Solicitor

Salary: Band D - £44,184- £48,812 (starting salary will be on the base of the salary scale)

2x Fixed-term positions – 23 months and 1x Fixed-term position to 30 September 2025

Location: Flexible location throughout Scotland. Hybrid. Full-time -35 hours

Your passion has never had a greater purpose

Here at SEPA, we’re connected by a passion that drives us to be purposeful in every action we take – to protect our environment. Through our expertise, we lead projects that make a difference for Scotland, and our workplaces are grounded in respect for that expertise.

That’s why, when you join us as a SOLICITOR, you’ll discover enriching benefits, meaningful support, and opportunities to learn every day. That’s what it means to be Passionately Purposeful – for our environment, and for your career.

Work that goes beyond your desk

Experts at what we do, we work in a professional way towards our shared goals, knowing the work we do makes a genuine, lasting difference on the environment. As SOLICITOR, that involves…

•          Providing professional legal support, mainly to SEPA’s Regulation, Business and Environment portfolio, on the various different aspects of the regulatory journey, from permitting through to compliance and enforcement.

•          Specifically on enforcement, providing legal advice on options and potential solutions in relation to proposed enforcement action including the use of monetary penalties and the completion and submission of reports to Crown Office & Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) recommending criminal prosecutions.

Respect for your expertise

This is an important role within our Governance, Performance & Engagement portfolio. The Solicitor post will involve working with colleagues across that portfolio and the Regulation, Business & Environment Portfolio to provide bespoke legal advice and solutions tailored to each individual issue or situation which means you will need many skills including:

•          Specialist knowledge and skills in the understanding and interpreting of evidence, legislation and case law.  Ideally you will have knowledge and experience in the application of environmental law.

•          Excellent communications skills – ability to provide comprehensive legal advice and guidance to support SEPA in the performance of its duties.

•          The ability to think creatively in terms of finding solutions to different novel regulatory matters.

Support that goes beyond the workplace

We’re cultivating a workplace that supports not only your passion and your professional lives, but your personal life. So, you’ll find benefits that make a difference at work and at home. Such as:

•          Hybrid and Flexible working opportunities

•          Up to 34 days annual leave and 7 additional public holidays each year (pro rata)

•          Paid time off to support your Wellbeing and enable you to Volunteer in your community

•          Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)

•          Progressive Family Friendly policies

•          Training & development to enable colleagues to improve their skills, competencies and knowledge to perform at their best.

Plus, many more lifestyle benefits such as 24/7 access to an online employee discount platform, credit union facilities and access to a Cycle to Work Scheme.

Passionately you. Purposefully supportive.

SEPA is committed to promoting equality, diversity, and good relations in everything it does – as a community leader, as a provider and commissioner of services, and as an employer.

Passionately Purposeful about Scotland’s environment – and your career

Protecting our environment, promoting our work, and supporting our people, working at SEPA means being part of an organisation that’s grounded in respect for your expertise – and your wellbeing. So you can be your best, and make the biggest impact.

We recruit solely based on merit. Our shortlisting process is conducted on an anonymous basis and, therefore, we cannot accept CV’s and covering letters. Please ensure that you include all relevant information in your application form.

We proudly use the “Happy to Talk Flexible Working” as well as the “Disability Confident Employer” Logos and on all our job vacancies.

Applicants with a visual impairment can request job descriptions and application forms in Braille, large print or on tape.

For the security and wellbeing of our colleagues we invite successful candidates to undergo Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) pre-employment checks including a Basic Disclosure Scotland check.

If you have questions or need any assistance with the recruitment process please contact SEPA’s Recruitment Team at hr@sepa.org.uk

Apply now to join a Passionately Purposeful workplace

Closing date: 5 September 2024.