This role has a hybrid working arrangement. We will expect you to attend our Chelmsford offices approximately 2 - 3 days per week. There will also be a requirement to visit other sites throughout the operational area, as required.

The Opportunity

We are looking for a new leader for our Highways and Environment Team. We have recently expanded the team as a result of the large volume of interesting and rewarding work. We’re working on highways schemes that see over £0.5bn invested in our transport infrastructure. That’s on top of the work generated by 5,000 miles of highways in one of the largest counties in England serving a population of 1.5m in cities, towns and a rural area. This is a brilliant opportunity for the right person to build and develop the team.

Essex County Council (ECC) is a diverse and large organisation that strives for excellence and delivers an outstanding service for residents across Essex. The in-house legal service, ELS, prides itself on providing a comprehensive legal service to the Council – most of our work is done in-house. We pride ourselves on valuing the people who work for us and providing a supportive working environment, where people work hard to do their best for Essex. The work can be demanding and we expect resilience but our senior leaders are committed to ensuring that ELS is a place where people want to stay.

This post is a strategic leader in the legal service focused on managing a team of legal professionals. In addition, as part of the ELS leadership team, the role has a strong voice in the running of the service and plays a key role in maintaining our Lexcel accreditation. We're looking for someone with excellent technical legal skills and relevant experience who can quickly pick things up and manage a team of specialists within the highways and environment area. They will need to be able to operate effectively in a complex politically-led organisation. Their influencing skills will be critical in order to articulate options and risks when advising Senior Leaders and Councilors.

Closing date: 03 April 2024

Link to apply: Legal Services Manager - Highways and Environment