Lay Board Member

20 days per year

London and Birmingham

Legal services have never mattered more. In an increasingly uncertain world, people need all the help they can get and that means the way the legal sector works is changing. If you want to shape the future and make a real difference for people and businesses in England and Wales, becoming a Board member of the Solicitors Regulation Authority is the opportunity you have been looking for.

We regulate the solicitor profession in England and Wales in the public interest, balancing public protection with regulatory arrangements that support an increasingly vibrant, diverse and competitive legal sector. With over 184,000 solicitors and some 10,400 law firms to oversee, we know that high professional standards are the priority. Our transformational reform programme and new Corporate Strategy build on those standards, as we work to open up the legal market to provide high quality, accessible, affordable services for all those who need them. Part of that is our commitment to changing how solicitors qualify, so that the public can have real confidence that the profession meets the standards that have to be at the heart of their practice. 

We have, of course, more to do to deliver modern, forward looking, customer centred regulation, fit for the future. Our Board is ambitious and that ambition is shared by our staff and senior executives.

Two of our lay members are stepping down so we are looking for two new lay members to take up post in January 2019.  As an SRA Board member you will have previous experience of working with a Board and with complex governance structures and a proven ability to contribute to strategic change, particularly in relation to implementing and evaluating change programmes already in motion. 

We are particularly interested in candidates with in depth experience of at least one of: regulation; issues affecting vulnerable consumer groups and difficulties with access to professional services such as access to justice; Wales, including national structures or service provision; or academic practice in legal education or another relevant field. 

Candidates will bring a track record of working with a Board in an organisation of similar size and complexity to the SRA. You will be able to grasp the detail of what is a complex, fast-paced and dynamic sector and its regulation, bringing political acumen, excellent communication skills and diplomacy to any given scenario.  

The SRA is committed to promoting diversity and inclusion throughout the profession. This is also a priority in the governance and working environment of the organisation. We welcome applications from everyone regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, faith or disability.

If you enjoy both the opportunity and the challenge of change, we want to hear from you.

Saxton Bampfylde Ltd is acting as an employment agency advisor to the SRA on these appointments. For more information, including how to apply, please refer to the website of Saxton Bampfylde at www.saxbam.com/jobs using job reference QAFAR.  Applications should be received by noon on 16 October 2018.