Head of Contracts & Procurement - Public Sector

London Borough of Brent; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 68,000 - 77,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual leave 33 days

LGPS pension

Hybrid working

Family-friendly policies

Health and wellbeing support

Education and training support

Cycle to Work

Learning and development

My Brent Rewards

Job summary

London Borough of Brent seeks a strategic Chief Lawyer - Contracts to lead the Contracts team, shaping major commercial and governance matters across a dynamic public sector organisation.

You will provide expert legal advice on complex contracts, procurement and governance, guiding senior officers, Members and leadership on high-profile matters while developing a high-performing legal function. Brent prioritises collaboration, innovation and accountability.

Qualifications

• Current practising certificate as a Solicitor, Barrister or Chartered Legal Executive.
• Significant experience advising on complex commercial contracts, procurement and governance matters.
• Experience leading and developing high-performing legal teams.
• Credibility to influence senior leaders, elected members and a wide range of stakeholders.
• Strong commercial awareness, sound judgement and a pragmatic approach to managing legal risk.
• Excellent communication, negotiation and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to balance competing priorities while maintaining exceptional professional standards.
• Collaborative leadership style with a genuine commitment to developing others.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership to a team of around 11 legal professionals, fostering a high-performance culture and supporting colleagues to reach their full potential.
• Lead the development, continuous improvement and effective management of the Contracts function, ensuring an efficient, responsive and customer-focused legal service.
• Deliver proactive, expert legal advice on complex contracts, procurement, commercial and governance matters to Members, senior officers and corporate leadership.
• Shape corporate decision-making through strategic legal advice on high-profile and politically sensitive matters.
• Manage resources, budgets and external legal spend to deliver value for money whilst maintaining exceptional professional standards.
• Drive innovation, service improvement and collaboration across Legal Services and the wider organisation.
• This is a role where your legal expertise won't simply interpret legislation—it will help unlock opportunities, manage risk and deliver better outcomes for Brent's communities.

Skills

Commercial awareness

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Negotiation skills

Job description

London Borough of Brent seeks a strategic Chief Lawyer - Contracts to lead the Contracts team, shaping major commercial and governance matters across a dynamic public sector organisation.

You will provide expert legal advice on complex contracts, procurement and governance, guiding senior officers, Members and leadership on high-profile matters while developing a high-performing legal function. Brent prioritises collaboration, innovation and accountability.