Principal Lawyer - Planning, Highways and Property

Thurrock Council; Thurrock; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous annual leave

Flexible and hybrid working (where app

Ongoing training and professional dev.

Employee assistance programme and well

Staff discounts and local offers

Supportive and inclusive working env

Job summary

Thurrock Council seeks a Principal Lawyer to lead the Planning, Highways and Property team, shaping strategy and delivering high-quality legal guidance for major projects.

You will develop professionals, foster a positive culture, and build resilient teams while advising senior officers and elected Members on pivotal issues. A strong focus on succession planning and wellbeing is central to the role.

Qualifications

• Must be a qualified Solicitor, Barrister or Chartered Legal Executive authorised to practise in England and Wales.
• Strong leadership and coaching skills are essential.
• Experience in planning, highways, property or related local government law is required.

Responsibilities

• Lead a multidisciplinary legal team and develop high performing teams.
• Provide strategic legal advice on planning, highways, property and regeneration matters for major projects.
• Advise senior officers and elected Members on significant issues and support organisational transformation.
• Coach, mentor and develop colleagues to build capability and future leaders.

Skills

Leadership

People development

Strategic legal advice

Planning law experience

Regeneration experience

Education

Solicitor/Barrister/Chartered Legal Executive (England & Wales)

Job description

Principal Lawyer - Planning, Highways and Property

Job Title: Principal Lawyer - Planning, Highways and Property

Grade: H

Contract Type: Permanent

Working Hours: 37 hours per week

Lead People. Build Capability. Shape the Future.

At Thurrock Council, we're building a modern, ambitious and supportive Legal Services team and we're looking for a lawyer who wants to play a central role in that journey.

Whilst this role involves leading on complex planning, highways, property and regeneration matters, its real focus is people and leadership.

We're looking for someone who is passionate about developing others, creating high-performing teams and helping lawyers at every stage of their career to thrive.

As Principal Lawyer, you'll lead a multidisciplinary team of talented legal professionals, creating an environment where people feel supported, challenged and empowered to do their best work. You'll coach, mentor and develop colleagues, helping to build capability, strengthen resilience and create future leaders for the organisation.

You'll work closely with the Head of Legal Services and wider leadership team to shape the future of the service, support organisational transformation and ensure Legal Services continues to be a trusted and valued partner across the Council.

What makes this role different?

This isn't simply about managing a caseload.

• Leading and inspiring a team of legal professionals.
• Creating a positive, inclusive and high-performing culture.
• Coaching and mentoring colleagues to achieve their potential.
• Supporting succession planning and developing future leaders.
• Promoting wellbeing, engagement and continuous learning.
• Encouraging innovation, accountability and collaboration.
• Helping shape the future direction of Legal Services.

Alongside this leadership role, you'll provide strategic legal advice on planning, highways, property and regeneration matters, supporting major projects, and advising senior officers and elected Members on significant and often high-profile issues.

About You

You will be a qualified Solicitor, Barrister or Chartered Legal Executive authorised to practise in England and Wales with experience in planning, highways, property, regeneration or related local government law.

Equally importantly, you'll be someone who genuinely enjoys developing people and helping teams succeed.

You may already be leading a team, or you may be an ambitious senior lawyer ready to take your next step into leadership. What matters most is your ability to inspire confidence, build relationships, support others and create an environment where people can perform at their best.

We're looking for someone who:

• Has strong legal judgement and professional credibility.
• Builds trust and positive relationships at every level.
• Enjoys coaching, mentoring and developing others.
• Leads with integrity, empathy and authenticity.
• Values collaboration and shared success.
• Embraces change and continuous improvement.
• Wants to make a lasting contribution to both a service and the people within it.

Why Thurrock?

This is an opportunity to join a Legal Services team that is investing in its future.

We are committed to professional development, leadership growth and creating opportunities for our people to progress. We actively support leadership and management development, mentoring, coaching and apprenticeships to help develop the next generation of legal leaders.

If you're looking for a role where you can combine your legal expertise with leadership, influence and the opportunity to make a genuine difference to people, place and organisation, we'd love to hear from you.

Lead a team. Develop people. Help shape the future of Legal Services at Thurrock Council.

Benefits of Working with Us

At Thurrock Council, we value our employees and offer a comprehensive benefits package, including:

• Generous annual leave entitlement
• Flexible and hybrid working opportunities (where applicable)
• Ongoing training and professional development
• Employee assistance programme and wellbeing support
• Staff discounts and local offers
• A supportive and inclusive working environment

Closing Date (Redeployment Only)

5th November 2026

Closing Date (Internal & External)

15th November 2026

Interview Date

To Be Confirmed

Additional Information

If you have any questions about the role or interview process, please contact:

Lyra-Mai Mayari - Head of Legal Services

To view the Job Profile and Person Specification, please follow the link below:

Download Job Profile (PDF Document)