Principal Lawyer - People - 04875

West Berkshire Council; Newbury; Hybride; GBP 65 000 - 90 000; Plein temps

Avantages offerts par ce poste

Flexible working

Hybrid working

Training & development

Local Government pension scheme

Family friendly policies

Local discounts

Wellbeing programme

Annual leave 30 days

Résumé du poste

West Berkshire Council is recruiting a Principal Lawyer - People to lead a specialist team delivering high-quality legal services on Adult Social Care, Education and Housing. You will guide strategic advice, manage staff, and work with internal partners to mitigate risk and produce pragmatic outcomes.

The role requires a qualified solicitor/barister or CILEX with substantial post-qualification experience, strong leadership, and excellent communication skills to navigate complex public sector

Qualifications

• Qualified solicitor or barrister with a valid practising certificate or a CILEX with litigation rights of at least 3 years post qualifying experience.
• Extensive experience in providing legal advice in Adult social care, ideally within a local authority environment.
• Demonstrated leadership and people management skills or aptitude to develop these skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to build effective working relationships.
• Proactive, solution-focused approach to legal issues and ability to manage conflicting priorities.

Responsabilités

• Provide expert legal advice on people-related issues including Adult Social Care, Education and Housing.
• Manage a team of lawyers and ensure delivery of high-quality legal services.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to mitigate legal risks and provide pragmatic solutions.
• Draft and review legal documents such as applications, statements, agreements and court submissions.
• Represent the Council in legal proceedings, including tribunals and court hearings.

Connaissances

Leadership

People management

Communication

Proactive problem solving

Prioritisation under pressure

Formation

Qualified solicitor or barrister or CILEX with litigation rights

Description du poste

ready to take the next step into leadership, we would welcome your application. If you are passionate about delivering high-quality legal services and making a difference in the public sector, we would love to hear from you.

The RoleAs Principal Lawyer - People

• Providing expert legal advice and support on a range of people-related issues, including Adult Social Care, Education and Housing.
• Managing a team of lawyers and ensuring the delivery of high-quality legal services.
• Working collaboratively with internal stakeholders to mitigate legal risks and provide pragmatic solutions.
• Drafting and reviewing legal documents, including applications, statements, agreements, and court submissions.
• Representing the Council in legal proceedings, including appearances at tribunals and court hearings.

The Ideal Candidate

• Qualified solicitor or barrister with a valid practising certificate or a CILEX with litigation rights of at least 3 years post qualifying experience.
• Extensive experience in providing legal advice in the area of Adult social care, ideally within a local authority environment.
• Strong leadership and people management skills or aptitude to develop these skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build effective working relationships.
• Proactive and solution-focused approach to legal issues.
• Ability to work under pressure and manage conflicting priorities and make the most of limited resources.

Why Work for West Berkshire Council?

• Flexible working wherever possible between the hours of 07.00-21.00
• Hybrid working wherever possible working 40% in the office
• Access to a wide range of training and development opportunities
• Generous Local Government pension scheme
• Family friendly policies
• A range of local discounts
• Wellbeing Programme including Employee Assistance Programme and employee benefits

You will also be entitled to a generous annual leave entitlement starting at 30 days per annum (plus public holidays). Rising by an additional 5 days after 5 years' service.

Please note that the closing date is given as a guide. We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible to avoid disappointment.

Join us at West Berkshire Council and make a positive impact in our community while advancing your career. Explore everything that a career with West Berkshire Council has to offer here:

Working with UsFor

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Dawn Bond on 01635 519111 or email ##### or Nicola Thomas on 01635 519456 or email #####.

OpportunitiesThe Council supports Equal Opportunity of employment and positively encourages applications from people who fall within any of the nine protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010.

We recognise that candidates may choose to use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support the preparation of their job applications. When used appropriately, AI can be a helpful aid in structuring responses, checking clarity, and improving presentation. However, applications must reflect your own skills, experience and understanding. If an application appears to rely excessively on AI-generated content, it may not meet the required standard and could be rejected. We encourage all applicants to ensure their submissions are authentic, tailored to the role, and clearly demonstrate their own knowledge, experience and suitability.