Closing date: 17 May 2026

Westmorland & Furness Council

Deputy Chief Legal Officer (Deputy Monitoring Officer)

Salary: £81,049 to £83,933 with an additional market supplement of £10,000

Contact: Tim.Farr@starfishsearch.com

Job Description:

This is an advertisement for a vacancy at Westmorland & Furness Council. LLG is advertising this vacancy on behalf of Westmorland & Furness Council.

Westmorland & Furness is one of England's newest unitary authorities, covering a stunning geography from Barrow-in-Furness to Penrith, taking in Kendal and the surrounding Lake District communities. With a new Chief Executive in post and a clear mandate to modernise the organisation, strengthen governance and deliver a major transformation programme, there is real energy and ambition across the council.

The Deputy Chief Legal Officer (Deputy Monitoring Officer) is a broad and high-profile role, working alongside the Chief Legal & Monitoring Officer to lead across Democratic Services, Elections, Member Support, Information Governance and Constitutional leadership. You will regularly deputise for the Monitoring Officer, providing authoritative advice to elected members and senior officers on governance, standards, conduct and decision-making.

With joint mayoral elections and all-out local elections scheduled for 2027, there is important work to do in preparing the council's democratic processes, governance arrangements and member support. The council is also undertaking a significant transformation programme, and governance sits at the centre of ensuring it can deliver change safely and lawfully. This is a genuine ownership moment for someone ready to put their stamp on how law and governance work across a new and ambitious council.

If you are looking for a role where you can make a real impact, this is it. You will have the chance to establish yourself as a key leader at a formative point in the authority's development. For the right person, this is a superb opportunity.

As the Council operates a hybrid working model, the successful candidate will have the flexibility to work from home or from one of our offices. We promote an agile working culture that supports both high performance and employee wellbeing.

If you would like an informal conversation about this role, please contact Tim Farr from Starfish Search at Tim.Farr@starfishsearch.com.

Closing date for applications: 17th May 2026

For more information about this opportunity and for details of how to apply, please visit: Deputy Chief Legal Officer (Deputy Monitoring Officer) | Careers