Strategic Legal Manager | Preston

Lancashire County Council; Lancashire; On-site; GBP 66,000 - 72,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

26 days annual leave

Flexible working

Health and wellbeing support

Family-friendly policies

Financial and travel benefits

Training and development opportunities

Job summary

Lancashire County Council is seeking a Strategic Legal Manager in Preston. This Senior Lawyer will lead multiple legal teams and act as a key partner for Adults, Education and People Services, shaping governance strategy and ensuring compliance.

You will engage with senior and statutory officers, elected members and political partners, guiding governance, policy and risk management while delivering a high-performing legal service across the council.

Qualifications

• Honours degree in a relevant discipline alongside admitted Solicitor or Barrister status (England and Wales) with a current practicing certificate
• Excellent understanding of and experience operating within the legal frameworks and requirements of Local Authority governance
• Experience in one of the legal disciplines managed by the role (Adults, Education, Employment or Schools Appeal)
• Experience managing a multi-disciplined team and driving high quality service provision
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of stakeholders at all levels

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage multiple legal teams within Lancashire County Council
• Provide senior direction to inform service governance strategy and ensure regulatory compliance
• Work with diverse stakeholders including senior officers, elected members and political partners
• Drive high-quality service provision and governance across service areas such as Adults and Education

Education

Honours degree in a relevant discipline

Job description

Job Description

Salary £66,336 - £72,150 Per annum | Permanent, Full Time, 37 hours per week | Preston

Strategic Legal Manager

We're looking for a dynamic and innovative Senior Lawyer to lead, drive and directly manage a number of our Legal teams within Lancashire County Council.

About the Role

The role will be the key partner and stakeholder for a number of service areas, including Adults, Education and People Services.

You’ll lead on the development, implementation and provide senior direction to inform and guide service governance strategy and ensure we operate in the correct manner.

As part of the role you’ll have the opportunity to work with a wide range of stakeholders including senior & statutory officers, elected members and political partners giving you broad and varied day to day interaction whilst leading on ensuring we deliver effective governance, we remain compliant within legal and regulatory requirements.

Job Description & Person Specification

• You’ll ideally have an honours degree in a relevant discipline alongside admitted Solicitor or Barrister status (England and Wales) with a current practicing certificate
• You’ll have an excellent understanding of and experience of operating within the legal frameworks and requirements of Local Authority governance
• Previous direct experience and knowledge of one of the legal disciplines managed by the role; Adult Social Care, Education, Employment or Schools Appeal
• You’ll have previous experience of managing a multi-disciplined team alongside the desire to keep doing so
• Demonstrative experience of being the driver of a high quality service provision
• You’ll be an excellent communicator able and comfortable communicating with a range of stakeholders at all levels

About Us

At Lancashire County Council, we're committed to delivering services that make a real difference to the people and communities we serve. Our Information Governance Team is at the heart of that mission, helping ensure transparency, accountability and the responsible use of information.

When you join us, you'll become part of a supportive and knowledgeable team where your expertise is valued, your development is encouraged and your contribution has a direct impact across the organisation.

In return, we offer:

• Competitive salary
• 26 days annual leave plus bank holidays
• Flexible working opportunities
• Health and wellbeing support
• Family-friendly policies
• Financial and travel benefits
• Training and development opportunities

Please refer to the job description and personal specification for further information regarding the scope of work and responsibilities for the post.

We reserve the right to close down a vacancy early, before the closing date, if we receive sufficient applications.

Local Government Reorganisation

The Government has confirmed that local government across Lancashire will be reorganised, with the current 15 councils being replaced by four new unitary councils covering North, South, East and West Lancashire from April 2028.

If you are successful in your application, you will initially join Lancashire County Council. However, as part of the planned transition, your employment will transfer to one of the new unitary councils from April 2028, subject to the implementation of the reorganisation and relevant employment legislation.

Throughout this period, our focus remains on delivering excellent services to our communities. By joining us now, you'll play an important role in shaping the future of local government and helping to build a strong new organisation that will serve residents for years to come.