Group Solicitor - Civil Litigation

Oldham Council; Oldham; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 64,000; Full time

Job summary

A local government authority is seeking a Group Solicitor for Civil Litigation to provide legal services and advice on complex civil litigation matters such as judicial review and commercial litigation. The ideal candidate will be a qualified solicitor or barrister with extensive management experience, particularly within local government legal contexts. This role offers a competitive salary and a hybrid working environment in Oldham, England.

Benefits

25 days annual leave

Discounted gym membership

Attractive pension scheme

Wellbeing support programs

Staff recognition events

Qualifications

• Experience in commercial litigation, adult social, insolvency, judicial review, or property litigation is beneficial.
• Knowledge of local government workings, legal, financial, social, and political context.
• Evidence of successful resource and financial management.

Responsibilities

• Provide legal advice in civil litigation, judicial review, and commercial litigation.
• Advise the council and its officers on legal matters.
• Conduct litigation and advocacy at courts and tribunals.

Skills

Qualified Solicitor or Barrister

Post-qualification experience in civil litigation

Extensive experience of motivating and managing a team

Change management knowledge

Education

Qualified Solicitor or Barrister

Job description

Legal Services Team

Group Solicitor Civil Litigation

Ref : 000975

Contract : Permanent

Salary : £60,000 £63,305 per annum (SM2)

Hours : 36.66 per week

Location : Hybrid Remote and Spindles offices

Closing Date : Sunday 18th January 2026

Shortlisting & Interview Dates : TBC.

Role Overview

To provide legal advice and services in respect of work falling with the remit of the section, and to lead and manage all staff within the team. The main function of the role is to cover complex civil litigation work including judicial review, commercial litigation, adult social care, and employment matters. To ensure work is carried out by the team in accordance with council policies and procedure, and to maximum effectiveness and efficiency.

Key Responsibilities

• To advise the Council, through its officers, directorate and committees, and any other clients, on legal matters primarily, but not exclusively, relating to public and civil law, adult social care, housing, debt recovery and associated areas, including attendance at evening meetings as required.
• To advise and attend at the Board Meetings of the Council’s companies / partner(s) agencies.
• To attend Committees, Working Groups and other meetings with Members as may be required and provide advice and assistance as necessary to enable the Council to operate efficiently within legal requirements.
• Advocacy, personally and through Counsel, at Court, Tribunals and elsewhere.
• To conduct litigation
• To give clear management guidance and assistance to all team members in respect of areas of expertise specific to the postholder and to assist and cover for other team members as necessary.

Key Requirements

To succeed in this role you will need as a minimum :

• Qualified Solicitor or Barrister
• Post-qualification experience in civil litigation (non-Personal Injury)
• Extensive experience of motivating and managing a team, including change management, having input into organisational development programmes and effective working with staff.

Experience of at least two of the following :

• Commercial litigation
• Adult Social
• Insolvency
• Judicial Review
• Property Litigation
• Evidence of successful resource and financial management, including evidence of the resolution of conflicting priorities and assisting with setting budgets.
• A clear understanding and knowledge of the workings of local government and including its legal, financial, social and political context, political processes and the current issues faced in a multi-cultural area

The post is subject to a Basic Disclosure from the DBS.

If you have completed the GM Elevate (Leadership Development) Programme, please indicate this within the ‘About You’ or ‘Supporting Statement’ section of your application.

Unfortunately, at this time we are not able to offer sponsorship.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and therefore expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

About Us

We want Oldham to have vibrant, safe neighbourhoods where people are proud to live with opportunities for healthier, more fulfilled lives; and a sustainable, thriving economy. As we look to the future, the challenges may be significant, but so are the opportunities. We’ve identified three missions with our residents and partners, focusing on what will deliver the biggest impact :

A Great Place to Live, Healthier, Happier Lives, and Green and Growing.

We’re looking for candidates who will support us to achieve our ambitions and we encourage you to download our Corporate Plan : Ready for the Future and our Oldham Plan for further information.

Our Values and Behaviours

By driving innovation, investing in our people, and championing our communities, we will ensure that Oldham continues to be a place where everyone can live their best life. To support this, we have three core values which define who we are and how we operate. These are ‘ Proud, Ambitious, and Together’ , and they shape our culture, inform our decisions, and inspire us to deliver on our commitments to the people of Oldham.

We have translated these values into five behaviours which guide our actions and are the standards we hold ourselves to, day in and day out :

• Work with a resident focus
• Support local leaders
• Committed to the borough
• Delivery high performance
• Take ownership and drive change

You can find out more about our values and behaviours on our greater.jobs Oldham page.

Our Benefits Package

At Oldham Council we offer a great benefits package for our employees, which includes the following :

• 25 days annual leave which increases after 5 and 10-years’ service
• The option to purchase additional annual leave.
• An attractive LGPS benefit pension scheme with the option to make shared cost additional voluntary contributions.
• Discounted gym membership with Oldham Active.
• Staff discount scheme for shopping, entertainment, eating-out, eating-in, travel, motoring and more.
• Salary sacrifice scheme for home and electronics and Cycle to Work.
• Wellbeing support, including a Mental Health First Aider network and an Employment Assistance Programme that provides 24 hours access to advice and support.
• Staff recognition and celebration events.
• Peer support groups

Inclusive Recruitment

We work closely with employees to help them work at their best, including making adjustments such as flexible working, describing available working patterns, providing equipment or making changes to the workplace.

If you’re an applicant with disabilities and have previously been in or currently in care, a carer or someone who has served in the Armed Forces and you meet the essential criteria of the role, you are guaranteed to reach the first stage of assessment under our Guaranteed Assessment Scheme.

Data and Privacy

For details of how we use your data please see our privacy notice.

Important Information

Please note that should a vacancy that has been released for internal or external recruitment be deemed suitable for a current employee at risk of redundancy, it can be pulled back at any point, up to the post being formally offered to a candidate who is not at risk of redundancy.

While we embrace the use of AI as an innovative tool to maximise our services at Oldham Council, we are looking for authenticity in applications we receive. We therefore ask you to think carefully if choosing to use AI when completing your application and ask that you ensure you read all instructions carefully and that your application is written by you and reflects your skills, knowledge and enthusiasm.