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The Ombuds Group is a nationally recognised, not-for-profit leader in the UK’s alternative dispute resolution (ADR) sector, providing independent and trusted services across regulated and non-regulated industries such as rail, retail, home improvement, utilities, TV and music licensing, football and removals. Its portfolio of brands is recognised by government, businesses, and consumers for trust, impartiality, and integrity. In addition to core dispute resolution services, The Ombuds Group offers specialist training and consultancy to help organisations improve complaint handling and raise internal standards. The organisation focuses on building long-term customer trust by promoting fair, transparent, and effective resolution processes.
Job Purpose
We are looking for a solicitor or barrister with 3–5 years’ PQE (or equivalent) to provide technical leadership, oversight and quality assurance across all schemes delivered by The Ombuds Group, while also acting as an internal legal counsel.
Working closely with the Senior Ombudsman and Head of Insight and Performance, the postholder will help ensure high-quality, consistent and well-reasoned casework across the organisation. They will deputise for the Senior Ombudsman when required and manage the Lead Ombudsman and Ombudsman Team.
The role is accountable for:
• Ensuring high-quality, consistent and defensible case decisions
• Identifying and mitigating technical, quality and decision-making risks
• Managing and developing casework teams, including regular 1-2-1s
• Supporting competency frameworks, CPD and professional development alongside the Senior Ombudsman
• Providing internal legal counsel on governance, company secretariat, compliance, legal challenge and risk
Key responsibilities
Technical leadership and casework
• Provide authoritative advice on complex and sensitive cases
• Guide ombudsmen on sound reasoning, consistency and defensible decision-making
• Ensure correct interpretation of scheme rules, ADR regulations, legislation and best practice
• Act as a technical sounding board while preserving ombudsman independence
• Provide technical advice to scheme members to improve compliance and complaint handling
• Maintain personal CPD and up-to-date legal and technical expertise
Leadership, mentoring and capability
• Manage, mentor and develop the Ombudsman Team
• Support professional development, including SQE/QWE pathways for aspiring lawyers
• Identify capability gaps and implement targeted training
• Maintain competency, CPD, professional membership and accreditation standards
• Allocate cases fairly and support delivery against stringent SLAs
• Conduct 1-2-1s, probation reviews and other performance reviews
• Support escalation and resolution of complaints about our service or decisions
• Challenge and improve how services are delivered
Quality assurance and insight
• Lead quality assurance activity across schemes
• Identify trends, inconsistencies and emerging risks
• Provide structured feedback on decision quality and adherence to scheme rules
• Develop decision frameworks, quality guidance and technical resources
• Review complaints about the service impartially and transparently
• Use complaint trends and root-cause analysis to drive improvement
• Support reporting to relevant Boards
Governance, compliance and risk
• Support identification and management of technical, regulatory, reputational and decision-making risks
• Escalate material risks with clear analysis and recommended action
• Strengthen internal controls and decision-making frameworks
• Support internal and external audits, ADR accreditations and ISO27001/ISO9001 compliance
• Support accurate and timely regulatory reporting
Data protection
• Act as Deputy Data Protection Lead
• Manage data breaches and DPIAs alongside the Senior Ombudsman
• Support responses to Data Subject Access Requests
• Keep abreast of relevant regulatory change
Stakeholder engagement
• Represent the business with regulatory and accrediting bodies when required
• Work with members and external stakeholders to strengthen complaint handling
• Lead casework meetings covering decisions, trends and recommendations
• Manage relevant external relationships
In-house legal counsel
• Provide legal advice on governance, company secretariat, legal challenge and risk management
• Oversee insurance requirements and liaise with brokers
• Report legal risk to relevant Boards
Training
• Support delivery of accredited training to members and stakeholders
• Identify training needs through casework evaluation and deliver targeted interventions
About you
You will have:
• 3–5 years’ PQE as a solicitor, barrister or equivalent
• Strong experience in law and dispute resolution, with demonstrable decision-making capability
• Experience of regulatory environments, complex complaints or investigations
• A strong understanding of ADR, fair and proportionate decision-making and regulatory requirements
• A commitment to developing expertise in Consumer Law
• Excellent judgement, analytical ability and risk awareness
• The ability to communicate complex legal and technical issues clearly
• Experience managing, mentoring or coaching professionals
• High levels of integrity, impartiality and attention to detail
Salary and benefits
• £55,000 per annum
• Best-in-class private medical health insurance
• Cash plan
• Life assurance
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