Senior Solicitor (Governance)

Nottinghamshire County Council; East Midlands; Hybrid; GBP 52,000 - 58,000; Full time

Job summary

Nottinghamshire County Council is seeking a Senior Solicitor (Governance) to join its Legal Services team. You will provide high-quality governance, constitutional, and public law advice to support lawful and robust decision-making across the council.

Working closely with the Monitoring Officer, democratic services and elected members, you will manage complex cases, supervise a small team, and contribute to the evolution of governance practice.

Qualifications

• Qualified Solicitor or Barrister with substantial governance/public sector experience.
• Proven track record in governance, constitutional and public law matters.
• Experience supporting Monitoring Officers, senior officers and elected members.
• Ability to manage complex, politically sensitive legal issues.
• Strong relationship-building with a wide range of stakeholders.
• Experience supervising or mentoring colleagues.

Responsibilities

• Provide legal advice on constitutional matters, standards and ethical governance.
• Support committees and formal decision-making bodies.
• Manage member code of conduct and police and crime panel complaints.
• Oversee delivery of advice and support to schools and information governance.
• Manage a small team of legal professionals and supervise colleagues.
• Contribute to service development and governance improvements.

Skills

Governance & public law

Constitutional matters

Stakeholder engagement

Team leadership

Policy & decision making

Mentoring

Job description

Salary

£52,413 - £57,839 per annum

National pay award pending

Type of vacancy

Permanent

Work pattern

Full Time

Hours per week

37

Work Base

County Hall, NG2 7QP

Working Arrangements

Hybrid

Job Description / Person Specification

Snr Solicitor (Governance) (CEL) (3).pdf – 156KB Opens in a new window

Competency Framework

Tier 5

Number of posts

1

Closing Date

07 September 2026 23:55

Be there for your community when they need you most – and we’ll be there for you. Join our Legal Services team as a Senior Solicitor (Governance) and support effective decision-making across Nottinghamshire County Council.

Support good governance and effective decision-making across the Council. We are looking for an experienced governance lawyer to join our Legal Services team.

In this role, you will work closely with the Monitoring Officer, Democratic Services, senior officers, and elected members. You will provide high-quality legal advice on governance, constitutional, and public law matters, ensuring that the Council's governance arrangements and decision-making processes are lawful, robust, and effective.

This is an excellent opportunity to join the team during a time of evolution in local government. You will handle a varied governance caseload and contribute to governance and constitutional matters arising from sector changes, including Local Government Reorganisation.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide legal advice on constitutional matters, standards, and ethical governance.
• Support committees and formal decision-making bodies.
• Manage member code of conduct complaints and police and crime panel complaints.
• Oversee the delivery of legal advice and support to schools and information governance.
• Manage a small team of legal professionals, supervising and supporting colleagues.
• Contribute to the ongoing development of the service.

Required Skills And Qualifications

• Qualified Solicitor or Barrister with substantial experience in local government or public sector legal practice.
• Proven track record in:advising on governance, constitutional, and public law matters.
• Supporting Monitoring Officers, senior officers, and elected members.
• Managing complex and politically sensitive legal issues.
• Building effective working relationships with a wide range of stakeholders.
• Supervising, mentoring, or supporting colleagues.

About You

• Demonstrates a commitment to good governance and ethical practices.
• Communicates clearly and effectively with diverse audiences.
• Works collaboratively within a team and across departments.
• Adapts to changing circumstances and remains resilient under pressure.
• Shows initiative and takes responsibility for delivering results.

Why Join Us?

This is a fantastic opportunity to be part of a respected and supportive legal team. You will work on matters central to the Council's operations, closely collaborating with senior decision-makers. Your contributions will play a vital role in supporting the Council to deliver effective and lawful decision-making.

IND1

Nottinghamshire County Council strives to ensure that it goes beyond the requirements of the Equalities Act and prides itself on being accredited as a Disability Confident Leader Organisation.

Under the Disability Confident scheme (formerly known as the Guaranteed Interview Scheme) we would like to ensure applicants with disabilities are offered an interview if they meet the minimum criteria for a job. Please let us know if this is something you would like to be considered for.

A job share scheme is available for all full-time posts: both permanent and temporary, unless otherwise stated.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and we expect all staff to share this commitment and undergo appropriate checks.

Nottinghamshire County Council strongly encourages applications from all candidates from different walks of life, irrespective of gender, marital status, disability, race, religion, belief, pregnancy and maternity status, age or sexual orientation.