Deputy Director, Business & Property Taxes Litigation Team

The Business & Property Taxes Litigation Team handles complex, novel and high value litigation before the First-tier (Tax) Tribunal, appeals to the higher courts (Upper Tribunal, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court), as well as judicial review claims.

The work of the team is often novel, involving substantial sums of money.

SOLS Office and the litigation function within SOLS has ongoing transformation as part of ensuring that we meet SOLS and HMRC strategic objectives, provide a professional and modern working environment and continuously improve. The role holder will be expected to play their full part in this and the wider leadership of the Litigation Directorate and SOLS as part of the leadership team. This will include a focus on our use of data, insight, technology, knowledge management, legal skills, and career development.

This role leads the Business & Property Taxes Litigation team. The team's work entails complex and high value litigation concerning:

• Corporation Tax


• Business Income Tax


• Business International & Stamps


• Capital Gains Tax


• Inheritance Tax


• Trusts & Charities, To lead and deliver effective and efficient litigation and legal services to HMRC to support HMRC's vision, objectives, and priorities within the areas of the Business & Property Taxes Litigation Team.


• Provide strategic direction and input to support the delivery of high-quality, timely, efficient, risk-based litigation, providing personal input (particularly to senior colleagues) where required and ensuring that lawyers within the team provide creative, practical legal solutions that add value, share knowledge, and that all litigation meets our quality standards.


• To provide strong enterprise leadership of the wider Litigation Directorate, and wider SOLS and HMRC, delivering on SOLS and HMRC strategic priorities, particularly focusing on data, insight, technology, knowledge management, the management of legal and fiscal risks, and ensuring that SOLS is a great place to work.


• Provide inspiring, confident, and empowering leadership that is open and inclusive of all, supports staff to improve their skills and performance, and offers support to career development.


• Develop and maintain highly effective working relationships with key stakeholders in HMRC, other Government Departments and externally.


Key Interactions

• Management of a team of 24 lawyers, and matrix management of paralegals and administrative support staff, currently based across four locations (Stratford, Croydon, Bristol and Manchester)


• Direct line management of four senior lawyer managers


• SOLS Senior Leadership Team


• Colleagues in wider HMRC


• Government Legal Department


• Counsel, courts and tribunals


• Other Government Departments, This scheme works in conjunction with the Great Place to Work for Veterans, for former members of the armed services, and the Redeployment Interview Scheme for existing Civil Servants at risk of redundancy. Each scheme works in the same way.


Use of Data

As part of the recruitment process, we may share your data and assessment results internally with our SCS Talent team.

This will provide insight into how to support your development and wider talent management, should you be successful in your application., This role has a minimum assignment duration of 3 years. An assignment duration is the period of time a Senior Civil Servant is expected to remain in the same post to enable them to deliver on the agreed key business outcomes. The assignment duration also supports your career through building your depth of expertise.

As part of accepting this role you will be agreeing to the expected assignment duration set out above. This will not result in a contractual change to your terms and conditions. Please note this is an expectation only, it is not something which is written into your terms and conditions or indeed which the employing organisation or you are bound by. It will depend on your personal circumstances at a particular time and business needs, for example, would not preclude any absence like family friendly leave. It is nonetheless an important expectation, which is why we ask you to confirm you agree to the assignment duration set out above.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.,
• UK nationals


• nationals of the Republic of Ireland


• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK


• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)


• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)


• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020


• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
  
  Experience of leading the delivery of high quality litigation services within the public sector


• Demonstration of excellent legal professional skills, knowledge of public law, the ability to brief senior colleagues and officials, and the ability to think creatively and give authoritative risk-based legal direction that facilitates practical solutions


• An engaging, inspiring and collaborative leader, with the experience of managing a geographically disparate team to deliver excellent legal services and which embeds a positive and inclusive culture that supports wellbeing


• The ability to work collaboratively to lead and manage ongoing transformation across the Directorate to meet HMRC and SOLS vision


• Excellent stakeholder management skills, showing the ability to work collaboratively with senior leaders across SOLS, HMRC, GLD and external stakeholders


Essential Qualification:

• Must be qualified as a Solicitor or Barrister or Chartered Legal Executive and able to practice in England and Wales.


Desirable experience:

• Knowledge of tax and law within areas that align with the team's work.
  
  Alongside your salary of £75,000, HM Revenue and Customs contributes £20,250 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.


• 25 days annual leave on entry, increasing on a sliding scale to 30 days after 5 years' service. This is in addition to your public holidays.


• This will be complemented by one further day paid privilege entitlement to mark the King's Birthday.


• Interest-free loans allowing you to spread the cost of an annual travel season ticket or a new bicycle.


• Flexible working patterns and access to Flexible Working Schemes allowing you to vary your working day as long as you work your total hours.


• A competitive contributory pension scheme that you can enter as soon as you join and where we will make a significant contribution to the cost of your pension. Your contribution comes out of your salary before any tax is taken and will continue to provide valuable benefits for you and your family if you are too ill to continue to work or die before you retire.


• Generous paid maternity and paternity leave which is notably more than the statutory minimum offered by many other employers.


• Use of onsite facilities (where applicable).


• Occupational sick pay.


Things you need to know