Principal Contracts Lawyer

12 hours ago

Reading Berkshire, United Kingdom Pick for Britain Full time

We are currently recruiting for a Principal lawyer to head our Corporate Commercial Team.

Now is the perfect time to join us as we deliver our ambitions to be the best place to practice law in local government; being close to our customers, recruiting the best talent, successfully deploying legal technology and ensuring the continued growth of the business to new customers.

Reading’s Legal Service provides the Council and its partners with the highest quality professional legal advice and representation which allows them to run their organisations well, and to serve our community.

We host a Joint Legal Team, a long-standing shared legal service for all the Berkshire councils and a recognised centre of excellence for childcare, adults and education law.

As well as leading a highly regarded internal Corporate Legal Team, serving the needs of the Council across a wide range of functions.

We seek the best talent from the widest pool of people as diversity and inclusion is the key to our success. Reading Borough Council is a Disability Confident Employer and is committed to the recruitment and continued employment of people with disabilities.

We are open to flexible working patterns and can provide a hybrid working environment which utilises the best of both worlds with a mix of office working in central Reading and homeworking according to the needs of the Service.

About the role:

As the Principal Contracts Lawyer you will have overall responsibility for the allocation, supervision, monitoring, and management of all legal work related to key strategic procurements requiring legal input. This includes overseeing work performed for the council by external legal providers.

You will also be responsible for providing legal input on committee reports and responses to Members' inquiries as directed by the Director of Legal & Democratic Services.

Additionally, you will ensure that Members and Senior Officers are informed of any proposed or actual changes in the external environment that could impact the Council’s legal position.

You will represent the legal services department on various boards, such as procurement and commissioning boards.

About you:

You’ll possess expert knowledge of the law and procedures relevant to local authority functions, particularly in contracts and procurement law. You’ll be adept at negotiating and drafting complex legal agreements and providing expert legal advice both orally and in writing. As an experienced senior manager, you will have the ability to lead a team of lawyers and support staff effectively.

You’ll be skilled in obtaining and evaluating evidence, preparing complex cases, and identifying key issues to determine the best course of action for the council in intricate legal matters. With a strong ability to communicate complex legal issues clearly and effectively, both in writing and orally, you will be a persuasive and influential leader.

You will also demonstrate emotional intelligence, fostering partnerships and collaborative relationships within and across departments to achieve corporate and departmental objectives in partnership with others.

To apply for this role, you will have:
  1. A current practising certificate and be entitled to practice in England as a Solicitor, Barrister, or Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executive.
  2. An ability to work to tight deadlines and work well whilst under pressure.
  3. An ability to work effectively as part of a team.
  4. A strong working knowledge of contract and procurement law.
  5. Proven experience with various contractual agreements within a local government context.
  6. Expertise in managing commercial contracts, procurement, information management, IT, technology, construction, intellectual property, public law, and grant agreements.
  7. Experience handling public procurement issues and frameworks.
  8. Familiarity with JCT and NEC contracts.
  9. A demonstrated ability to lead and manage a team of senior lawyers, lawyers, and support staff, including paralegals and trainees.
Our offer:

We offer a supportive environment to grow and develop your career with the opportunity to put your ideas across. Innovation and ambition are strongly encouraged.

A competitive salary alongside a range of benefits including:

  1. Generous holiday entitlement - 25 days holiday each year plus bank holidays - rising to 33 days after 10 years' service, with the option to buy additional leave.
  2. A wide range of flexible working opportunities.
  3. Modern working environment at the Civic Offices in the heart of Reading.
  4. Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS).
  5. On-site day nursery (Kennet Day nursery) rated outstanding by Ofsted.
  6. Season Ticket Loan - to help with the cost of your rail/ bus journey, to & from work.
  7. Lease car salary sacrifice scheme allowing you to lease a brand new, greener car for three years. The monthly fee includes insurance, servicing and road tax.

For more information on this position please contact Shaidah Ramzan, Legal Services Manager and Deputy Monitoring Officer at shaidah.ramzan@reading.gov.uk.

Closing Date: 15th December 2024

Interview Date: To be confirmed.

Please note that the closing date is given as a guide. We reserve the right to close this vacancy once a sufficient number of applications has been received. Therefore, it is strongly advised that you complete and return your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

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