Risk & Compliance Solicitor

We are looking for a Risk & Compliance Manager / Solicitor to join our highly regarded team in Cambridge, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Norwich or Oxford.

The role

This is an exciting opportunity to join a busy and evolving Risk & Compliance team, which forms part of the broader General Counsel function at Mills & Reeve. The team plays a central role in helping the firm manage legal, regulatory and operational risk, and in supporting the firm to meet the high professional standards expected of an SRA-regulated law firm.

The Risk & Compliance Manager will be a trusted and accessible adviser to partners, lawyers and business services teams. The role combines practical legal and regulatory advice with the investigation and management of complex issues, the improvement of policies and processes, and delivery of clear guidance to help colleagues make sound decisions. The role will have a broad remit across the General Counsel function. Its initial areas of focus will include conflicts, claims and complaints, and wider risk advisory work.

Why apply?

This is a varied in-house legal role at the heart of a major UK law firm. You will work on issues that are important to the firm's clients, people and reputation, often where the answer is not straightforward and judgement matters as much as technical knowledge.

You will have the opportunity to take ownership of matters, develop specialist areas, influence how the firm manages risk and work closely with senior stakeholders. You will join a supportive and collaborative team that values thoughtful challenge, practical solutions and continual improvement. It would suit someone who is organised, curious and proactive, and who is interested in furthering their career in risk, compliance, legal operations or professional services.

What does the role involve?

This is a hands-on advisory role. You will manage your own workload, work collaboratively on more significant matters and contribute to wider team priorities. You will be expected to explain complex issues clearly, identify proportionate solutions and know when a matter needs to be escalated.

Primary focus: Conflicts, claims and complaints

Conflicts

• Review and assess potential legal, regulatory or commercial conflicts arising from new instructions or identified during the course of client engagements.
• Provide clear guidance to help partners and lawyers to navigate and make sound decisions relating to conflict of interest issues, confidentiality obligations and information barrier requirements.
• Escalate complex matters to appropriate decision makers and stakeholders, providing them with a clear overview of the matters for consideration and recommendations for remedial actions.

Claims and Complaints

• Take responsibility for managing claims, circumstances and complaints allocated to you, with appropriate oversight on significant or sensitive matters.
• Work with the Claims Partner, Complaints Partners and relevant colleagues to investigate issues thoroughly, including reviewing files, correspondence and other evidence.

Policies, guidance, training and knowledge

• Lead and contribute to policy and process reviews, identifying opportunities to improve clarity, effectiveness and practical application, and taking responsibility for implementing agreed improvements.
• Draft, review and improve policies, procedures and practical guidance so that they are accessible, engaging and impactful for the reader, easy to apply in practice, and clearly signpost where to find further guidance and support.

Wider Risk & Compliance support

• Take responsibility for risk and compliance queries allocated through the team inbox, consulting subject matter experts across the firm, providing timely and practical advice, managing competing priorities and identifying matters that require urgent attention or escalation to senior members of the team.
• Get involved in wider Risk & Compliance projects and team initiatives.

Team contribution and development

• Contribute actively to team discussions, projects and continual improvement, sharing knowledge and supporting colleagues when priorities change.
• Delegate appropriate work to paralegals and other team members, provide clear instructions and feedback, and support their learning and development.

The person

The role would suit an experienced solicitor or risk professional with broad experience of risk and regulatory issues in a law firm environment, preferably with some experience in a law firm compliance team. You will bring sound judgement and an analytical, commercially aware approach, with the ability to research unfamiliar or complex issues, reach practical conclusions and translate them into clear advice.

You will be inquisitive and proactive, taking accountability for matters and driving them through to a sensible conclusion. You will be comfortable working across a varied remit, turning your hand to new issues as they arise and balancing urgent, informal queries with planned priorities.

You will also be visible and accessible to colleagues, combining technical confidence with empathy and discretion. You will be people-oriented, able to adapt your communication style to your audience and have a practical understanding of the challenges faced by colleagues working in a busy law firm

It is not expected that you will have experience of all areas of the role and training will be provided if required.

This is a busy and challenging role and, to be successful, your background will include:

• broad law-firm risk and regulatory experience;
• experience of analysing complex legal, regulatory or factual issues and giving clear, practical advice;
• experience of building trusted working relationships and influencing colleagues at different levels.

In addition, you will need to be:

• willing to travel to the firm's other offices on occasion; and
• flexible and able to work longer hours as the role demands.

For more information and detail about this role, please see the attached job description.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

The package

As you'd expect, we offer a competitive salary and a wide range of benefits. Click here to find out more about our core benefit offering.

Pre employment screening

If we make you an offer for a role, we will conduct a range of pre-employment screening. This will include, but is not limited to, a basic DBS check, right to work check, address verification, any disciplinary history recorded with the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) and a self-declaration to assess your character and suitability for the role. Full details of our screening process are available on request.

Use of AI during the recruitment process

Technology is changing rapidly and we are all increasingly using AI software in our day to day lives, as well as using it to support our learning and professional development.

Here at Mills & Reeve, we embrace the use of technology and AI and we recognise that candidates may use AI tools to support their applications. As a regulated industry, we expect candidates to use such tools responsibly, honestly and in a manner that allows us to make a fair and accurate assessment of their individual skills, experience and suitability for the role.

Please ensure you have thoroughly read the document attached below to understand what we deem acceptable uses of AI.

The firm

At Mills & Reeve, our 1,450 plus people and over 850 lawyers share one vision - achieve more together. It's a state of mind in every client relationship we start and every choice we make. And it's what clients consistently say distinguishes us from your average law firm.

You can expect a close and attentive working relationship with a team that's responsive when you need them. You'll receive advice tailored to your individual needs. Wherever in the world you or your business needs support, we'll draw on our network to give recommendations.

We're driven by our values - we're ambitious, we're open, we care and we collaborate. We embrace new ideas, communicate honestly and are easy to work with. We're committed to you, our planet, our communities and each other.

We've been listed in The Sunday Times Best Places to Work list as one of the best big organisations, and we've recently been reaccredited Platinum Investors in People status - a standard achieved by only 8% of assessed organisations.

And finally

Everyone at Mills & Reeve brings a unique perspective and ideas to the team and we do everything we can to help each person to thrive. We're committed to providing an inclusive and supportive working environment, are happy to consider flexible working arrangements, and want to achieve the right balance for both our people and the firm. We encourage everyone to ask if they feel they need any workplace adjustments, and will do our best to support with these.

To find out more about our diversity and inclusion work, visit our website.