In-house Solicitor

Environmental Standards Scotland’s (ESS) role is to monitor, investigate and secure public authorities’ compliance with environmental law in Scotland. We also scrutinise the effectiveness of environmental law and policy in Scotland and how it is implemented and applied. In our investigative and analytical reports, we may also identify instances where we consider there to be gaps in environmental protection legislation.

ESS is an independent non-ministerial office, accountable to the Scottish Parliament and overseen by a non-executive board. It is part of the Scottish Administration and its employees are civil servants. Full details are available on the ESS website.

Our Strategy 2026-2031 sets out how we will work as an organisation to deliver our vision that ‘by holding public authorities to account, we will ensure that Scotland’s people and nature benefit from a high-quality, healthy environment through improved compliance with and better implementation of effective environmental law’.

ESS’ role is expanding to take on two new roles:

• scrutinising the Scottish Government’s delivery against the new statutory biodiversity and nature restoration targets which will be set under the Natural Environment (Scotland) Act 2026
• scrutinising local authorities’ reporting against climate change duties as set out in the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009

To deliver these duties and to manage this significant organisational change, ESS has been recruiting new posts over the last six months to establish a new team within the organisation to lead the development of work to deliver these roles, alongside related corporate services requirements.

We are recruiting for one new In-house Solicitor to support our expanding work in ESS. This post holder will work to our Principal In-house Solicitor and within our Corporate Services and Communications Department. Additional support is available, as required, from external solicitors.

The focus of this post is to provide legal advice and support at all levels of the organisation.

Key responsibilities include:

To provide legal support to ESS’ Principal In-House Solicitor to assist them with:

• providing legal advice on a broad range of matters, which include environmental law, public law, corporate governance and information law
• assessing lawfulness and legal risk, making recommendations to mitigate and manage legal risk as part of providing legal advice
• identifying where external legal advice is required, managing the delivery of any externally commissioned legal services and managing partnerships with our contracted legal service providers
• building a comprehensive understanding of the legal, strategic and policy landscape within which ESS operates to see legal issues in their wider context and advise accordingly
• utilising relevant legal experience and research skills to analyse, understand and interpret environmental legislation and case law alongside technical and scientific information
• monitoring updates and changes to law within Scotland, across the rest of the UK, the EU and internationally, to ensure that ESS is well-informed about legal changes of relevance to the organisation
• drafting and reviewing legal processes and guidance as required
• developing and delivering internal training and knowledge building in relevant legal topics
• representing ESS at external fora, such as meetings, legal conferences and stakeholder events to promote and explain the role of ESS as a trusted and effective oversight body

The candidate is also required to work collaboratively and flexibly with colleagues across ESS on key operational work streams to support the development of effective and efficient processes and systems within ESS.

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• 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

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

This competition is being run in accordance with the Civil Service Recruitment Principles.

The selection panel will use your application to assess your suitability for the role against the essential criteria during sifting using your statement of suitability and your CV.

If you are shortlisted, you will be provided with full details of the next stages of the selection process.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Please note, if you fail to demonstrate how you meet the minimum experience as stated above, your application will be automatically sifted out.

The behaviours required for this role are shown below. You will be assessed against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Managing a Quality Service
• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace
• Communicating and Influencing

Our selection process ensures a comprehensive assessment of each applicant's experience, skills, and potential fit within our organisation. This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess your behaviours, strengths and experience.

The selection process for this role will be:

Stage 1: Short stage application form

Please complete the first stage short application form, which includes your personal details, eligibility to apply and any reasonable adjustments required.

Stage 2: Written application and sift

As part of the application process, you will be assessed against the following Success Profile elements:

Behaviours – you will be asked to provide a 250-word statement on each of the following Behaviours:

• Managing a Quality Service
• Making Effective Decisions

Experience – you will be asked to provide a CV (unlimited wordcount) and personal statement (1000-word count). Your personal statement should explain why you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience are suitable for this role, with particular reference to the essential criteria in the person specification.

You should read each of the essential criteria, and think about a time, or an example, that can help demonstrate your knowledge/skills. Remember, this must be evidence based and your answers should be clear, concise and reflect what actions you undertook. You may want to use the STAR(R) approach to respond to each criterion. Please read and understand the key criteria thoroughly, as this is what your written evidence will be assessed against.

ESS uses the Scottish Government Civil Service Success Profile framework which is made up of three elements: Behaviours, Experience and Technical. ESS strongly recommends you have a look at the Success Profiles candidate guide to enable you to make the best application possible. When writing behaviours at application stage or presenting behaviours in interview, ESS recommends you use the STAR format to present your answers (Situation, Task, Action, Result).

Sift

After the closing date, your application will be reviewed and marked.

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead Success Profile element, managing a quality service. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

The sift is expected to take place from 14 October 2026.

Once the sift has been completed, applicants will be notified of the outcome. Please note that feedback will not be given to applicants at sift stage.

Stage 3: Interview

At interview stage, you will be assessed against the following Success Profile elements:

• behaviours – Managing a Quality Service, Making Effective Decisions, Working Together, Delivering at Pace, Communicating and Influencing
• experience

You will also be required to create and deliver a presentation. Guidance will be provided if you are invited to interview.

The interviews are expected to take place week commencing 16 November 2026.

Preparing for the interview

The interview will take approximately one hour and will consist of behaviour-based questions. A blended interview aims to be more of a conversation offering a more inclusive approach. The behaviour-based questioning is to assess your strengths in those areas and explores what you, the candidate, can and have done, but also your potential.

Please note: you will receive the interview questions no later than 12 hours in advance of your interview.

Behaviours

You will be assessed against the behaviours mentioned above.

It may be helpful to use one or more examples of a piece of work you have completed or a situation you have been in and use the STAR model to explain:

STAR – What was the Situation? What were the Tasks? What Action did you take? What were the Results of your actions?

If you withdraw your application at any stage, it will not be progressed further.

Stage 4: Offer

Once all interviews have been completed, you will be notified of the outcome by email. Offers will be made in strict merit order to the highest scoring candidate first.

The successful candidate will be notified of a start date following successful pre-employment checks, which can take a number of weeks to complete.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Location

The post is based at ESS’ Edinburgh Haymarket office called Thistle House. You should only apply for this role if you can travel to and from your home office location daily within a reasonable time. Relocation costs will not be reimbursed.

Reserve List

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made. All appointments will be made in merit order.

Near Miss Appointments

On occasion candidates may attend an interview for the advertised post but will narrowly miss the standard required at interview. ESS may, where appropriate, consider such candidates for alternative, similar posts at a lower grade.

Salary

New entrants are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band.

Minimum Time in Post

The successful candidates will be expected to remain in post for a minimum of two years and would not be expected to move to another civil service role unless successful at gaining promotion to a higher Band or Grade.

In the event that further posts are required, a reserve list of successful candidates will be kept for up to one year.

Further information for this job

If offered as a secondment/loan, existing Civil Servants should have received agreement from their line manager prior to commencing the application. The terms of the loan/secondment will be agreed between the home and host department and the Civil Servant. This includes grade on return.

A reserve list may be held for a period of one year from which further appointments can be made.

Any move to ESS from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band, unless already a civil servant on the same grade in which case the move will be at the same salary level.

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure Scotland on your behalf.

Working hours, office attendance and travel requirements

Full time roles consist of 35 hours per week.

Whilst we welcome applications from those looking to work with us on a part time basis, there is a business requirement for the successful candidate to be able to work at least 28 hours per week over a minimum of four days.

This role is suitable for hybrid working, which is a non-contractual arrangement where a combination of workplace and home-based working can be accommodated subject to business requirements.

The expectation at present is a minimum of 40% of your working time a month will be spent at either your designated workplace or, when required for business

reasons, in another office/work location/visiting stakeholders. Your designated workplace will be your contractual place of work. There may be occasions where you are required to attend above the minimum expectation.

If you have a question about hybrid working, part time/job share hours, flexible working, travelling for work, or require a reasonable adjustment, please contact the Vacancy Holder during the recruitment process to avoid possible disappointment later in the process should your working arrangements not be compatible with the requirements of the role (see below for contact details).

Visa Sponsorship

ESS does not offer Visa Sponsorship for this role.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.