Housing Solicitor Director - Manchester

Duncan Lewis Solictors; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid and flexible working

25 days' annual leave

Pension scheme

Training and professional development

Job summary

Duncan Lewis Solicitors is seeking an experienced Housing Law Director to lead and develop its nationally recognised Housing Department. The role focuses on strategic leadership, mentoring, and delivering high-quality legal services in social housing matters, including homelessness, disrepair, eviction, and possession.

We expect a proactive leader with strong client care, advocacy, networking, and marketing skills to drive growth and maintain the firm’s top-tier reputation.

Qualifications

• Qualified solicitor with a clean Practising Certificate.
• 3+ years' PQE in Housing Law and Litigation, including court representation.
• Experience as a Duty Advisor under the Housing Possession Court Duty Scheme within the last two years.
• Willingness to work towards the 2013 SQM Housing Supervisor Standard.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the Housing Department and mentor team members.
• Report to the Board and ensure departmental performance targets are met.
• Provide technical expertise and guidance to other team members in Housing work.
• Train and develop department staff; drive business development and marketing efforts.
• Manage a broad range of Housing matters and advocate where appropriate.
• Oversee funding applications to the Legal Aid Agency and draft key documents.

Skills

Housing law

Leadership

Mentoring

Business development

Client care

Networking

Education

Practising Certificate

SQM Housing Supervisor Standard

Tools

Microsoft Office

Case management software

HR systems

Job description

Duncan Lewis Solicitors is seeking an experienced and ambitious Housing Law Director to join our highly regarded Housing Department. This is an excellent opportunity to take on a leadership role within one of the UK's leading law firms, recognised by The Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners UK as a top-tier practice and awarded Law Firm of the Year at both the 2024 LexisNexis Awards and the 2023 Modern Law Awards.

Founded in 1998 and headquartered in the City of London, Duncan Lewis Solicitors is a national, award-winning, paperless law firm with over 500 professionals nationwide. Our ethos is simple: "We give people a voice."

Our Housing Department is ranked and recommended by both The Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners UK for its expertise in social housing law. Recognised for its outstanding advocacy and commitment to achieving positive outcomes, the team advises and represents clients across a wide range of housing matters, including homelessness, disrepair, unlawful eviction, possession proceedings, succession disputes, and judicial review challenges.

Joining Duncan Lewis means becoming part of a diverse, supportive, and forward-thinking organisation where you can make a meaningful impact on both clients and colleagues.

Duties and responsibilities

As a Housing Law Director, you will play a key role in leading and developing the department, managing complex housing cases, supporting and mentoring team members, and contributing to the continued growth and success of the practice.

The key responsibilities includes:

• Report directly to and collaborating with the Board to ensure performance targets are met
• Responsible for all aspects of Housing work including providing technical expertise and guidance to other team members
• Ability to manage and supervise Solicitors, Trainee Solicitors and Caseworkers to manage appropriate caseload types and complexities
• Assisting with delivery of appropriate training and development in the department
• Variety of duties including dealing with a range of Housing cases including Homelessness; Disrepair; Eviction; Possession; Property Ownership Disputes; Succession for Tenants; Housing adaptations; Social Housing; Neighbourhood Problems matters as well as undertaking your own advocacy
• Dealing with emergency cases and identifying and carrying out strategic litigation.
• Preparing and managing funding applications to the Legal Aid Agency
• Preparing draft documents including witness statements and processing evidence
• You will have a professional pro-active approach, strong client care skills and be interested in Business Development and Marketing to supplement the substantial work volumes brought in by the company

Experience and qualifications

• Must hold a clean and valid Practising Certificate at the time of application.
• 3+ years' PQE with substantial experience in Housing Law and Litigation, including court representation.
• Experience as a Duty Advisor under the Housing Possession Court Duty Scheme within the last two years.
• Meets, or is willing to work towards, the 2013 SQM Housing Supervisor Standard.
• Knowledge of welfare benefits, welfare rights, and community care matters.
• Strong management and supervisory skills, with experience working to KPIs.
• A collaborative team player who promotes a positive culture and encourages cross-referrals.
• Professional and proactive, with excellent client care skills and experience supporting vulnerable clients in complex housing matters.
• Strong networking, communication, business development, and marketing skills.
• Sound knowledge of publicly funded Housing Law work, including Legal Help and Legal Representation, with the ability to manage privately funded matters.
• Extensive experience across a broad range of Housing Law matters.
• Advocacy experience is desirable.
• Excellent IT skills, including Microsoft Office, case management, and HR systems.
• Experience within the legal sector and an ability to support the firm's social media and business development activities.

Benefits

At Duncan Lewis Solicitors, we are committed to supporting our employees through a range of professional, financial, and wellbeing benefits, including:

• Competitive remuneration package.
• Clear salary review and career progression opportunities.
• Hybrid and flexible working arrangements.
• 25 days' annual leave, increasing with length of service, plus birthday leave.
• Company pension scheme.
• Ongoing training, professional development, and access to e-learning resources.
• Payment of practising certificate renewal fees and support for relevant professional accreditations (subject to eligibility).
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) and wellbeing support, including Mental Health First Aiders.
• Company Medical Cash Plan (subject to eligibility).
• Employee referral scheme and eyesight test vouchers.
• Full payment of employment-related DBS checks.
• A supportive and collaborative working environment with opportunities to help shape and grow our family mediation services.

Some benefits are subject to eligibility criteria and company terms and conditions.

Company culture

At Duncan Lewis Solicitors, we are passionate about creating an environment where talented professionals can thrive. We are proud of our diverse and inclusive workforce and are committed to providing equal opportunities for all employees.

Our long-standing Investors in People Gold Standard accreditation reflects our commitment to employee development, while our Lexcel, Cyber Essentials Plus and ISO 27001 certifications demonstrate our dedication to excellence, innovation and security.

We invest heavily in the growth of our people through ongoing training, mentoring, clear progression pathways and opportunities to gain industry recognition. Whether you are looking to deepen your expertise, develop leadership skills or advance your career within a nationally recognised law firm, Duncan Lewis provides the platform to help you succeed.