Paralegal Officer (Band 5/EO)

Job summary

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is recruiting a Paralegal Officer to join its Legal Services Division's Advisory, Legislation and Litigation Strategy (ALLS) team. The ALLS team works closely with policy and other colleagues to support them to make clear, proper and lawful decisions. You will work with and support team members, playing a key role alongside the lawyers in considering legal risk and anticipating legal challenges. The ALLS team was established in April 2025 and is responsible for all advisory legal work for the HSE. It does not handle HSE's enforcement/prosecution work, which is dealt with elsewhere in the Legal Services Division (LSD). The ALLS team also provides some advisory legal services to another regulator, the Office for Nuclear Regulation. LSD plays a vital role in supporting HSE to deliver its strategic objectives, in particular to ensure that Great Britain remains one of the safest countries in which to work

This is a new paralegal role which involves working with lawyers (principally in the ALLS team), contributing directly to public confidence in terms of HSE, the wider justice system and the Government Legal Profession.This includes advising on policy, public law, statutory interpretation, statutory instrument (Sl) drafting and engagement with a number of other Government Departments, stakeholders and regulators. You will support the members of that team, including working directly with the Deputy Director leading it, in order to deliver a consistently high-quality service to HSE and in turn the UK Government.

Diverse perspectives and experiences are critical to our success, and we welcome applications from all people from all backgrounds with the experience and skills needed to perform this role.

Due to the nature of the work involved this role is only suitable for full time working. We are amenable to the possibility of a full time working pattern (37 hours) being compressed over four days.

Travel

This post can be based in any of the advertised HSE locations. However, this post will require regular travel to HSE’s headquarters in Bootle and, less regularly, to other HSE offices. Additionally, travel to Court Centres across the jurisdiction may be required. This will involve some overnight stays.

Job description

This is an exciting opportunity to become a pivotal part of a recently established advisory team working frequently with other advisory and litigation teams across the wider Government Legal Profession (GLP). You will also be part of a wider, vibrant paralegal team which deals with some of the most complex and significant prosecutions in this area of regulatory law which, put simply, helps to save lives. Our enforcement powers are key not only to ensuring compliance with the wider Health and Safety regime but also ensuring that those responsible for causing death and serious injury are appropriately prosecuted.

The paralegal role will contribute directly to public confidence, both in HSE and in the wider justice system. The team has delivered a wide range of work including Sl drafting, advising on complex policy and litigation matters (some spanning multiple parts of Government), representation at statutory inquiries, and advising on Bills. The team provides risk-based legal advice on a wide range of areas, from chemicals regulation to workplace safety, and from the EU reset to inquiries. The legal issues HSE encounters are often complex, wide-ranging and novel. When the business need arises, you will be expected to support Business Management colleagues elsewhere in the Division with their work. The specific tasks of the role are likely to vary depending on the team’s priorities at any time.

Key Responsibilities

Your responsibilities will include, but not be limited to:

• Providing legal support to lawyers within the ALLS Team to help them with their legal practices, building and maintaining good relationships with clients and liaising with the deputy director and Business Management colleagues on the production of regular, accurate Management Information
• Playing an active role in legal awareness for clients and liaising with different client teams and department on legal matters, including complying with the HSE’s knowledge and information management process
• Liaising with external stakeholders such as lawyers from other government department, legal representatives from applicant, claimants and/or duty holders, counsel chambers, private law firms and other government departments on varying matters, including fees
• Arranging and attending conferences with Counsel and others, including conducting any related tasks such as identifying suitable counsel, liaising with clerks, note-taking and capturing key points, and any follow-up activity
• Carrying out legal research, presenting results and using it to inform notes or first drafts of advice
• Assisting with the management of large-scale projects such as secondary legislation drafting, implementing new agreements, procurements, commercial, litigation and other dispute resolution and coordinating these elements across Government departments
• Supporting the Division’s advisory and litigation strategy functions, which includes providing legal research responding to initial queries, knowledge and record management (including relating to any work arising from statutory inquiries or litigation), drafting - under supervision - non complex instructions to counsel

Person specification

Essential Skills and Criteria

To undertake this role, you will have:

• Experience of client care, managing own caseloads and managing clients’ expectations
• The ability to work independently and prioritise work whilst successfully delivering in a pressurised environment
• Experience of using own initiative to meet deadlines whilst managing competing interests
• Proficiency at using Adobe, Excel, Word, Outlook, Google Docs and legal databases such as LexisNexis and Westlaw/Practical Law
• The ability to work as part of an effective team on ad-hoc tasks and projects in an organised way whilst balancing demands
• Good written and oral communication skills
• The ability to critically analyse a range of evidence, options and make an appropriate recommendation

Hybrid Working

At HSE, we are proud to be able to offer our people the opportunity to work in a hybrid way which combines working from home and the office. This is a voluntary, non-contractual arrangement, and your allocated office will be your contractual place of work.

There will be a requirement to travel to the office for various activities, e.g., collaborative working, supporting and training colleagues. If hybrid working is suitable for you and your role, you will be expected to attend the office, or other business-related site, for 60% of your working week. The arrangements will be determined primarily by business need, but personal circumstances and other relevant circumstances will also be taken into account.

Therefore, we would encourage candidates to consider if the commute from home to the office is a feasible distance to travel before making an application. Please note that if you are successful, hybrid working will be discussed prior to taking up the post.

Qualifications

An undergraduate degree in any subject (minimum 2:2)

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Communicating and Influencing

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £32,770, Health and Safety Executive contributes £9,493 towards you being a member of the Ci