National Legal Officer

About this Role

Applications are encouraged from people who are under-represented in the union. We actively encourage women, Ethnically Diverse/Global Majority Heritage, disabled and LGBT+ people to apply.

JOB DESCRIPTION

GMB is one of the UK and Ireland’s largest general trade unions: we’re proud to represent over half a million members from across the professional spectrum and all walks of life.

About the Role

Are you a passionate legal professional committed to social justice and workers’ rights? At GMB, we are rooted in our values of solidarity, equality, democracy, and collective strength. As part of our continued commitment to ensuring fairness and justice in the workplace, we are seeking a dedicated and experienced Legal Officer to lead our national work on employment and industrial relations law, based at our National Office in London.

This is more than a legal job - it’s an opportunity to use your legal skills to support working people, help shape GMB’s national industrial policy, and defend trade union rights. At GMB, we believe in the power of collective action to transform lives. We fight for better pay, safer workplaces, and dignity for all workers. This is a senior role at the heart of our legal strategy - supporting our members, shaping national policy, and defending the rights of working people. You’ll be working alongside union leaders, solicitors, and activists to ensure that justice is not just an ideal, but a reality for our members.

About You

The successful candidate will:

• Provide expert legal advice on employment and industrial relations law to GMB’s national and regional officers.
• Lead the union’s legal response to strategic challenges, including equal pay, industrial action, and statutory recognition.
• Represent GMB and its members in Employment Tribunals, the Employment Appeal Tribunal, and other key forums.
• Develop and promote GMB’s legal policies and publications, ensuring they reflect the needs of our members and officers.
• Advise on national litigation strategy.
• Engage with government, the TUC, and other stakeholders to influence legal reform in favour of working people.
• Act as legal adviser to GMB Congress and support the governance of the union.

What We’re Looking For

• A qualified solicitor eligible to practise in England & Wales.
• Deep knowledge of employment and industrial relations law.
• A strong understanding of trade union values and the role of collective organisation in enforcing legal rights would be highly desirable.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate complex legal issues into practical advice.
• Experience working with or within trade unions is highly desirable.
• A commitment to the principles of equality, fairness, and solidarity.
• This is an extremely varied but highly rewarding role, and a commitment to putting the needs of working people first is absolutely essential.

In return, we offer excellent terms and benefits, including:

• Final Salary Pension Scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Childcare Assistance Scheme
• Season Ticket Loan
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Generous holiday allowance
• Eye Care claim back Scheme
• Annual Leave Purchase Scheme
• Annual Health Check

Further information

Further Information about the role: 

• Though the role is based at national office and will therefore be required to be in regular attendance in Euston, London, we will consider requests for the standard place of work to be located in another GMB office in one of the regions.
• The successful post-holder will be expected to attend regional or national meetings/events across all four nations of the UK, so a willingness to travel is a must. 
• The hours of work for this post are designated as ‘unspecified’, and there will therefore be a requirement for the successful candidate to work some unsocial hours, which may include some weekend and/or evening work, when required by the role. 

If you think this sounds like you, and you’d like to know more about either the role or us as an organisation and what we can offer you, we’d like to hear from you.

Please note:
Late or incomplete applications will not be considered, so please ensure you have completed all sections of the application form (including referee details) and submitted no later than the specified deadline.