Principal Lawyer - Contracts and Commercial

Kirklees Council; East London; Hybrid; ZAR 400 000 - 500 000; Full time

Job summary

A local government authority is seeking a qualified Solicitor or Barrister to join their Contracts and Commercial Team in East London. The ideal candidate will manage a complex caseload involving local government law, public procurement, and commercial contracts. This role offers an opportunity for professional growth and the chance to lead and support fellow legal professionals. Benefits include generous annual leave, hybrid working, and access to employee healthcare.

Benefits

28.5 days annual leave increasing to 32.5 after 5 years

Cycle to work scheme

Travel and parking discounts

Exceptional Maternity and Paternity leave policies

Local Government Pension

Access to Employee Healthcare services

Qualifications

• Hold a current practicing certificate.
• Experience in drafting complex legal documentation.
• Experience supervising other legal professionals.

Responsibilities

• Manage complex legal caseloads including local government law.
• Provide legal advice on contracts and procurement matters.
• Supervise senior lawyers in the Contracts and Commercial Team.

Skills

Commercial Contracts

UK Public Procurement law

Local Government Law and Procedure

Company Law

Partnerships

TUPE

Education

Qualified Solicitor or Barrister

Fellow of the Institute of Legal Executives

Job description

Do you want to make a difference to local people? As one of the largest legal practices in the area, our dedicated Legal Service teams strive to get the best outcomes for people in Kirklees.

The team

The Contracts and Commercial Team are one of the specialist teams within Kirklees Legal Services. Working closely with the Council’s procurement team provide legal services on a wide range of commercial matters including drafting and advising on contracts, grant agreements and the like. This includes working on high‑value, high‑profile and prestigious projects.

The role

As part of this role you will play a key role in ensuring robust governance and delivering high‑quality legal advice. You will be expected to have your own complex caseload on matters including local government law and procedure, contracts (including ICT and construction), public procurement, PFI Academy transfers and expiry, TUPE, waste management and other commercial/partnership work, with the ability and experience of drafting complex documentation to support Local Authority projects. You will also supervise other senior lawyers in the team.

This is a great opportunity to develop both your technical and your leadership skills.

We are looking for someone with a positive approach who enjoys working as part of a team. You will be supported by our Senior Lawyers and Business Support team.

Development

If you are ambitious to develop your skills and knowledge in legal services and want to know more about the legal issues that affect local authorities – this is the role for you. We put a strong emphasis on training and personal development and want to support you to be the best you can be.

What you will bring

You will be a qualified Solicitor (or Barrister) holding a current practising certificate, or you will be a Fellow of the Institute of Legal Executives.

Do you have any experience in the following areas?

We are looking for someone with experience in Commercial Contracts and UK Public Procurement law and at least two of the following areas, but experience in more than two areas would be beneficial.

• Local Government Law and Procedure (including Information law and practice)
• Company Law/Joint Ventures/Partnerships
• PPP’s/ PFI/Academy Conversions
• Other commercial law not covered above (i.e. TUPE, Subsidy law, Intellectual Property Rights, Construction law, etc.)

Your benefits

Kirklees Council offers these benefits to all its employees:

• 28.5 days annual leave increasing to 32.5 after 5 years’ service (plus bank holidays).
• Cycle to work scheme.
• Travel and parking discounts
• Exceptional Maternity and Paternity leave policies
• Local Government Pension
• Access to Employee Healthcare that offers a range of services from counselling to physiotherapy and health assessments.
• Hybrid working

PLEASE NOTE WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO CLOSE THIS ADVERTISEMENT EARLY SHOULD WE RECEIVE A SUFFICIENT AMOUNT OF APPLICATIONS.