Public Sector Legal Officer - Policy & Legislation

Pay Rate: £19.59 per hour
Location: Downpatrick
Hours: 9:00am - 5:00pm, Monday to Friday
Contract: Temporary ongoing
Working Pattern: Full-time, 37 hours per week

Competitive hourly pay of £19.59

Monday to Friday working pattern

Standard office hours with work-life balance

Office-based role in Downpatrick

Opportunity to gain experience within a public sector legal environment

Temporary ongoing opportunity with potential for long-term experience

Supportive team environment

Valuable experience working on legislative, policy and governance matters

Legal Officer Job in Downpatrick

Staffline Recruitment Ireland is currently recruiting for a Legal Officer (Staff Officer) on behalf of the Northern Ireland Civil Service, based onsite in Downpatrick.

This is an excellent opportunity for a qualified solicitor or barrister in Northern Ireland to take on a varied and meaningful public sector role focused on legal interpretation, legislation, policy development and stakeholder engagement.

The successful candidate will support important legislative and governance work, including the interpretation of EU and domestic legislation, responding to legal queries, assisting with the development of regulations, and supporting engagement with key internal and external stakeholders.

This Legal Officer job in Downpatrick is well suited to a candidate with strong legal analysis skills, public sector awareness, and the ability to work collaboratively across policy, legislation and project-based activity.

Key Responsibilities

Interpret EU and domestic legislation to assess legislative and operational compliance and compatibility

Work closely with DSO officials and legal colleagues in response to legal and legislative queries

Support the introduction of regulations or primary legislation through the Northern Ireland Assembly and/or Westminster

Draft regulations and assist with legislative development

Transcribe and interpret EU legislation where required

Support policy and legislation development activity

Contribute to stakeholder engagement, co-design activity and evaluation processes

Maintain and build strong working relationships with key internal and external stakeholders

Provide support across project management activity and good governance processes

Support senior colleagues through effective communication, coordination and presentation skills

To be considered for this Legal Officer role, applicants must meet all of the following essential criteria:

Qualified solicitor or barrister, entitled to practise in Northern Ireland

Experience interpreting EU and domestic legislation to assess legislative and operational compliance and compatibility

Experience of working with DSO officials and/or lawyers and responding to legal queries

Experience maintaining and building relationships with key internal and external stakeholders

Ability to support senior colleagues using strong communication and presentation skills

To be shortlisted for this role, all applicants must meet the essential criteria in full.

Please note that this role may be filled quickly. If you are not successful on this occasion, your CV may be kept on file for future similar opportunities. Due to the high volume of applications, unsuccessful candidates may not be contacted.

Successful candidates may be required to apply for an Access NI Certificate through Staffline, regardless of whether they already hold a valid certificate. The cost will be between £16 and £32, depending on the level of clearance required.

How to Apply

If you are interested in this Legal Officer job in Downpatrick and available for the position, please apply now by uploading your CV through the application link provided.