Job Description
Legal Officer (Staff Officer)
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
Benefits
* Competitive hourly pay of £19.59
* Monday to Friday working pattern
* Standard office hours with work‑life balance
* Flexi time available
* 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 activityContribute 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
Essential Criteria
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
* Project management experience
* Ability to support senior colleagues using strong communication and presentation skills
Important Information
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.
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