Head of Legal

East End Homes; England; Hybrid; GBP 81,000 - 86,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading housing organization in the United Kingdom is seeking a Head of Legal to lead a high-performing in-house service team. This role involves providing expert legal advice on housing disrepair and related claims, ensuring compliance with UK housing law, and managing external legal providers. The ideal candidate will be a qualified solicitor or barrister with experience in housing litigation and a strong understanding of legal processes. The position offers a competitive salary and benefits including generous holiday and pension contributions.

Benefits

33 days holiday plus Bank Holidays

Pension – up to 10% Employer Contribution

£200 – Gym Membership contribution

Medical Cash Plan

Qualifications

• Qualified Solicitor or Barrister with a current practising certificate.
• Expertise in housing litigation within social housing or local authority.
• Experience managing complex cases and advising senior leadership.

Responsibilities

• Lead in-house service team managing housing disrepair and claims.
• Advise on tenancy matters and enforce statutory obligations.
• Set litigation strategy and manage external legal providers.

Skills

Knowledge of UK housing law

Advocacy skills

Negotiation skills

Risk management skills

Data-driven decision-making

Education

Qualified Solicitor or Barrister (England & Wales)

Job description

Job Description and Person Specification

Head of Legal - closing date 23rd January 2026

Location

Resolution Plaza, Head Office (with regular travel to local housing offices)

Grade / Salary

£81412 to £85505

Reports To

Chief Executive

Direct Reports

N / A

Contract Type

Permanent / Full Time / hybrid

Role Purpose

Lead a high-performing in-house service team supporting East End Homes in managing housing disrepair and related claims. Provide expert legal advice across social housing matters—tenancy enforcement, rent arrears, ASB, and leasehold—ensuring compliance, mitigating risk, and improving customer outcomes. The role will contribute to policy development by providing legal input, not by drafting or owning policy.

Key Responsibilities

Lead a high-performing in-house service team supporting East End Homes in managing housing disrepair and related claims. Provide expert legal advice across social housing matters—tenancy enforcement, rent arrears, ASB, and leasehold—ensuring compliance, mitigating risk, and improving customer outcomes. The role will contribute to policy development by providing legal input, not by drafting or owning policy.

Disrepair & Housing Conditions

• Develop and implement disrepair strategy to reduce incidence, cost, and reputational risk.
• Oversee case management, ensuring quality pleadings, evidence, and settlement strategies.
• Ensure compliance with Pre-Action Protocols; design templates and workflows to track outcomes.
• Identify root causes and work with operational teams to prevent recurrence.
• Manage external legal providers, driving value through negotiated rates and KPIs.

Social Housing Legal Advisory

• Advise on tenancy matters, enforcement, and statutory obligations.
• Lead legal action for statutory access, injunctions, and possession claims.
• Support income recovery strategies and ASB enforcement with proportionate remedies.
• Input in to draft policies to ensure legal compliance and clarity.

Litigation & Dispute Resolution

• Set litigation strategy, authorise settlements, and manage costs.
• Prepare for hearings, instruct counsel, and oversee witness preparation.
• Embed learning from cases into policy and process improvements.

Leadership

• Build and develop an internal legal team; define career pathways.
• Influence stakeholders and provide clear advice to Exec and Board.
• Deliver training to frontline staff on legal processes and compliance.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Qualified Solicitor or Barrister (England & Wales) with current practising certificate.

Experience

• Expertise in housing litigation and disrepair within social housing or local authority.
• Proven ability to manage complex cases, external providers, and budgets.
• Experience advising senior leadership and drafting policies.

Skills

• Strong knowledge of UK housing law, litigation strategy, and regulatory requirements.
• Excellent advocacy, negotiation, and risk management skills.
• Data-driven approach to performance and decision-making.

Values & Behaviours

• High integrity, sound judgment, resilience, and ability to work at pace.

Benefits

33 days holiday plus Bank Holidays

Pension – up to 10% Employer Contribution

£200 – Gym Membership contribution

Medical Cash Plan