Senior Contracts Lawyer – AR

Senior Contracts Lawyer

About the Role

We are looking for an experienced Senior Contracts Lawyer to provide specialist legal advice across public procurement and contracts within a local authority environment.

You will act as a senior source of expertise on the law relating to the procurement of goods, services and works, advising Council officers and senior stakeholders on complex contractual and procurement matters.

The role will involve a mixture of strategic and operational legal work, including drafting and negotiating contracts, advising on procurement processes, supporting partnership arrangements and ensuring the Council remains compliant with relevant legislation and case law.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide specialist legal advice on public procurement and contract law relating to goods, services and works.
• Take conduct of complex contract and procurement matters and provide advice at all levels of the Council.
• Draft, review and negotiate contracts, agreements and other legal documentation.
• Provide strategic and operational legal advice on joint services, partnerships and arrangements involving public-sector bodies.
• Advise on the development and maintenance of relevant Council policies, procedures and legal documents.
• Monitor and interpret changes in legislation, case law and developments in procurement and contract law, advising the Council on their practical impact.
• Provide training and guidance to Members and Council officers on relevant legislation, meetings, procurement, contracts and probity matters.
• Provide legal comments on reports for Cabinet, Council committees and scrutiny/advisory committees, attending meetings where required.
• Represent Legal Services at meetings with Councillors, Council departments, external organisations, government departments and public-sector partners.
• Prepare briefs for Counsel, instruct Counsel where appropriate and attend conferences.
• Undertake detailed legal research and provide solutions to complex legal issues.
• Instruct and work constructively with external solicitors and legal consultants where required.
• Support the Chief Legal Officer with the management and delivery of the Council’s contract and procurement legal work.

About You

You will be an experienced legal professional with strong knowledge of public procurement and contract law, ideally gained within a local authority or wider public-sector environment.

You should have experience of:

• Complex public procurement and contract matters
• Drafting and negotiating commercial/public-sector contracts
• Advising senior officers and stakeholders
• Local government legal frameworks and procedures
• Providing strategic and operational legal advice
• Committee, Cabinet or Member-facing work
• Interpreting legislation and case law
• Working with external solicitors and Counsel
• Providing legal training and guidance

The ability to manage complex matters independently, communicate clearly with senior stakeholders and provide practical, commercially aware legal advice is essential.