Essex Legal Services (ELS) provides high quality, professional, legal advice across Essex County Council and to an increasing number of external clients.

We are currently recruiting for a Supervising Associate Criminal and Enforcement Lawyer to be part of a specialist Criminal and Enforcement law section within the Dispute Resolution and Employment Law Team. You will work closely with colleagues to ensure the delivery of a high performing, client facing legal service which proactively embraces change. This is a brilliant opportunity for the right person to build strong relationships with internal and external partners.

Essex County Council (ECC) is a diverse and large organisation that strives for excellence and delivers an outstanding service for residents across Essex. As 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 provide 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.

We’re looking for someone with excellent technical legal skills and relevant experience who can quickly pick things up. You will be a qualified solicitor / lawyer, or Chartered Legal Executive, with significant post qualification experience and a member of the appropriate professional body. As part of a specialist legal team you will provide advice and guidance to employer clients both in house and to external public body clients. The work is interesting and rewarding and underpins effective decision making, performance management and ensuring statutory requirements are met. This position will be fast-paced and it is therefore imperative you are highly motivated and confident in handling a full caseload consisting of both contentious and non-contentious criminal and enforcement matters including, but not limited to, the following:

- Fraud and Fraudulent Trading cases

- Consumer complaint prosecutions

- Planning and Environmental Enforcement Prosecutions

- Highways Enforcement Notices and Prosecutions

You will be positive, enthusiastic and have a passion for delivery of excellent client care and relationship management with a desire to contribute to the future of ELS and its delivery of legal services. The successful applicant will work closely with senior leaders and the role will include supervising staff.

Accountabilities

- Leading the provision of timely and accurate legal advice across the Council and to external clients to produce the best possible outcomes

- Responsible for delivering the strategic business plan for legal services which supports and drives the Council’s wider Organisation Strategy and vision

- Responsible for assisting with development of staff in ELS, through supervision and line management and delivery of training and informal learning

- Delegated functions as detailed in the Council’s constitution (and as amended from time to time)

- Works closely with the Head of Service and senior leaders of ELS to develop current and future business opportunities, to promote the Essex Legal Services vision to the external market.

- Responsible for the delivery strategy for services, ensuring that performance is clearly defined in terms of benchmarked outcomes and short, medium and long term business targets

The Experience You Will Bring

- Qualified solicitor or barrister or chartered legal executive enrolled with the Solicitors Regulation Authority or the Bar Standards Board or the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives, as appropriate

- Line management and supervisory responsibility

- Significant experience of working within a legal setting in a politically sensitive environment, providing high-quality advice to a wide range of customers

- Commercial awareness and financial acumen, with sufficient professional credibility to maintain the existing client base and develop new streams of business.

To read more about Essex Legal Services and the wider Corporate function of Essex County Council please follow this link: https://www.workingforessex.com/role/corporate-services