Legal Operations Officer: Covid-19 Inquiry Team

at  Cabinet Office

JOB SUMMARY

In December 2021 Baroness Heather Hallett, a retired Appeal Court judge, was appointed by the Prime Minister as Chair of the independent public inquiry into the Covid-19 pandemic.
The UK Covid-19 Inquiry was formally established with full powers under the Inquiries Act 2005 in June 2022. The Inquiry sits independently of the Government with the Cabinet Office acting as the sponsoring department.
Following an initial set up phase the Inquiry began hearing evidence in May 2023. We are now looking for an energetic and collaborative senior leader to join the excellent team that is delivering the Inquiry.
This is an exciting role, offering the opportunity to lead an innovative team, in fast moving circumstances, to ensure lessons are learned from the UK response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Further information about the Inquiry can be found on the UK Covid-19 Inquiry website.

ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS

• Is highly organised and able to prioritise effectively.
• Is a confident communicator- you will need to engage effectively with a range of stakeholders.
• Is interested in identifying ways to improve the processes they are working on.
• Is flexible and has a can-do attitude.
• Is a self-starter who, once up and running, can deliver without significant oversight.

DESIRABLE SKILLS

• Experience of using a google platform would be advantageous.
• Experience working with barristers or solicitors and their clerks would be an advantage but not essential.
• Holds Counter Terrorism Clearance (CTC).

NATIONALITY REQUIREMENTS

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

ABOUT THE ROLE

Working to the HEO Legal Operations Leads, the Legal Operations Support Officer is a varied role and will provide administrative support across the team. This could include; witness and hearings support, invoice processing, inbox management, assisting with recruitment competitions and onboarding.

The jobholder’s responsibilities include (but are not limited to) -

• Provision of administrative support to the entire Legal Operations team and wider Inquiry Legal Team, this could include diary management, inbox management and minute taking.
• Support the on-boarding of new starters within the Legal team including staff, solicitors, paralegals and counsel.
• Invoice processing across the legal budget line including s.40 and Counsel.
• Supporting the Inquiry’s witness process including drafting letters and supporting witnesses on the day.
• Work flexibly across the Legal Operations team to assist and support those planning hearings.
• The post-holder may be required to perform other ad hoc duties consistent with the role and grading, where necessary.

To apply for this role, please submit the following documents no later than 23:55 on 17 February 2025 via the Civil Service Jobs portal:

• A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you provide employment history that relates to the essential and desirable criteria, and that any gaps in employment history within the last 2 years are explained. The CV should not exceed more than 2 x A4 pages.
• A statement of no more than 500 words outlining how your skills and experience meet the requirements of the role.
• A behaviour statement of no more than 250 words addressing the lead behaviour ‘Managing a Quality Service’