About the role:

Horsham District Council is looking for a Litigation and Governance Principal Lawyer to join our dynamic Legal Services department. Assisting the Head of Legal and Democratic Services, you will provide an efficient and economic legal service to the Council in all matters pertaining to civil litigation, housing, prosecutions, licensing and governance law and practice. All flexible working options are considered including part-time.

As a Litigation and Governance Principal Lawyer you will be one of our go-to experts in the area, you will draft, issue, and defend civil litigation claims and deal with commercial disputes and deal with housing matters, including homelessness advice, appeals and housing possessions. You will undertake criminal prosecutions and advise and assist with governance and standards. You will provide prompt, clear and accurate written and verbal advice in all areas and be the Legal advisor at Committees and Sub-Committee Meetings.

You will head and supervise a team as a Principal Lawyer and help train, develop, and mentor our more junior staff.

About you:

To succeed as Litigation and Governance Principal Lawyer you will be experienced in advocacy, and you will represent the Council in Courts, Tribunals, Inquiries and Committees and deal effectively with a range of people from different backgrounds using clear, concise, modern, and authoritative communication skills. You will have a systematic approach to your work and the proven ability to prioritise and meet deadlines. Furthermore, you will be a confident IT user, someone who's committed to continuous professional development and who's able to communicate effectively with colleagues and be an excellent team player. You will also have proven drafting skills to enable you to produce clear and concise pleadings and documents. You will be admitted as a Solicitor, Barrister or Fellow Chartered Legal Executive.

For an informal discussion about this role please call Robert Baxendale, Legal Services Business Manager on 01403 215482.

PPA

Applicants invited for interview will be asked to complete a Thomas’ Personal Profile Analysis (PPA) which provides a rapid and deep insight into behavioural preferences and communication style.

About us as an employer:

We have a friendly and supportive working environment and being a smaller Council, you can really get to know everybody.

We encourage and support our employees to have a healthy work life balance by, offering 28 days’ (207.2 hours) annual leave plus bank holidays (pro-rata), and flexible/hybrid working options where applicable.

We offer a generous benefits package including an online platform offering discounts from online retailers and access to a car lease scheme. Staff are also eligible to join the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS), where the Council contributes circa 20% of pensionable salary.

To support employees’ professional development the Council provides reimbursement for professional subscriptions and a number of training opportunities, including extensive in-house learning resources, short courses, Apprenticeships, and qualifications such as Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM), Master of Business Administration (MBA).

Visit our Jobs and careers page to find out more about Working for Horsham District Council and Our employment commitments.

To apply:

If you would like to apply for the role, we highly recommend you show clearly within the ‘Experience Section’ of the application form how you meet the essential criteria detailed within the Role Profile when applying. If you do not make this clear, it is unlikely you will be shortlisted for interview. We recommend that you apply as soon as possible as we will interview as and when we receive applications and will only advertise this post until we find the right candidate.

Internal applicants, if you would like to apply for the role, please submit an expression of interest to HR@horsham.gov.uk explaining clearly how you meet the criteria and what you feel you can bring to the role.

Suitable applicants will be contacted for interview on an ongoing basis therefore this advert may close early.