Interim Planning Lawyer - North Herts Council
North Herts Council
Temporary (3 months), Full Time
Up to £55 per hour
Location: Letchworth Garden City
Closing Date: 15th December 2024
The Opportunity
To provide a cost effective and high-quality Legal Service to the Council in all contract and procurement law and associated matters, to the service’s agreed professional standards. To provide a cost effective and high-quality legal service to the Council with a mixed caseload of contract and procurement law matters and one or more of the other areas of legal work undertaken by the District Council. To provide legal advice on the successful delivery of the Council’s procurement strategy and any other relevant corporate objectives and projects.
Key responsibilities
- To effectively conduct a full and varied case load of complex and sensitive contract and procurement matters and a mix of other matters in one or more of the other areas of legal work undertaken by the District Council and in the context of legislation relevant to Local Government and the public sector.
- To undertake research to provide advice to the Council in the areas of contract and procurement law specifically and local government law generally.
- Timely response to legal instructions to ensure these meet agreed performance targets.
- Being the Council’s lead negotiator on the legal aspects of contract and procurement transactions.
- Drafting contracts and agreements relating to all aspects of the Council’s business eg building and civil engineering contracts, service contracts, works contracts, procurement documentation, instructions to Counsel and reports, including complex and substantial documentation.
- To provide accurate advice and guidance to team members, client officers and Members in all contract and procurement law matters and other general matters.
- Preparation of and contributing to Committee reports and attendance at Council and Committees meetings from time to time as directed and required.
- To periodically review all relevant standard documents within the areas of responsibility to ensure that they are up to date and identify appropriate improvements in processes and procedures relevant to the section.
- To provide full, detailed, and effective management information, including case updates as directed on a regular basis.
- To continue the development of performance standards and achievement of external accreditation, where relevant.
- To compile, update and adhere to procedure notes and accredited practices.
- To attend client liaison meetings and corporate group meetings (eg Contract and Procurement Group) as required.
- To supervise and support, if requested, a trainee solicitor, ensuring compliance with the SRA Code of Conduct in terms of the Solicitors Accounts rules and Personal Competence Training and record keeping in accordance with the professional practice rules.
- Responsible for ensuring that the Council’s Officers and Members are appraised of changes in the law in the areas of responsibility.
- To undertake any other reasonable duty within the overall job objective as required commensurate with the grade.
Political Restriction
This post is subject to political restriction, which is divided into two categories and relates to the post holder duties, thus;
Specified posts, including ‘deputy chief officers’ - since the post holder would be required to deputise for the Legal Team Manager at relevant committee and subcommittee meetings to make formal reports, and provide additional policy advice, this constitutes a specified post within this criterion.
‘Sensitive’ posts, which meet one of both of the following duties related criteria,
- Giving advice on a regular basis to the authority itself, to any committee or subcommittee of the authority of any joint committee on which the authority are represented, or where the authority are operating executive arrangements, to the executive of the authority; to any committee of that executive, or to any member of that executive who is a member of the authority.
- Speaking on behalf of the authority on a regular basis to journalists or broadcasters.
The post holder is therefore prevented from having any active political role either in or outside the workplace. The postholder is automatically disqualified from standing for or holding elected office e.g., as a Local Councillor or MP (excluding standing for or holding elected office as a Parish or Town Councillor, as Parish/Town Councils are Local Authorities, but not principal authorities, and are therefore not covered). The postholder is also restricted from canvassing on behalf of a political party or candidate or speaking to the public at large or publishing any written or artistic work that appears to support a political party. It does not debar political party membership, just active participation, and endorsement.
The postholder must therefore be aware that in accepting this post, they are required to confirm that they will conform with these political restrictions and that they will be included as conditions of their formal contract of employment with the authority.
The Experience You Will Bring
- Admitted qualified Solicitor or Barrister or Fellow of the Institute of Legal Executives.
- Degree in law (minimum 2.2) or equivalent and eligibility for a current practicing certificate.
- Experience in effective handling of case load relating to planning and regulatory matters
- Experience in and a good knowledge of all aspects of planning and regulatory law
- Experience in drafting agreements and dealing with complex planning and regulatory related contractual matters
- Experience in the research and giving of advice in matters relating to planning or regulatory law and related contracts
- Drafting experience relating to complex contract and procurement matters and either planning agreements, property matters, pleadings or other similar documents.
- Experience of conducting a full varied challenging and demanding caseload of complex and sensitive legal issues
- Effective presentation and communication skills, verbal and written
- Ability to present advice in a way which is constructive, comprehendible, pragmatic and helpful
- Experience of advising at committees, particularly Planning Control Committees
- Confident in conversing in fluent English which is sufficient to fulfil all aspects of the role.
- Ability to work occasional unsociable hours and attend off-site meetings as needed.
- Commitment to continuous professional development and contribution to the service’s improvement.
- Effective, well-developed communication skills, verbal and written, including the ability to influence others.
- Confident in conversing/ communicating in fluent English to an excellent standard so as to fulfil all spoken and written aspects of the role.
- Ability to work within teams; nurturing talent and creating opportunities for services and individuals to excel.
- Ability to operate in a political environment
- Knowledge of local authority law and practice
- Operating within an effective appraisal system
- Conducting and participating in public speaking events
- Practiced in producing practical, useful management information
- Experience of effectively supervising a small team to achieve agreed targets and standards, motivating and supervising as necessary
If you want to know more about the responsibilities, benefits, or anything else about this great opportunity, or if you’d like to request a copy of the full job profile, please email thea.towers@Essex.gov.uk