Team Senior Lawyer – Planning

WMJobs; Stafford; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Holiday allowance

Pension scheme (LGPS)

Staff parking discounts

Car lease scheme

Family-friendly policies

Job summary

Staffordshire County Council, through Staffordshire Legal Services, seeks a qualified solicitor, barrister, or chartered legal executive with strong Planning Law skills to join its in‑house planning team. You will advise on planning matters, negotiate obligations for highways and education clients, and manage a busy caseload while supervising team members.

Interviews will take place during the week commencing 28th September 2026.

Qualifications

• Qualified Solicitor, Barrister or Chartered Legal Executive with practising rights.
• Strong knowledge of Planning Law and Local Authority statutory planning functions.
• Ability to manage a varied caseload and supervise colleagues.

Responsibilities

• Advising on a full range of County Planning matters, including applications and enforcement.
• Negotiating complex planning obligations for highways and education clients.
• Providing expert advice on Local Authority statutory planning functions.
• Managing a varied and challenging caseload to Lexcel standards.
• Supervising and supporting colleagues within the team.

Skills

Planning Law

Communication

Attention to detail

Organisational skills

Team management

Education

Qualified Solicitor/Barrister/Chartered Legal Executive

Job description

Staffordshire County Council,

Staffordshire County Council is a modern, forward‑thinking authority with big ambitions. We empower our people to be bold, innovative and to take pride in the work they do.

Staffordshire Legal Services is one of the largest and most diverse in‑house legal teams in the region, providing high‑quality, high‑impact work across every Council function, the Staffordshire Pension Fund, and a wide range of external clients. Our caseload is consistently interesting, varied, and often high profile.

Why Join Us?

• We genuinely prioritise work–life balance—our staff survey tells us we don’t just say it, we live it. Our benefits include:
• Generous holiday allowance, increasing with service, plus the option to purchase additional leave
• Agile, flexible and term‑time working arrangements
• Local Government Pension Scheme with generous (29.5%) employer contributions
• Employee discounts, staff parking discounts, and an optional car lease scheme
• Family‑friendly policies, including maternity, adoption, paternity and parental leave
• A collaborative, supportive team culture where your contribution truly matters

Main Responsibilities

Your work will include:

• Advising on a full range of County Planning matters, including planning applications and enforcement
• Negotiating complex planning obligations on behalf of highways and education clients
• Providing expert advice on a broad range of Local Authority statutory planning functions
• Managing a varied and challenging caseload in line with Lexcel standards
• Supervising and supporting colleagues within the team

The Ideal Candidate

You will be a qualified Solicitor, Barrister, or Chartered Legal Executive (with practice/advocacy rights) who brings:

• A strong understanding of Planning Law
• Clear, confident communication skills
• Excellent attention to detail and organisational abilities
• The capability to work under pressure and manage competing priorities
• A collaborative approach, including the ability to delegate and manage a team effectively

Interviews will take place during week commencing 28th September 2026.

About Staffordshire County Council

We are no ordinary county council:

Our values were created and shaped by colleague feedback and national best practice and they sit at the heart of People Strategy:

We have a real sense of community spirit that brings our people together. This feeling of belonging means we are all connected to what we do and take pride in the difference we make every day for Staffordshire people. We are ambitious and our sights are set firmly on a better future.

We look forward and race ahead - that goes for your career too.

Our benefits

We recognise that it is our employees that are central to everything we do. We aim to create a supportive working environment where employees can achieve their full potential and achieve a healthy work-life balance.

In addition to your salary, as a member of staff, you will have access to Our rewards and benefits - Careers at Staffordshire

Our recruitment process

As an Authority we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people/vulnerable adults and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Staffordshire County Council is an equal opportunities organisation and Disability Confident employer. We encourage applications from all background and communities

As part of our commitment as a Disability Confident employer, a Gold Award Armed Forces employer and our commitment to supporting care leavers - we offer a guaranteed interview as long as your application meets the minimum criteria for the post.