping the Government’s response to the Fingleton review, external scrutiny, such as Public Accounts Committee inquiries, and leading engagement with organisations such as the Office for National Statistics to determine classification decisions that have significant fiscal and governance implications. The role also drives the development of key frameworks and mechanisms, including shareholder agreements, subsidy assessments, and approaches to recycling Government returns to consumers.

Alongside policy leadership, you will oversee a high‑performing communications function responsible for managing a significant volume of Parliamentary questions, Freedom of Information requests, correspondence, and briefing. This requires ensuring accurate, timely, and consistent messaging on complex and often high‑profile issues, while maintaining strong relationships with Ministers, senior officials, and external stakeholders.

The role also has responsibility for reporting and assurance across the portfolio, ensuring that information provided by project companies supports Government reporting requirements, including ORB and GMPP processes, and meets high standards of quality and timeliness. In parallel, you will oversee adviser contract management, ensuring that external expertise is effectively commissioned and managed to support robust decision‑making.

A key expectation of the role is to establish the team as a centre of excellence for nuclear financing and policy insight, supporting not only the Nuclear Projects Delivery Directorate but also wider nuclear teams. This involves building capability, sharing best practice, and contributing to the development of cross‑cutting policy and strategy.

You will lead a team of approximately 15 staff across three Grade 6‑led areas, fostering a collaborative, high‑performing culture. The role requires strong leadership, strategic judgement, and the ability to operate confidently in a fast‑paced, complex environment with multiple senior stakeholders across Government, regulators, and industry.

Overall, this is a critical leadership role at the heart of delivering major nuclear infrastructure, combining policy, communication, and delivery oversight to support successful outcomes on nationally significant projects.

• Inclusive Leadership & Capability Building– A proven track record of leading, inspiring, and developing multi‑disciplinary teams — including leading other managers — to help them reach their full potential. Experience driving productivity, establishing clear accountability, and fostering a supportive, resilient, and inclusive team culture.
• Proactive Policy-to-Delivery & Systems Thinking– A proactive, self‑starting approach to policy development, with experience using policy and strategic levers to actively support and unblock delivery. A proven ability to align policy with overarching strategic objectives by identifying critical interdependencies and navigating a complex landscape.
• Energy Sector or Complex Systems Expertise– Working knowledge of the UK energy system, or a similarly complex, highly regulated, and capital‑intensive sector. Strong analytical skills and sound strategic judgement, with the ability to quickly grasp and navigate complex, technical, and fast‑moving subject matter.
• Major Project Oversight & Cross-Boundary Collaboration– Experience working on, or providing strategic oversight for, major capital infrastructure or high‑value projects. Outstanding collaborative skills, with a track record of working across organisational boundaries — including closely with other departments and external partners — to deliver shared outcomes.
• Senior Stakeholder Influence & Managing Scrutiny– Excellent communication skills and a track record of successfully negotiating and influencing at the most senior levels, including Ministers, executives, or Board‑level stakeholders. The resilience to manage a high volume of public accountability work under intense scrutiny and pace.

Government Soft Landings (GSL) Lead

Vacancy Reference

Closing Date – 6th August 2026

Location – Birmingham, Blackpool, Pontypridd, Glasgow, Leeds, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Sheffield & Manchester

Salary - £57,946 to £68,205

DWP is the UK’s largest government department, with the largest commercial estate – over 800 properties and a budget in excess of £1.4Bn.

The Government Soft Landings (GSL) Lead is the strategic lead for the development, implementation, governance and continuous improvement of Government Soft Landings across the DWP Estates portfolio. The role is accountable for ensuring that the principles of Government Soft Landings, operational readiness, asset information management and whole-life asset performance are embedded across the estate lifecycle, from business case development through design, construction, occupation and operation.

South Wales | Hybrid / Flexible Working Available

Yolk Legal Recruitment is delighted to be supporting a highly regarded and expanding legal practice in South Wales with the appointment of a senior Public Law and Inquests specialist.

This is a unique opportunity for an experienced lawyer to join a forward-thinking firm and play a key role in developing and growing a specialist Public Law offering. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to shape the direction of the department, build a team around them and work closely with senior leadership to establish a leading practice area.

What you will get in this role:

The firm has a strong reputation for supporting clients across a range of specialist legal areas and is now looking to further develop its Public Law, Inquests and Human Rights offering.

This role would suit an experienced solicitor who is passionate about public interest work and wants the autonomy, support and platform to grow a department.

You will have the opportunity to:

• Develop and lead a Public Law and Inquests team.

• Build and manage a specialist caseload.

• Work on complex Judicial Review, Human Rights and Inquest matters.

• Develop relationships with key stakeholders, counsel and external partners.

• Mentor junior lawyers and contribute to the growth strategy of the department.

The experience you will have:

You will ideally have:

• A strong background in Public Law, Administrative Law, Inquests and/or Human Rights litigation.

• Experience handling Judicial Reviews and complex public interest matters.

• The ability to manage a caseload independently and provide high-quality client advice.

• Strong advocacy skills and experience working with senior counsel.

• Experience supporting vulnerable clients and handling sensitive, high-impact cases.

• A genuine interest in developing and growing a specialist practice area.

Experience with Legal Aid work and Legal Aid Agency procedures would be highly desirable.

This opportunity would suit someone who may currently be:

• A Senior Associate looking for the next step in their career.

• An experienced Public Law/Inquests lawyer wanting greater autonomy.

• A lawyer who enjoys business development and building something from the ground up.

• Someone looking for a leadership role with genuine influence over the future direction of a department.

What you will get in this role:

• Competitive salary package based on experience.

• Performance-related bonus opportunity.

• Genuine career progression and leadership opportunities.

• Flexible hybrid working arrangements.

• Opportunity to work remotely for the right individual.

• Supportive and collaborative working environment.

• Generous holiday allowance plus birthday day off.

This is an exciting opportunity for a specialist Public Law lawyer to make a real impact and build something meaningful within an established and growing legal practice.

For more information or a confidential discussion, please contact Nicole at Yolk Legal Recruitment.

Yolk Recruitment is an equal opportunities employer and embraces diversity in our workforce. We employ the best people for the job at hand and actively encourage applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, age, race, religion, sexual orientation, disability, educational background, parental status, gender identity or any other protected characteristic. We champion and celebrate diversity at Yolk, allowing our team to bring their whole selves to work. Please note, whilst we do our best to contact all candidates, due to the high number of applications we receive, we cannot guarantee this for every role. If you have not heard anything from us within 7 days of applying, then unfortunately you have been unsuccessful. Please keep an eye on our website for more opportunities.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero is seeking a candidate for a critical role in managing customer relationships and oversight of shared services.

This position involves leading the relationship with Integrated Corporate Services and ensuring a coherent commissioning approach. The ideal candidate will demonstrate strong leadership capabilities, collaboration with various stakeholders, and managing shared services effectively.