Governance Associate/Senior Associate

BCL Legal; Birmingham; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Private medical insurance

Life assurance

Pension

25 days annual leave

CSR opportunities

Job summary

BCL Legal is recruiting a Governance Solicitor in Birmingham for a market-leading Commercial & Public Law team. The role focuses on advising local authorities and combined authorities on governance and public law matters, with flexible hybrid working and options to work remotely.

The successful candidate will have 5+ years' PQE, strong governance experience, and the ability to deliver clear, commercially focused advice while developing client relationships with senior stakeholders.

Qualifications

• At least 5 years' PQE with governance/public law experience.
• Experience advising local authorities and/or combined authorities.
• Ability to provide clear, commercially focused advice.

Responsibilities

• Advise local authorities and combined authorities on governance matters.
• Work on governance structures, vires, and decision‑making.
• Support multi‑disciplinary teams across corporate, commercial, employment and pensions.
• Provide training to finance and audit teams on governance issues.
• Develop client relationships with senior stakeholders in local authorities.
• Contribute to business development and networking in the local government market.

Skills

Local government governance

Public law

Analytical thinking

Communication skills

Client relationship management

Team collaboration

Autonomy

Education

Qualified solicitor

Job description

Governance Solicitor | 5+ PQE | Leading National Firm | Birmingham / Fully Flexible Hybrid

BCL Legal is delighted to be assisting a leading national commercial law firm with the recruitment of a Governance Solicitor (5+ PQE) to join its highly regarded and growing Commercial & Public Law team. This is an excellent opportunity for a solicitor with strong local government and governance experience to join a market-leading team advising local authorities and combined authorities on a broad range of complex and high-profile matters. The role is based in Birmingham, with fully flexible hybrid working and the opportunity to work remotely, with office attendance arranged around client, team and individual requirements. A competitive salary and excellent benefits are on offer, alongside genuine scope for progression within a supportive and forward-thinking team.

The Role

As a Governance Solicitor, you will:

• Advise local authority and combined authority clients on a wide range of complex governance matters.
• Work on matters including local government reorganisation and devolution, powers and vires, decision‑making, constitutions and governance structures.
• Advise on member and officer conduct, probity, ethics, investigations, complaints and disciplinary matters.
• Support clients with governance aspects of major projects, including options appraisals, structuring, shared services, public‑public and public‑private arrangements, insourcing and outsourcing.
• Advise on local authority‑owned companies and other corporate structures, working closely with colleagues across corporate, commercial, employment, pensions, procurement and property.
• Provide advice and training to finance and audit teams, including matters relating to Section 114 reporting.
• Work closely with senior members of the team while taking responsibility appropriate to your level of experience.
• Develop strong client relationships and have regular direct contact with senior stakeholders within local and combined authorities.
• Contribute to business development and networking initiatives across the local government and combined authority market.

About You

To be successful in your application for this Governance Solicitor role, you will have:

• At least 5 years' PQE, ideally with experience as a Monitoring Officer or Deputy Monitoring Officer.
• Strong experience advising local authorities and/or combined authorities on governance and public law matters.
• Excellent technical and analytical skills, with the ability to work through complex legal and governance issues.
• The ability to provide clear, precise and commercially focused advice.
• Strong communication and client relationship skills, including the ability to operate effectively within a political environment.
• A collaborative approach and experience of working closely with colleagues across different legal disciplines.
• The ability to work with a high degree of autonomy while recognising when to seek support or input from colleagues.
• Excellent organisational and time‑management skills, alongside a positive and flexible approach.
• A genuine interest in developing your practice and contributing to the continued growth of the team.

The Offering

The successful candidate will enjoy:

• A competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package.
• Fully flexible hybrid working, allowing you to structure your week around client, team and personal requirements.
• The opportunity to work with recognised experts on complex and high‑profile governance matters.
• Exposure to a broad range of local government and combined authority work.
• Strong training, development and progression opportunities.
• A collaborative and supportive team environment.
• Private medical insurance, life assurance, generous pension and a minimum of 25 days' annual leave, with the option to purchase additional days.
• Opportunities to get involved in CSR, pro bono and wider responsible business initiatives.

BCL Legal is an equal opportunities employer.