Casework Manager; Adr Legal Counsel

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The Ombuds Group is a nationally recognised, not-for-profit leader in the UK’s alternative dispute resolution (ADR) sector, providing independent and trusted services across regulated and non-regulated industries such as rail, retail, home improvement, utilities, TV and music licensing, football and removals. Its portfolio of brands is recognised by government, businesses, and consumers for trust, impartiality, and integrity. In addition to core dispute resolution services, The Ombuds Group offers specialist training and consultancy to help organisations improve complaint handling and raise internal standards.

The organisation focuses on building long-term customer trust by promoting fair, transparent, and effective resolution processes.

We are looking for a solicitor or barrister with 3–5 years’ PQE (or equivalent) to provide technical leadership, oversight and quality assurance across all schemes delivered by The Ombuds Group
, while also acting as an internal legal counsel.

Working closely with the Senior Ombudsman and Head of Insight and Performance
, the postholder will help ensure high-quality, consistent and well-reasoned casework across the organisation. They will deputise for the Senior Ombudsman when required and manage the Lead Ombudsman and Ombudsman Team.

• Ensuring high-quality, consistent and defensible case decisions
• Identifying and mitigating technical, quality and decision-making risks
• Managing and developing casework teams, including regular 1-2-1s
• Supporting competency frameworks, CPD and professional development alongside the Senior Ombudsman
• Providing internal legal counsel on governance, company secretariat, compliance, legal challenge and risk

• Provide authoritative advice on complex and sensitive cases
• Guide ombudsmen on sound reasoning, consistency and defensible decision‑making
• Ensure correct interpretation of scheme rules, ADR regulations, legislation and best practice
• Act as a technical sounding board while preserving ombudsman independence
• Provide technical advice to scheme members to improve compliance and complaint handling
• Maintain personal CPD and up-to-date legal and technical expertise

• Manage, mentor and develop the Ombudsman Team
• Identify capability gaps and implement targeted training
• Maintain competency, CPD, professional membership and accreditation standards
• Allocate cases fairly and support delivery against stringent SLAs
• Conduct 1-2-1s, probation reviews and other performance reviews
• Support escalation and resolution of complaints about our service or decisions
• Challenge and improve how services are delivered

• Lead quality assurance activity across schemes
• Identify trends, inconsistencies and emerging risks
• Provide structured feedback on decision quality and adherence to scheme rules
• Develop decision frameworks, quality guidance and technical resources
• Review complaints about the service impartially and transparently
• Use complaint trends and root‑cause analysis to drive improvement
• Support reporting to relevant Boards

• Support identification and management of technical, regulatory, reputational and decision‑making risks
• Escalate material risks with clear analysis and recommended action
• Strengthen internal controls and decision‑making frameworks
• Support internal and external audits, ADR accreditations and ISO
  27001/ISO
  9001 compliance
• Support accurate and timely regulatory reporting

• Act as Deputy Data Protection Lead
• Manage data breaches and DPIAs alongside the Senior Ombudsman
• Support responses to…