Team Leader (Property & Regeneration)

Swale Borough Council; Sittingbourne; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A local government authority in Sittingbourne is looking for a Team Leader (Property and Regeneration) to lead its Property and Regeneration team. The role involves delivering high-quality legal services while managing and developing the team. Applicants should be qualified solicitors or barristers with experience in property law and staff management. This position offers a flexible working environment with competitive benefits.

Benefits

Flexible hybrid working opportunities

Generous holiday entitlement

Employee Assistance Programme

Local Government Pension Scheme

Qualifications

• Extensive post qualification legal practice experience in property and regeneration.
• Experience providing legal advice and support to senior leaders.
• Knowledge of local government political processes.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the Property and Regeneration team.
• Deliver high-quality legal services across local authorities.
• Provide expert legal advice on property and regeneration.

Skills

Legal advice

Staff management

Political sensitivity

Property law expertise

Education

Qualified solicitor, barrister, or chartered legal executive

Job description

About Us

Mid Kent Legal Services (MKLS) provides legal services and advice across the Mid-Kent area (to Swale, Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells councils). The service covers a range of areas including Property and Regeneration, Planning, Contentious, Contracts & Commissioning and Corporate Governance. Working across multiple councils means a range of high-level, challenging and impactful work ranging from supporting the delivery of garden communities, to the redevelopment of large shopping centres, to letting very large contracts, to delivering affordable housing. In short, it’s a real opportunity to make a difference in an area with vibrant towns, beautiful villages and countryside and fantastic leisure and cultural amenities.

MKLS has a reputation as being forward thinking, progressive and innovative and is closely and strongly aligned with is partner authorities. It provides a supportive and nurturing environment, providing opportunities for staff to progress internally and uses technology to maximise the effective use of lawyers\' time. In short, it is a great place to work.

The Role

We are now looking for a Team Leader (Property and Regeneration) to join us on a full-time, permanent basis, working 34 hours per week.

Our Offer

A range of benefits including:

• 34 hour full time working week with the offices closing at 1:30pm on Friday
• Highly flexible hybrid working opportunities
• 7am to 7pm flexi time to suit personal circumstances for most roles
• Generous holiday entitlement which increases after 5 years LG service plus bank holidays with the option to buy additional leave.
• Additional 3 days leave given to enable a close down of the offices between Christmas and New year.
• Free parking
• Range of flexible working opportunities to accommodate people’s home/work life balance including compressed hours, 9-day fortnight, part time.
• Invitations to staff events to celebrate success and support wellbeing that include holistic therapies and outdoor activities
• Employee Assistance Programme which provides confidential & independent information and access to counsellors
• Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) with valuable life cover and financial protection for your family.
• Life Assurance – three times your annual salary (for members of the LGPS)

Plus many more, please visit our website for details.

About The Role

As our Team Leader (Property and Regeneration), you will lead and manage our Property and Regeneration team, delivering high-quality legal services across all three local authorities.

This pivotal role combines strategic leadership with providing expert legal advice on property and regeneration, ensuring compliance with Lexcel standards and advancing the shared legal service’s vision.

Overseeing your team’s development, you will manage recruitment, training and performance whilst serving as the senior fee earner, carrying a caseload of complex property and regeneration matters, providing high-level legal advice to elected members, committees and senior managers.

You will also support the delivery of the partnership’s strategic objectives, maintaining up-to-date legal expertise and promoting the service internally and externally to improve understanding of legal procedures and build the MKLS reputation.

Additionally, you will:

• Lead training sessions, provide guidance notes and offer legal supervision
• Represent MKLS at external meetings
• Ensure compliance with council policies

This is an exciting time to join the MKLS Property & Regeneration Team with a number of large and high-profile projects happening across the Partner Authorities.

About You

To be considered as our Team Leader (Property and Regeneration), you will need:

• To be a qualified solicitor, barrister or chartered legal executive
• Extensive post qualification legal practice experience in property and regeneration
• Experience providing legal advice and support to senior leaders and key decision-makers in property and regeneration law and practice
• Experience operating in politically sensitive environments
• Experience of staff management
• Knowledge and understanding of the political nature of local government and democratic process
• A full valid UK driving licence

Other organisations may call this role Solicitor, Barrister, Chartered Legal Executive, Legal Services Team Leader, Senior Property and Regeneration Lawyer, Property and Legal Team Leader, Property and Regeneration Manager, Senior Legal Advisor, or Legal Operations Team Leader.

Selection Process

Following the submission of your application form, it will be reviewed by the recruiting manager. Those that are successful in securing an interview can expect job specific interview assessment, followed by an interview.

Swale Borough Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all employee and volunteers to share this commitment.

Maidstone, Swale and Tunbridge Wells local authorities are equal opportunities employers, value diversity and are strongly committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all employees and all applicants for employment. Equal opportunities are the only acceptable way to conduct business and we believe that the more inclusive our environments are, the better our work will be.

Maidstone, Swale and Tunbridge Wells local authorities are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all employee and volunteers to share this commitment.

If you would like to discuss this position, please contact Timothy Pyant, Interim Business Manager on 01622 602155.

Job Description and Person Specification: https://docs.maidstone.gov.uk/jobs/Team-Leader-Role-Property-Regeneration-JDPS-Sept-25-Final.pdf

Interview Date: W/C 3rd November 2025