Head of Legal Services and Deputy Monitoring Officer

Job Introduction

Starting salary for this role is £84,251

This role sits within a well-defined pay band, offering clear progression as you grow your career at BCP. Without exception all new starters begin at the entry point of the band, ensuring fairness and consistency across the organisation. Be part of a forward thinking workplace where you’re supported to grow and you can truly #BeTheDifference at BCP.

Learn more in our ‘More than just a job’ brochure on our careers site.

Internal colleagues are also normally appointed at the bottom of the band, unless moving within the same profession and skill level, where the pay band is the same they can be appointed to the existing pay point.

We are seeking to recruit an experienced Head of Legal Services and Deputy Monitoring Officer. This is a demanding role with responsibility for a large and busy group of legal professionals, providing clear leadership, ensuring high quality, and effective service delivery across the organisation.

As Deputy Monitoring Officer, the role will provide support to the Monitoring Officer and deputise in periods of the Monitoring Officer’s absence.

The successful candidate will be able to manage competing priorities, support and develop staff, and work closely with the Director of Law and Governance and Monitoring Officer, Senior Officers and Members to ensure Legal Services remains responsive, reliable, and aligned with the Council’s needs.

Role Purpose

To lead and develop the Council’s Legal Services function and provide advice as Deputy Monitoring Officer on constitutional matters, providing strategic direction and professional oversight across a large, diverse and demanding portfolio of legal work. The role will ensure the effective delivery of high quality, timely and compliant legal advice to support decision‑making and service delivery across the organisation.

The postholder will manage and develop multiple busy legal teams, ensuring resources are prioritised effectively to meet competing demands, statutory requirements and corporate priorities. Working collaboratively with senior stakeholders, Members and officers, the role will drive service improvement, innovation and resilience within Legal Services.

The role requires strong cross directorate working to support organisational change, collaborative working and risk management.

Accountabilities

• Lead the development of Legal Services strategies for a large, complex and diverse service area based on the agreed overarching corporate strategy to ensure the ongoing provision of appropriate, high quality services that fully meet the needs of local residents.
• Set and maintain the operational direction for the Legal Services based on the organisation’s operating arrangements, giving tactical advice to service providers to ensure the effective management of commissioned services so that the highest possible levels of service quality are upheld.
• Lead engagement and manage strategic partnerships with a range of external stakeholders and partners in order to ensure that BCP Council continues to harness local opportunities to commission high quality public services, to influence the shaping of service delivery models, and to resolve high risk and complex issues.
• Be involved in collaboration across the council as well as the public sector and wider region to share best practice, promote the work of the service area, and to jointly deliver solutions that are focussed on delivering a system-wide impact for residents.
• Provide guidance and direction to colleagues on partners, acting as a policy lead for a Legal Services, managing and evaluating service level contracts so that corrective action can be taken where appropriate, to ensure high quality customer outcomes are consistently achieved.
• Motivate, manage and develop staff to support a culture of high quality performance and continuous improvement to achieve excellent outcomes that meet the needs of citizens within a fixed level of resources. Resolve performance issues in order to support a culture of performance and productivity.
• Manage the delegated budget for the service, identifying additional funding strategies and stimulating income or efficiencies, so that financial targets are met, and the financial health of the Council is protected.
• Scan the external operating environment to anticipate and analyse issues relevant to the service area and to identify alternative models of delivery, developing and agreeing local plans to ensure that the shaping and commissioning of services responds to changing context, and that current and future local needs are met.
• Lead the development, alignment and execution of key programmes for the service unit, to enable continuous improvement and the achievement of business change objectives.

Knowledge / Skills / Experience required

• Ideally a qualified solicitor or barrister, but relevant experience will be considered.
• Degree in a relevant subject or be able to demonstrate equivalent knowledge, skills, and proven experience of strategic development in the related service area.
• Post-graduate management qualification or equivalent management experience.
• Authoritative knowledge in a specialist area and overall functional and business understanding needed to position the function across the organisation.
• Up-to-date knowledge of external issues (legislative, regulatory, best practice standards etc.) that affect own specialist area.
• Substantial level of senior level leadership experience, providing depth and breadth of knowledge to act with credibility at this level.
• Extensive experience providing a depth and breadth of knowledge across an organisation or acting as organisation’s subject matter expert in own specialist area.
• Substantial experience of leading high-profile innovative projects and partnerships that have a long-term and wide-ranging community impact and reputational risk for the Council.
• Ability to lead, manage and develop a team to deliver high profile services across the organisation
• Strong influencing and stakeholder management skills and the ability to build relationships at a political, senior and management level.
• High level of personal credibility, integrity and emotional intelligence.
• Strong leader, persuasive and engaging who can hold people to account but also coach and develop a high performing team.

Dimensions of role

• The role will manage a large/complex team of legal professionals and will be responsible for the delivery of services.
• The role will manage a large service budget and contribute to wider financial planning and the realisation of savings and efficiencies in the Council.
• The role will plan and organise a large and complex service area with related activities or provide critical services that cover the whole of the organisation.

Job Requirements

• Must be able to travel, using public or other forms of transport where viable, or by holding a valid UK driving licence with access to own or pool car.

Contact Information

If you would like an informal discussion about the role, please contact Director of Law and Governance Robin Watson: Robin.Watson@bcpcouncil.gov.uk | 01202128331

Additional Information

Please note, this role is not eligible for visa sponsorship and we can only consider applicants with existing right to work in the UK.

At BCP Council, inclusion is more than a promise – it’s how we work.

We’re committed to providing a fully inclusive recruitment process ensuring every candidate and colleague has the support and reasonable adjustments they need to thrive.

From the moment you apply, through the recruitment process and throughout your career with us, we’ll be here to listen and provide the help and support you need.

It’s why we’re proud to be a Disability Confident Employer – and why you can trust that we’ll always do our best to make your experience positive and accessible.

If you require any reasonable adjustments or support during the recruitment process, please let us know when you apply or contact us directly – we’re here to help. For further information on the accessibility support we can offer please see here: Preparing for your interview | Working for BCP

About BCP Council

BCP Council provides services to a diverse community of 400,000 residents and employs more than 5,000 people. Our area includes over 15 miles of beautiful world-renowned coastline. We can offer career defining roles to transform and improve services. By working with us, you can help deliver a vision of a thriving, word-class, prosperous and inclusive place for generations to come.

Our Benefits

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At BCP Council, we’re not just building a workforce— we’re transforming how we recognise and reward our people.

Check out our attractive enhanced benefits and find out more about the new Pay and Reward package at (Employee benefits | Working for BCP link to careers page)

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DBS

BCP Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the community and expects all staff and volunteers to share the same commitment. Applicants to this post will be required to complete the appropriate level of Disclosure & Barring Service Check.