Job title: Corporate Governance Lawyer

Location: Hybrid/TBC

Grade: P5

Shape the Future of Governance: Join Us as a Corporate Governance Lawyer and Make a Lasting Impact!

About the Role

We are seeking a highly skilled Corporate Governance Lawyer to join our team. In this role, you will be responsible for delivering specialist complex legal advice to various clients, including council officers, committees, and elected members. Your expertise will ensure that the principles of good governance in decision-making are met in accordance with the regulatory framework. You will play a crucial role in ensuring the Council complies with statutory and contractual obligations, providing high-quality legal advice on complex local authority governance and public law issues.

If you would like an informal discussion about this role, please contact Emma Duncan, Service Director: Legal and Governance via email (emma.duncan@cambridgeshire.gov.uk) where an appointment will be made.

First stage technical interviews will be held virtually via Microsoft Teams TBC

Second stage interviews will be held at New Shire Hall, Alconbury Weald on 28 May 2025

What You Will Be Doing

You will support the Service Director: Legal and Governance and act as Deputy Monitoring Officer, providing expert legal advice on governance matters. This includes responding to queries, drafting legal comments, and offering guidance on governance issues. You will assist with constitution queries, report writing, and standards complaints, conduct legal research, and brief counsel. Additionally, you will attend meetings to provide legal advice, supervise high-profile litigation, and advise on the Council’s constitution and protocols. You will determine the impact of new legislation, develop new methods and processes, and respond to information requests. Representing the Council at external meetings will also be part of your role.

About You

You should be an admitted Solicitor, Barrister, or Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives with a current practising certificate and 5 years relevant post-qualification experience. We are seeking a professional with extensive experience in corporate governance legal practice, public law, human rights, and equalities legislation. You will have a proven track record of providing expert local government legal advice, operating in politically sensitive environments, and building effective relationships. Demonstrating awareness of equality, diversity, inclusion, and contributing to the Council’s commitment to becoming a Net Zero organisation by 2030 is also important.

Main Accountabilities:  

1. To provide expert advice and support to the Service Director (Legal and Governance) and Monitoring Officer in the discharge of their statutory functions and to act as Deputy Monitoring Officer

2. To provide legal advice in response to queries raised by officers or councillors, and in particular legal governance advice, and to write and provide legal comments on reports to Committees, elected members, council and Corporate Leadership Team

3. To assist the Monitoring Officer when required with regard to corporate governance and standards matters, to include, but not limited to constitution queries and review, report writing and procedure and standards complaints

4. Undertaking legal research on questions arising from the work of the Council including, where necessary, briefing counsel and/or consultants and instructing experts.

5. Attending and providing legal advice to meetings, working parties and groups, and council Committees, in matters relating to the work of the team.

6. Delivering high-quality legal advice and all other commensurate legal practices to elected members, officers and CCC clients that comply with the statutory framework and meets the Council’s statutory and contractual obligations.

7. Supervising high or other matters where they impact on the corporate governance of the authority.

8. Specifically advising on governance issues, aspects of the Council’s constitution and associated protocols, updates to these, and training for officers and members.

9. Determining the effect of new legislation and advising specifically on the impact of new legislation on the delivery of the Council’s services or functions. To provide briefings on developments in the law to councillors and officers within the council. 

10. Devising and implementing new or updated methods, forms and processes as required by new legislation or guidance, revised council policy or as a result of other changes occurring. This will include producing content for the Council’s intranet and website pages.

11. Providing responses to freedom of information, environment information and subject access requests, requests from Members of Parliament and in response to Ombudsman, Information Commissioner or other regulatory complaints and providing legal advice and assistance to other officers dealing with these matters.

12. To represent CCC at external meetings where needed.

13. Demonstrate an awareness and understanding of equality, diversity, and inclusion.

14. Ability to contribute to our commitment of becoming a Net Zero organisation by 2030.

Job description and personal specification here