Senior Lawyer - Commercial - CMB2770e

Cumberland Council; Carlisle; On-site; GBP 59,000 - 61,000; Full time

Job summary

Cumberland Council is seeking a Senior Lawyer to join our Legal Services team in Carlisle. You will lead a small team and manage your own caseload of commercial matters, including contracts, grants, procurement and company law, advising officers, councillors and committees.

The role focuses on strategic legal advice, cost-effective service delivery, and compliance with professional standards, with deputising for the Monitoring Officer when required.

Qualifications

• Qualified solicitor or barrister with substantial post-qualification experience.
• Strong leadership and team management skills.
• Excellent communication and negotiation abilities.
• Understanding of corporate governance and public sector legal frameworks.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage a team within Legal Services, ensuring effective and efficient delivery of legal support.
• Handle a caseload of complex, high-risk, and corporately significant matters, providing expert representation in courts, tribunals, and other bodies.
• Provide strategic legal advice to support policy development, corporate governance, projects, and decision-making processes.
• Assist in commissioning and managing external legal advisers to ensure cost-effective solutions.
• Contribute to the management and development of Legal Services, maintaining compliance with Solicitors Regulation Authority standards and deputising for the Monitoring Officer when required.

Skills

Leadership & people management

Strategic legal advice

Communication & negotiation

Public sector governance

Education

Qualified solicitor or barrister

Job description

Job reference REQ00000020522 Date posted 04/11/2026 Application closing date 27/11/2026 Location CARLISLE Salary £58,760 to £61,151 per annum Package Blank Contractual hours 37 Basis Full time Attachments Blank

Salary: £58,760 to £61,151 per annum

Hours: 37 hours per week

Location: Carlisle

Contract: Permanent

About this opportunity

Are you an experienced legal professional looking for a senior role where you can make a real impact? Cumberland Council is looking to appoint a Senior Lawyer to join our Legal Services team and play a key role in supporting the Chief Legal Officer and Monitoring Officer in delivering high-quality, commercially focused legal services.

You will be joining a small team of lawyers dealing with a variety of commercial matters, primarily contracts, grants, procurement and company law. You will handle your own caseload with support of more junior lawyers and legal officers and provide advice to the Council’s officers, councillors and committees. You will also jointly oversee elements of the day-to-day management and supervision of team members and assist the management team in ensuring the provision of high quality, cost effective and innovative legal services and corporate governance.

As a Senior Lawyer, you will:

• Lead and manage a team within Legal Services, ensuring effective and efficient delivery of legal support.
• Handle a caseload of complex, high-risk, and corporately significant matters, providing expert representation in courts, tribunals, and other bodies.
• Provide strategic legal advice to support policy development, corporate governance, projects, and decision-making processes.
• Assist in commissioning and managing external legal advisers to ensure cost-effective solutions.
• Contribute to the management and development of Legal Services, maintaining compliance with Solicitors Regulation Authority standards and deputising for the Monitoring Officer when required.

We’re looking for someone who:

• Is a qualified solicitor or barrister with substantial post-qualification experience.
• Has proven expertise in handling complex legal matters and providing strategic advice.
• Demonstrates strong leadership and team management skills.
• Possesses excellent communication and negotiation abilities.
• Understands corporate governance and public sector legal frameworks.

Please do not be put off if you have not worked in local government before – it is your determination to provide a top-class legal service which will matter most, and whilst local authority experience is desirable it is not essential. In fact, we welcome the skills and experience which you will bring from other backgrounds.

Who we’re looking for

We’re looking for individuals who embody our organisation's core values: ambitious, collaborative, compassionate, empowering, and innovative. We believe in the power of these values to drive positive change, deliver excellent public services and shape a better future for our communities.

We’re also about potential over perfection and we can help you grow in the role and thrive in your career.

Be sure to take a look at the post specification (below) for the essential criteria for this role.

Contact

For more information about the role or to arrange an informal chat prior to your application, please contact Emma Lawson by email at [e-mail]

Guaranteed Interviews

• Those who consider themselves disabled as defined by the Equality Act 2010
• Those in care or who have left care and are aged 24 and under
• Those who identify as a member of the British Armed Forces community (service leavers, veterans, their partners or spouses, reservists, cadets).

Diversity, Inclusion & Adjustments

We’re dedicated to enhancing the diversity of our workforce and we encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds. That’s why we’re a proud Disability Confident Leader and also an Age Friendly Employer – to provide opportunities for everyone to thrive.

If you need any reasonable adjustments to participate in the recruitment process, please let either the hiring manager or our Resourcing Team know by emailing [e-mail]. While adjustments aren’t always guaranteed, we’ll always listen and we’ll try our best to accommodate your needs.

Application and Interview information

• Closing date: 27 th November 2026
• Interview date:7 th and 8 th December 2026

This role is available on a permanent basis.