Senior Lawyer - Property

Cheshire East Council; Crewe; Hybrid; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Enhanced annual leave

Hybrid/remote working where possible

Salary sacrifice car scheme

Cycle to work

Job summary

Cheshire East Council is seeking a Senior Lawyer in the Property team. You will handle complex commercial property matters, supervise junior colleagues, and advise on cabinet reports as part of an ongoing transformation within Legal Services.

The role offers hybrid/remote working where possible and a generous benefits package. You will join one of the UK's prominent local government legal teams, contributing to high-profile projects across the Council.

Qualifications

• Proven in-depth knowledge of property law relevant to public sector
• Ability to conduct a range of work with minimal supervision
• Willingness to undertake advocacy or related areas with training support
• Strong oral and written communication, negotiation and drafting skills

Responsibilities

• Provide substantial and complex legal advice on commercial property transactions
• Supervise junior staff and support cabinet/committee reports
• Represent the Council and support transformation programmes as required

Skills

Property law

Advocacy

Negotiation

Drafting

Teamwork

Education

Solicitor qualification (England & Wales)

Tools

Case management system

Job description

Senior Lawyers (Property)

The legal team at Cheshire East Council supports all functions and services within Cheshire East Council. As part of our transformation, the Council has recently embarked on a programme of organisational change aimed at modernising services and ensuring long-term financial resilience. At this crucial time, a number of exciting legal opportunities have arisen within Cheshire East Council's Legal Services.

We are ambitious and our values shape the way we work to deliver public services. We need people that are driven and ready to make a difference. At this pivotal moment in the transformation of the Council, we are seeking a Senior Lawyer within the Property legal team on a full time and permanent basis.

About the role

As the Council embarks on a number of exciting commercial property projects and programmes, there is a genuine opportunity for career growth in local government and regional collaboration. The role involves providing substantial and complex legal advice to clients across the breath of the Council on a variety of commercial property transactions, including disposals, acquisitions, leases, development agreements including academy school conversions, highway schemes, compulsory purchase agreements, overages amongst many other areas of work relevant to the Property team.

Supporting the Principal Lawyer, you will have your own caseload and will be required to supervisor junior staff, advise on cabinet and committee reports, attend meetings where required and support with the wider Council Transformation programme.

About you

You will be: -

• Qualified legal professional - admitted Solicitor entitled to a current practising certificate in England and Wales, Barrister, Chartered Legal Executive or equivalent legal qualification within the relevant field.
• Able to demonstrate proven in-depth knowledge of property law commensurate with the role.
• Capable of conducting a range of legal work under minimum supervision and utilise the case management system.
• Able to represent the Council, with a willingness to undertake advocacy or such areas of law covered by the team, which will be supported by training to enhance your skills.
• Able to demonstrate a good knowledge of the law and have good oral and written communication skills as well as demonstrable skills in negotiation, drafting, and persuading.
• Able to demonstrate a proven track record and work to deadlines.
• Ability to work confidently and effectively as part of a team.
• A desire to develop your legal skills and to progress in your legal career.

In return we are able to offer:

• Enhanced annual leave - Start with an impressive 34 days of annual leave (including bank holidays) from day one, and watch it grow to 39 days after just five years of service
• Purchase of annual leave - Want more time off? You can purchase up to 10 extra days of annual leave each year, giving you the flexibility to balance work and life just the way you want (Pro-rata for part-time staff)
• Flexible working pattern - Enjoy a 37-hour standard full-time work week with the added perks of flexi-time and hybrid/remote working arrangements where possible. Your work-life balance just got a whole lot better
• Salary sacrifice green car scheme - Drive green and save green! Lease a brand-new electric or hybrid car through our salary sacrifice scheme. There's no credit checks, no deposits, just significant savings and exclusive offers on a three-year lease
• White goods salary sacrifice scheme - Upgrade your home with ease. Purchase home and electronic items through our salary sacrifice scheme, spreading the cost of big-ticket purchases like appliances, computers, and tech gadgets directly from your salary
• Enhanced public pension - Secure your future with our career average pension, where contributions are built at a rate of 1/49th of your yearly pensionable pay
• Cycle to work scheme - Save up to 25-39% on the retail price of bikes and safety equipment through Income Tax and National Insurance savings. Get fit and save money!
• Employee assistance programme - Access a completely free and confidential assistance service to help manage, reduce, and overcome life's challenges, both at work and in your personal life
• Discounted gym membership - Stay active and healthy with corporate membership prices for Everybody Leisure, including:
  • Gym, Swim and Group Fitness at all 16 facilities
  • Off-Peak Racket Sports
  • Athletics Tracks
  • Sauna/Steam/Spa

Join us and experience a workplace that truly values and supports you!

Cheshire East is an amazing place to live and work. As one of the largest employers in the borough, we are able to offer you a wide range of challenging and rewarding career opportunities.

We are working for a brighter future - together and our commitment to you is that our workplace culture will provide a shared purpose, a well-led organisation with valued people succeeding together as one team and one council to deliver the best service for our customers and communities.

If you want to be part of our award-winning council and contribute to our ongoing success, have the flexibility and drive to enable us to innovate, are committed to working as part of a team and striving to deliver exceptional service wherever you can, we would especially like to hear from you.

As an equal opportunities employer, we welcome applicants from all backgrounds and want our workforce to reflect the diversity of our local communities so that we can all work for a brighter future - together.

If you have not heard from us within 4 weeks of the closing date then it is likely that you have not been shortlisted on this occasion, however, please do not be discouraged from applying again.

For any technical enquiries please email [e-mail]

Please quote job reference number in all correspondence.

For an informal discussion contact Mandy Withington on 01270 685825 [e-mail] or Jessica Adeniran - [e-mail]