Lawyer - Procurement, Information & Governance

What's involved with this role: Interim Lawyer - Procurement, Information & Governance Reference no: Merton 5259621 Pay Rate: Up to £40.16 per hour PAYE depending on experience Hours per week: 35 Monday – Friday, normal working hours Role Length: This opening assignment is for 3-4 months City: Morden, London The purpose of the role is to provide timely and effective specialist legal advice to elected members, including committees and to Directors senior managers and officers across both authorities as part of a team of lawyers, and to any other clients of the Shared Legal Service.The ideal candidate will have experience in the public sector and experience of supervising staff. They also must be able to advise on procurement and draft contracts. Key Responsibilities:

• The role would also be responsible for ensuring that the legal advice and legal services provided to those clients is cost effective and of the highest quality.
• Provide customer focused, high quality and responsive specialist legal advice in relation to at least one of the areas of legal expertise covered by a local authority legal team.
• Be responsible for delivering a variety of types of legal work as expected within that specialism.
• Procure external legal advisers as agreed by the process put in place by each respective partner council and to act as intelligent client in relation to any such advisers, overseeing their advice and ensuring that it protects the interests of the partner council the external legal advisers are acting for.
• Be responsible for providing creative legal solutions on a seamless basis to support service transformation and change and to meet client needs and at the more senior levels to be able to deliver advice on a broad range of areas.
• Carry an extensive case load of complex and sensitive matters and to be managing cases that would be considered to be highly complex or organisationally high profile.
• Be responsible for providing innovative solutions to deal with complex issues arising in connection with the work within the team and the legal issues presented by clients.
• Manage a large caseload of wide-ranging work within two of the above specialisms, including but not limited to; drafting legal letters, legal agreements, deeds, notices, orders, consents byelaws as well as negotiating agreements, settlements and such matters, managing competing demands and meeting deadlines and the requirements of the Shared Legal Service.
• Where relevant, to prepare and process all matters relevant to any proceedings before a court, arbitration, mediation or public inquiry and to attend such as the client’s advocate or, if appropriate, select and instruct appropriate external legal representation.
• Work proactively to maintain and improve the relationship with the clients of the Shared Legal Service.
• Supervise, and be responsible for the work of, junior staff as required and to provide management and leadership to the staff working on their cases.

1. Qualified legal executive, solicitor or barrister.

1. Minimum of 12 months recent experience in a similar role, or context and ideally within a public sector organisation.
2. Good knowledge of relevant legislation to the service area and the decision-making processes and procedures.
3. Specific and demonstrable expertise in a specific area of local government law with the technical skill and knowledge to lead on it for the organisation.
4. Experience of staff management and ability to manage, inspire and motivate staff.

1. Significant personal gravitas and charisma with an ability to operate with confidence and credibility at the highest levels of all authorities.
2. An ability to use expert legal opinion to provide practical and innovative solutions to complex legal, contractual or service delivery issues.
3. A solid track record of providing proactive, expert, timely and authoritative legal advice and support to senior leaders and key decision-makers at the highest levels.
4. Ability to work under pressure and respond efficiently to the changing needs of the clients.
5. Ability to be able to travel to attend client officers or courts etc. wherever the client’s case is being considered.
6. Intellectually powerful with a good degree of political nous and experience of operating in politically sensitive environments.
7. Strong IT skills including Microsoft packages or equivalent (e.g. G Suite).