Job Introduction
Staffordshire Legal Services is a support service within the Corporate Services Directorate. It provides quality services, within resources, promoting Staffordshire County Council’s pursuit of excellence.
Staffordshire Legal Services also provides services to a range of external clients which are effective, customer friendly and provide value for money.
We endeavour to deliver by taking into account our customer commitments, our values and our individual targets.
Situated in the heart of the Midlands with fantastic transport links, Staffordshire County Council is a progressive and forward-thinking authority. Demographically large but singularly focused on being one County Council, you will find that the Legal Services department embodies the values, visions and beliefs of the Council. Staffordshire County Council has committed to a vision of supporting a county where big ambitions, great connections and greener living give everyone the opportunity to prosper, be healthy and happy. We want our workforce to be ambitious, feel empowered and be courageous. The Legal Services team supports every single function within the Council, and provides exciting opportunities for any experienced lawyer to grow and develop their skill set and for any newly qualified lawyer to gain a breadth of experience that will support an enviable CV. Whether you are looking for a challenge or for an opportunity to further develop and extend specialisms, we are well placed to support you.
Applications are invited from an enthusiastic, innovative, suitably qualified and experienced Chartered Legal Executive, Solicitor or Barrister for an opportunity that has arisen for a to join our large, experienced and friendly Property Team.
The successful applicant will have strong interpersonal skills and will be able to advise our internal client on sales, business leases, purchases, licences etc and ensure that the Council’s interests are protected. Sound commercial property knowledge is required to progress transactions through to completion and the post holder will have the opportunity to supervise and delegate to other more junior members of the team. Local authority knowledge would be an advantage but is not an essential requirement.
The ideal candidate will also be an excellent communicator who is able to prioritise a varied workload. Self-organisation skills and an eye for detail will also by key. You will be expected to conduct and manage your own caseload with supervision. You must be able to communicate effectively with members, senior officers and clients.
Main Responsibility
As a Legal Executive/Solicitor/Barrister (Level 1) – Property, you will be required:
- To undertake conveyancing for all Directorates of the County Council, in particular commercial conveyancing transactions with regard to the sale, development, leasing and compulsory purchase of land and property which is either surplus to the County Council’s requirements, or which have been acquired and created to promote economic development within the County Council’s administrative area.
- To, if required (i.e. if the Team Senior Legal Executive has insufficient capacity) undertake routine to moderately complex commercial property transactions for the County Council’s Pension Fund property portfolio and to also provide support for the Team Senior Legal Executive in relation to large or complex Pension Fund transactions.
- To provide general legal advice on real property matters for all Directorates of the County Council.
- Adherence to the Legal Services Unit’s quality standards (Lexcel) including time-recording and contributing to the process of securing re-accreditation as and when.
- To comply with employee’s health and safety responsibilities.
- Such other duties as may reasonably be required, including complaint investigations.
The Ideal Candidate
Applications are invited from an enthusiastic, innovative, suitably qualified and experienced Chartered Legal Executive, Solicitor or Barrister for an opportunity that has arisen for a to join our large, experienced and friendly Property Team.
The successful applicant will have strong interpersonal skills and will be able to advise our internal client on sales, business leases, purchases, licences etc and ensure that the Council’s interests are protected. Sound commercial property knowledge is required to progress transactions through to completion and the post holder will have the opportunity to supervise and delegate to other more junior members of the team. Local authority knowledge would be an advantage but is not an essential requirement.
The ideal candidate will also be an excellent communicator who is able to prioritise a varied workload. Self-organisation skills and an eye for detail will also by key. You will be expected to conduct and manage your own caseload with supervision. You must be able to communicate effectively with members, senior officers and clients.
For an informal chat or more information about this role please contact Mair Young, Team Senior for Property on 01785 276200.
About Staffordshire County Council
We are no ordinary county council:
Our Values:
The core of who we are as an organisation. Just like we all have personal values that shape our thoughts and behaviour, organisational values drive how we think and act collectively.
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 a range of benefits.
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 Silver 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.
