The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons

Registrar/Director of Legal Services

£Competitive

London/Hybrid working

The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) was established in 1844 by Royal Charter. As a statutory regulator we are responsible, under the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966, for setting, upholding and advancing the educational, ethical and clinical standards of veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses. We also exercise powers under our Royal Charter to award Fellowships, Diplomas and Certificates to veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses. Our core objective is to safeguard the interests of the public and animals by ensuring that only those registered with us can practise veterinary surgery in the UK.

Our Registrar/Director of Legal Services has retired after many years of excellent service and we are now seeking an outstanding legal professional to join our team

Reporting to our CEO, and as our most senior legal counsel, you will have overall responsibility for our legal services function and team, providing leadership and guidance to the organisation and the governing body, RCVS Council, on a wide range of legal matters.

As Registrar, you will have legal responsibility for the maintenance and publication of our Registers, including oversight of mechanisms via which individuals can join, remain within and leave the veterinary professions. This is a high-profile and key position within the senior leadership team and our Registrar/Director Legal Services will play an important strategic role, directly influencing both our work and the future of the veterinary professions.  

To succeed, you will be an outstanding solicitor or barrister, with an excellent record of leadership, and experience of professional regulation and working in the public interest. Most likely a serving director, you will be confident leading, motivating and inspiring a high-performing team that delivers legal services across a broad portfolio, often under public scrutiny and with demanding timelines. You will also need to be an excellent communicator, with a high level of personal credibility, based on first class judgement and integrity, a collaborative style and professional excellence.

If successful, you will join us at a pivotal and exciting time, with a new strategy plan for 2025, a strong push for new legislation and an ongoing investigation into the wider sector by the Competition and Markets Authority.

For further information and to apply please click Apply. For a confidential conversation please call our advising consultants at GatenbySanderson, Orla Brennan or Katrina Paget on 0113 205 6065

Closing date: 5pm Friday 4 October

Diversity and inclusion are two of our core values. It's only by adhering to these values that we can best serve the public, our professions and animal health and welfare.

As an employer, we strive to create an inclusive environment. We want our staff to feel able to be themselves at work and feel valued for their diverse experiences.