Senior Commercial Property Lawyer

Staffordshire County Council; England; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

A local government authority in England is seeking a qualified Senior Commercial Property Lawyer to join its busy legal team. The ideal candidate will have substantial commercial property law experience and oversee junior staff while providing expert legal advice on various transactions. The role supports flexible working arrangements and is based in Stafford, providing a fulfilling opportunity to contribute to community-focused projects.

Benefits

Flexible working arrangements

Training and development opportunities

Supportive work environment

Qualifications

• Proven commercial property experience in the public sector or private practice.
• Ability to commute to Stafford.
• Strong understanding of legal standards and compliance.

Responsibilities

• Provide legal advice on commercial property transactions.
• Supervise junior staff and deliver necessary training.
• Adhere to quality standards within the Legal Services Unit.

Skills

Commercial property law

Complex legal advising

Team supervision

Education

Qualified Solicitor or Fellow of CILEX

Job description

We are a forward-thinking, modern authority known for our strong financial management. We are ambitious and encourage our employees to be bold and innovative in their work. We have a large in-house corporate legal team consisting of lawyers, trainees, and support staff with a key focus on staff training, retention, and progression.

Role

We are looking for an experienced solicitor/fellow of CILEX to join our busy commercial property team, which undertakes a varied caseload of commercial property transactions and complex projects for all Council departments and external clients. All staff in legal services are currently required to attend our offices in Stafford at least once a week or more frequently if there is a business need.

Please note that while the job title in this advert is Senior Commercial Property Lawyer, the role's description is titled Senior Solicitor/Legal Executive/Barrister (Level 1) - Property.

Main Responsibilities

Some of your responsibilities will include,

• Providing complex legal advice to clients on a variety of commercial property transactions, including sales, purchases, leases, development agreements (such as those facilitating new schools, highways, and healthcare facilities), compulsory purchase, option agreements, overage, and lockout agreements.
• Advising on draft Cabinet and Committee reports and attending meetings as required.
• Supervising junior staff members and delivering training where necessary.
• Adhering to the Legal Services Unit’s LEXCEL quality standards.
• Contributing to Staffordshire Legal Services’ marketing efforts and promoting our services.

The Ideal Candidate

We seek a qualified Solicitor/fellow of CILEX or Barrister with proven commercial property experience, whether in the public sector or private practice, who resides within a reasonable commuting distance of Stafford.

We are open to discussing flexible working arrangements.

If you have any questions about this role, please contact Mair Young at 01785 276200 or [e-mail], or Vanessa Rigby at 01785 854915 or [e-mail].

Interview date: 12 August 2025.

Our Recruitment Process: We anonymise applications during shortlisting to focus on relevant information. Please complete your application fully, especially the supporting statement, to highlight your suitability for the role.

About Staffordshire County Council

We are no ordinary county council:

Our Values:

Our values are central to our identity. Created through colleague feedback and best practices, they guide our collective actions and decisions.

We foster a community spirit that unites us. This sense of belonging means we are connected to our work and take pride in making a difference for Staffordshire residents. We are ambitious and focused on a brighter future.

We look forward and move ahead—this applies to your career too.

Our benefits:

We recognize that our employees are vital to our success. We strive to create a supportive environment where staff can reach their full potential and maintain a healthy work-life balance.

In addition to your salary, staff have access to our rewards and benefits — Careers at Staffordshire.

Our recruitment process:

As an authority committed to safeguarding children, young people, and vulnerable adults, we expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

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

As part of our commitment as a Disability Confident employer, a Gold Award Armed Forces employer, and our support for care leavers, we offer a guaranteed interview if your application meets the minimum criteria for the role.