Role: Legal Services Team Leader

Location: South Ribble Civic Centre, Leyland

Contract: Full time (36.25 hours per week)

Permanent Salary: £48,474 - 49, 498 plus 6% car allowance

Closing Date: 28 May 2024

An exciting opportunity has arisen in the Shared Legal Services Team of Chorley Council and South Ribble Council. We are looking for an enthusiastic legal professional with experience leading a team to join us. You'll be an individual who is committed to the development of a positive, professional, forward looking and customer focused legal service. This is an excellent chance for a lawyer to lead an experienced team of legal professionals and develop and broaden their professional and management skills.

As a service, the Legal team advises on all legal issues affecting two councils (Chorley and South Ribble). You would be expected to lead a team dealing with regulatory matters in particular Licensing and Planning but also contract work.

What you’ll be getting up to

* Shared responsibility for the efficient and effective day to day management and delivery of the legal service, ensuring the councils achieve their corporate objectives.

* To ensure the provision of relevant and timely legal advice and guidance to members and officers, across the full range of council functions.

* To ensure the delivery of training to Officers and Members in relation to legal issues.

* To develop and maintain your own and your team’s specialist legal skills in multiple areas including; prosecutions, contracts, public procurement, town planning, licensing, litigation.

* To negotiate complex legal agreements on behalf of the councils.

* To draft and interpret legal documentation and to instruct external legal advisers where necessary.

* To represent the councils at court and in tribunals.

* To promote good corporate governance across the councils and, in particular, compliance with the councils’ Constitutions.

* To prepare reports for Full Council, Cabinet and Committees and to advise at those meetings. Who we’re looking for

* A qualified Solicitor or Barrister or a Fellow of the Institute of Legal Executives with substantial relevant experience and knowledge

* Substantial experience of advising in relation to and undertaking work in one or more of the following areas – prosecutions, Contracts, public procurement law, litigation, planning law, licensing law. Property law experience is desirable but not essential.

* Local government experience is preferred, but not essential.

* A good understanding of the legal framework in which local authorities operate

* Strong people management skills Other requirements

* This role requires some travel around our boroughs. You should have a valid driving licence or the equivalent mobility.

* This role is politically restricted.

Our Benefits

* 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays (and Christmas shutdown)

* Hybrid/agile working from day one

* Local Government pension

* Healthcare Cash Plan for cash back on health treatments

* Cashback website access for savings on brands you love

* Volunteering days

* Free parking

* Car Allowance Many of our colleagues work flexibly for us.

We’re always open to conversations around different working arrangements. If you’re interested in part-time, compressed hours or any other working arrangement, please get in touch with us through the “Contact Us” form on our careers website.

About Us

At South Ribble Council, our mission is to provide a first-class service and improve the quality of life for our communities. Our staff are our greatest resource in helping us achieve this. They’re at the heart of everything we do and are crucial to the delivery of excellent services.

Working Together

We share a number of our services with Chorley Council. This allows for improved resilience across both councils and provides numerous benefits to our operations. Whilst some staff and back-end processes are shared between the Councils, both Councils still retain sovereignty and have separate strategies and corporate plans.

Additional information

Applicants are advised to apply early. We reserve the right to close a vacancy prior to the closing date.

Equal Opportunities

We believe that everyone has the right to be treated with dignity and respect. We are committed to the elimination of unfair and unlawful discrimination and prejudice in all our policies, procedures, and practices. We’re committed to making our recruitment practices barrier-free and accessible to everyone. This includes making adjustments for disabled people, neurodiverse people or people with long-term health conditions. If you would like us to do anything differently during the recruitment process, please contact us via the "Contact Us" page on our website. If you are disabled or your last employer was the armed forces, and you meet all the essential criteria of a post, you will be guaranteed an interview.