Paralegal

Staffordshire County Council; Stafford; Hybrid; GBP 32,000 - 45,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous holiday entitlement

Flexi time

Annual leave purchase scheme

Employee discounts

Local government pension scheme

Car lease scheme (optional)

Staff parking discount

Job summary

Staffordshire County Council invites applications for a Senior Paralegal - Right of Way. The role covers countryside and public rights of way matters with training provided where needed, progressing applications and giving legal advice to departments.

We offer remote working with staff attending the Stafford office on flexible patterns and part-time possibilities. A minimum education level is required, with strong IT and communication skills valued, alongside local authority knowledge.

Qualifications

• Minimum criteria include A-level (or equivalent) education or extensive relevant experience.
• Transferable skills and the ability to work independently and in a team are essential.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills are required.

Responsibilities

• Progressing Definitive Map Modification Applications to conclusion with investigation, reports and panel presentation.
• Drafting and serving legal Orders and Notices, submissions to the Secretary of State and attending hearings.
• Providing legal advice on countryside and rights of way matters including legal research.
• Adhering to LEXCEL quality standards of the Legal Services Unit.
• Such other duties as reasonably required.

Skills

Transferable skills

Independent work

Communication skills

Interpersonal skills

Organisational skills

Local authority knowledge

IT skills

Education

A-level or equivalent

Job description

Senior Paralegal - Right of Way

Staffordshire County Council is a modern, progressive and forward-thinking authority that is ambitious and empowers its employees to be courageous and innovative in their approach.

Staffordshire Legal Services is a large in-house corporate legal team, consisting of lawyers, trainees and support staff, with a key focus on staff training, retention and progression. The service supports the County Council in the delivery of its objectives by providing quality services to support every single function in the Council including Environment and Countryside, as well as to a wide range of external clients.

The successful candidate will undertake a rewarding varied caseload of countryside and public rights of way related matters. Previous experience is desirable but not essential, as training will be provided.

There are a number of benefits to working at Staffordshire County Council including generous holiday entitlement, flexi time, annual leave purchase scheme, employee discounts, local government pension scheme, optional car lease scheme and a staff parking discount scheme.

We understand the importance of a work-life balance and currently offer remote working with attendance at our Stafford office on flexible patterns and in accordance with business need. We are also happy to consider requests for part‑time working.

Main Responsibility

• Progressing Definitive Map Modification Applications to conclusion, including investigation, research, writing reports and presenting to a Panel of Members
• Drafting and serving legal Orders and Notices, submissions to the Secretary of State, and attending public hearings and inquiries in relation to the same
• Providing legal advice to the client department on a range of countryside and rights of way matters including legal research
• Adhering to the Legal Services Unit's LEXCEL quality standards
• Such other duties as may reasonably be required

The Ideal Candidate

The minimum criteria that will be used to shortlist for this role will be:

Whilst no previous experience in countryside and rights of way law is necessary, we are looking for a minimum of A-level or equivalent standard of education or extensive experience in a similar role, with:

• transferable skills preferred but not essential
• ability to work independently and as part of a team
• strong communication and interpersonal skills
• excellent organisational skills with the ability to prioritise a varied workload.
• local authority knowledge preferred but not essential.
• Strong I.T skills

Fixed Term Contract until March 2028

Interviews will be held during the week commencing 19 October 2026.

Recruitment Process

We anonymise applications during shortlisting to ensure only relevant information is considered.

Please note: The minimum criteria in the ideal candidate section detailed above will be used if you are applying under one of our Interview Guarantee Schemes, detailed below.

About Staffordshire County Council

We are no ordinary county council:

Our Values

The core of who we are as an organisation. Just like we all have personal values that shape our thoughts and behaviour, organisational values drive how we think and act collectively.

Our values were created and shaped by colleague feedback and national best practice and they sit at the heart of People Strategy:

We have a real sense of community spirit that brings our people together. This feeling of belonging means we are all connected to what we do and take pride in the difference we make every day for Staffordshire people. We are ambitious and our sights are set firmly on a better future.

We look forward and race ahead - that goes for your career too.

Our Benefits

We recognise that it is our employees that are central to everything we do. We aim to create a supportive working environment where employees can achieve their full potential and achieve a healthy work-life balance.

In addition to your salary, as a member of staff, you will have access to Our rewards and benefits.

Our Recruitment Process

As an Authority we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people/vulnerable adults and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Equal Opportunities & Diversity

Staffordshire County Council is an equal opportunities organisation and Disability Confident employer. We encourage applications from all background and communities

As part of our commitment as a Disability Confident employer , a Gold Award Armed Forces employer and our commitment to supporting care leavers - we offer a guaranteed interview as long as your application meets the minimum criteria for the post.