NCSC Legal Adviser Ref.2218

Short Summary of role

We currently have two roles:

Advisory role: This role offers exposure to a diverse range of complex, novel and politically sensitive legal issues. This role will provide a unique opportunity to gain operational knowledge of national security threats and use that understanding to support the work of policy departments across Government on the development of new policy and legislation in the technology, cyber security and national security sphere.  The successful applicant must be willing to learn quickly about new areas of law and technology and will have the opportunity to work closely with global experts on emerging tech and cyber security.

Or

Commercial role: This role offers a real diversity of commercial work, with a mix of big projects, terms and conditions for consumer and business facing products and services, and a variety of cross-government and international arrangements.  A lot of the NCSC’s commercial arrangements are unusual and unique, and the successful applicant will need to be willing to step away from standard templates and think creatively about agreements.


What will the successful candidate be doing?

Advisor Role:

The role will involve:

• Emerging technology:  managing the legal issues arising from NCSC’s advice and assistance on security aspects of emerging technology.  
• Regulation: advising on the implementation, interpretation, and proposed extension of cyber regulation in the UK, as well as legal issues arising from our relationships with cyber regulators.
• Policy: legal support to policy development around cyber security and the management of national security risks in new and unregulated areas of the economy.
• Incident Management: advising the team who work with victims of a cyber-attack on issues ranging from engagement with law enforcement, acquisition of incident data, legal risks of disclosure and the exercise of GCHQ’s statutory powers.

Commercial Role:

The role will involve

• Providing pragmatic advice on legal risks that arise from engagement and collaboration with third party organisations across the UK, including the NCSC’s provision of services to those third party organisations.
• Engaging with cyber security projects throughout their lifecycle, advising from the initial stages of development through to deployment at scale.
• Helping the NCSC identify, protect, and exploit its intellectual property rights.
• Advising the NCSC on various aspects of data protection law as it relates to a novel and ambitious set of data sharing and collaboration projects.
• Advising on a wider range of commercial licencing matters to enable the NCSC to best exploit cyber security offers from the marketplace.
• Working closely with suppliers in the cyber security community on innovative, unique, and frequently sensitive projects to help deliver the NCSC’s mission.
• Advise commercial colleagues on a wide range of legal matters, including the running of procurements.

Who are you looking for?  

Diversity and inclusion are critical to GCHQ’s mission. We recognise how vital it is to reflect the diverse communities we seek to protect. Having diverse backgrounds, ethnicities, and ways of thinking helps ensure that we always challenge each other and make sure that we are getting it right. The GCHQ legal team welcomes and encourages applications from everyone, including from underrepresented groups. Our teams benefit from a variety of different flexible working options as part of our offer to our lawyers in their work/life balance choices.  Both roles can be based in Cheltenham, Manchester or London, with some home working encouraged.    

Key responsibilities:

The successful applicant will need to have:

For both roles, the successful applicant will need:

-    Excellent powers of analysis and the ability to think creatively about legal issues;
-    The ability to assess, analyse and balance legal risk;
-    A willingness to learn about the technical work the NCSC does;
-    A collegiate and supportive approach to team working and dealing with clients;
-    Some understanding of public law would be helpful but not essential.  

Additionally for the advisory role, experience in some of the following:
o    Regulatory law;
o    Technology and/or telecommunications law;
o    Cyber law;

or a demonstrable interest in the intersection between law and technology policy.

Additionally for the commercial role, experience in some of the following:

o    Commercial and contractual law;
o    Intellectual property protection and licensing;
o    Technology contracts
o    Data protection and data sharing arrangements
o    Procurement law including major programmes
o    The interface between commercial and public law;  

If you’re excited about working with us but don’t think you have all the experience we’re looking for, don’t be put off – tell us instead how you’ll work in role to fill any gaps with adaptability and enthusiasm!  

Competency Requirements

• Seeing the big picture
• Legal skills
• Collaborating and partnering
• Delivering at pace
• Making effective decisions

Training and Development

Benefits we offer

At NCSC and GCHQ, we are proud of our inclusive and supportive working environment that’s designed to encourage open minds and attitudes.  As an organisation that values and nurtures talent, we are committed to helping you fulfil your potential.  With comprehensive training and development opportunities, tailored to your needs and the requirements of your work, we will enable you to flourish in your role and perform to the very best of your abilities.

• Access to learning and development tailored to your role and support to gain professional qualifications and certifications.
• An environment that supports a range of flexible working options (including a flexible working hour scheme).
• A culture which encourages inclusion and diversity.
• A civil service pension
• 25 days annual leave, rising to 30 days based on length of service.

Salary

Salary of £57,570 plus allowances

Location

London, Cheltenham or Manchester

Selection Process

To apply for this position, you must meet our nationality, residency requirements. You’ll find more details here.

As a Disability Confident employer, we will ensure that a fair and proportionate number of disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for this position will be offered an interview. This is known as the Offer of Interview (OOI).
To secure an interview for this role, candidates applying under this scheme must meet the minimum criteria set out for the role.

Be prepared to dedicate 60-90 minutes to completing your application. We’re conscious this might be more time than you expected, so our system will allow you to save your application at any time and come back to it later. But remember to submit your full application before the closing date.
 
Once we’ve established that you meet our eligibility criteria, the next steps of this selection process are:

Business Sift
*Interview

*Interviews will likely be held in London or remotely dependent on candidate preference and current Covid restrictions.  
 
If you successfully complete these stages, you’ll receive a job offer, conditional upon you completing our developed vetting (DV) process which enables you to obtain the level of security clearance required to perform this vital role.

The closing date for this role is 8 March 2021.

Please be aware that we withhold the right to bring forward the closing date for this role from the original closing date once a certain number of applications have been received. Please be mindful of this and submit your application at your earliest convenience to avoid disappointment.