Head of Legal Services

Hampshire and the Solent Combined County Authority; Southampton; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

LGPS pension

Flexible and hybrid working

Health and wellbeing support

Professional development

Perkbox benefits

Job summary

Hampshire and the Solent Combined County Authority is recruiting for a Deputy Monitoring Officer who will lead the Authority’s legal, information governance and complaints functions. You will provide authoritative advice on complex matters, deputise for the Director, and support lawful and transparent decision-making across the Authority.

You will manage a multidisciplinary team, engage with Board members and partner authorities, and ensure high standards of governance, risk management and value

Qualifications

• Advanced understanding of the legal framework, functions and powers of combined authorities.
• Strong knowledge of local government constitutional arrangements and information governance.
• Experience advising on procurement, contracts, grant funding and subsidy control.

Responsibilities

• Act autonomously as the principal legal adviser for complex projects and programmes.
• Lead the Legal Services, Information Governance and Complaints teams.
• Provide risk-based, proactive advice from project inception to delivery and closure.
• Draft and negotiate complex agreements to protect the Authority’s interests.
• Represent the Authority in courts, tribunals and hearings.

Skills

Legal leadership

Governance

Stakeholder engagement

Risk management

Strategic advising

Education

Current practising status as a solicitor, barrister or chartered legal executive

Job description

Are you looking for a role where you can help shape something new, make a visible difference and work alongside people who care deeply about their place? If so, HSCCA could be a brilliant next step. We are building a new Combined County Authority for Hampshire and the Solent, bringing together partners across Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Southampton to bring investment to the region and to create opportunities for our people, places, communities and businesses.

Please note, while the full salary range is shown, most new starters join at the start of the band. Higher starting salaries may be considered where a candidate brings significant relevant skills, experience, or expertise.

The Role

Reporting to the Director of Legal and Governance (Monitoring Officer), you will lead the Authority’s legal, information governance and complaints functions and act as Deputy Monitoring Officer. You will enable the Chief Executive, Board members, the Mayor when elected, and colleagues to deliver ambitious programmes through sound, proportionate and practical legal advice.

• Provide authoritative advice on complex, high-profile matters, balancing pace, delivery and legal risk.
• Lead multidisciplinary teams and make clear decisions where requirements, accountability or precedent are uncertain.
• Hold accountability for service performance, people, resources and budgets across Legal Services, Information Governance and Complaints.
• Deputise for the Director and support lawful, transparent and effective decision-making across the Authority.
• Represent HSCCA at courts, tribunals and other hearings, preparing or overseeing the Authority’s case.

What you’ll be doing?

In this role, you’ll play a crucial part in ensuring our teams have the tools, knowledge, and processes they need to deliver a high-quality service. You will:

• Legal advice, governance and assurance - Act autonomously as the principal legal adviser and business partner for complex projects and programmes, personally leading significant legal matters and providing joined-up advice across legal, statutory, governance and due diligence issues.
• Provide constructive challenge and risk-based advice from project inception through delivery, business as-usual operation and, where relevant, closure and evaluation.
• Advise on procurement, contracts, grant funding, subsidy control, constitutional arrangements, information governance and complaints.
• Draft and negotiate complex agreements, using standard or bespoke forms as appropriate to protect the Authority’s interests and enable timely delivery.
• Commission and manage specialist external legal support where needed, maintaining quality, cost control and value for money.
• Prepare reports and attend Board, Overview and Scrutiny Committee, other committees and working groups as required.
• Use complaints, information requests and legal challenges to identify and embed organisational learning and improvement.
• People, performance and resources - Lead the Legal Services, Information Governance and Complaints teams, allocating work, aligning capacity with organisational priorities and supporting planned growth within the service.
• Stakeholder influence and relationships - Build productive relationships with Board members, committees, constituent authorities, partners and regional and national bodies.

What you’ll bring?

We’re looking for someone with:

• Current practising status as a solicitor, barrister or chartered legal executive, with substantial relevant post-qualification experience and evidence of continuing professional development.
• Advanced understanding of the legal framework, functions and statutory powers of combined authorities.
• Strong knowledge of local government constitutional arrangements, member standards, Deputy Monitoring Officer responsibilities and information governance.
• The judgement and political awareness to operate confidently in a complex public-sector environment.
• Significant experience advising on local government constitutional and governance matters, including practical experience of supporting or undertaking Deputy Monitoring Officer responsibilities.
• Extensive experience in at least two relevant disciplines, such as public procurement, contracts, regeneration or development, adult education and skills, transport, administrative law and governance, or commercial property.
• Experience advising on and structuring complex contracts, transactions or programmes, with the ability to draft and negotiate robust agreements.
• Experience applying data protection, confidentiality, access to information and public-interest considerations.
• A track record of managing a complex legal caseload autonomously, making sound risk-based judgements and meeting competing deadlines.
• Proven people leadership, budget management and delivery of quality and value for money.
• Excellent communication, influencing and relationship-building skills, including the ability to explain complex issues clearly to senior and political audiences.
• Strong analytical ability, intellectual agility and confidence working safely beyond your core specialisms, supported by sound research and appropriate external advice.
• Ability to use technology and management information to improve service quality, efficiency and planning.
• Desirable: Previous experience in local government or another public-sector setting.

We do not expect you to meet every one of these criteria. If you are genuinely excited by this role and bring most of what we are looking for, we want to hear from you.

Why join the HSCCA?

We are building the HSCCA on the basis that how we work is as important as what we deliver. We want people who bring enthusiasm, drive, and authenticity - who are proactive, open to challenge, and motivated by progress rather than process. We value collaborative leadership: the ability to bring people together across organisational boundaries, respect the expertise of others, and create shared direction without needing to own everything.

We act in line with the Nolan Principles. We use public money responsibly, make evidence-based decisions, and hold ourselves to high standards of integrity, inclusion, and accessibility. We expect feedback to be given and received constructively, challenge to be welcomed, and relationships to be built on openness, trust, and mutual respect.

This is a complex, fast-moving environment. We need people who are energised by that.

What the HSCCA will offer in return?

Joining Hampshire and the Solent Combined County Authority (HSCCA) is an opportunity to help shape a newly established public service organisation as it takes on new responsibilities devolved from Government. You will have a genuine voice in how we develop, while working on high-profile projects that positively impact communities, businesses and the wider region.

Our reward package includes:

• Membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS), with a current employer contribution rate of 18.1%, life cover and family benefits, flexible retirement options, and the opportunity to make Additional Voluntary Contributions.
• A competitive salary and generous annual leave allowance, in addition to public holidays:
• Grades T/A–E: 30 days, increasing to 32 days after five years’ service
• Grades F–K: 32 days, increasing to 34 days after five years’ service
• Flexible and hybrid working, with a minimum of two days per week in the office, helping you balance work and personal commitments while remaining connected with colleagues.
• Health and wellbeing support from November 2026, including online GP access seven days a week, an Employee Assistance Programme, confidential counselling and wellbeing resources.
• Investment in your professional development and leadership growth, with opportunities to develop new skills, broaden your experience and help shape our policies, processes and ways of working.
• Perkbox benefits from November 2026, including retail and lifestyle discounts, savings on home electronics, a Cycle to Work scheme, health and wellbeing offers, and financial wellbeing resources.
• Purposeful and influential work, collaborating with local authority partners, central government and regional stakeholders to make a positive difference across Hampshire and the Solent.
• A supportive leadership team committed to creating an organisation where people feel valued, supported and able to thrive.

The HSCCA is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive and accessible workplace where everyone feels valued and able to thrive.

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and lived experiences, particularly those currently underrepresented in our workforce. This includes people from ethnic minority communities, disabled and neurodivergent people, LGBTQ+ people, parents and carers, and people from lower socio-economic backgrounds.

We are committed to removing barriers to employment. If you require a reasonable adjustment at any stage of the recruitment process, please let us know so that we can support you.

Selection process

Your application will progress through the following stages:

• Application Review

Your CV and supporting documents will be reviewed by Reed Recruitment against the essential criteria outlined in the Skills & Experience section of this advert.

Please ensure your CV clearly demonstrates how you meet the required criteria in order to be considered.

• Telephone Interview

If shortlisted, you will be invited to an initial telephone interview.

• Face-to-face Interview

If shortlisted, you will be invited to an initial telephone interview. During this stage, you will be assessed against the Skills & Experience criteria and your overall suitability for the position.

This is the final stage of the selection process and will determine the outcome of your application.

• Feedback

Feedback will be provided following the final face-to-face interview stage.

Please note that feedback is only available to candidates who attend the final stage interview stage. Successful candidates will then be considered for an offer.

Further information

As a Disability Confident Committed employer, we run a guaranteed interview scheme for disabled applicants. If you meet the essential criteria listed in the job description for this position and would like to be considered under this scheme, please state this in your application.

All data collected is anonymous and has zero bearing on your application. If there is anything we can do to accommodate your specific situation, please let the recruitment team know.

We are committed to fair and inclusive recruitment. As part of this, we use anonymous shortlisting to ensure candidates are assessed solely on their skills, experience, and suitability for the role.