The role
About Southwark:
Southwark is a large, ambitious and progressive council with a ‘can do’ attitude and enviable reputation. As a Council, we are successful, passionate and forward-thinking. We are committed to our ‘Fairer Futures for All’ promise which ensures that our residents and businesses are central to everything we do. If you want to make a difference at a local level, apply to Southwark Council today.
The Role:
The council has one of the largest directly managed council housing stock in the country and has ambitious targets to build new council housing. This is an exciting opportunity to develop your skills working in our large, diverse; Lexcel accredited Legal Team playing a crucial role supporting the council’s objectives by providing a full range and variety of expert services across all areas of the Council’s work.
The role is based within our Litigation Team, which includes two teams specialising in Housing legal work. You will work collaboratively with the other senior housing lawyer and broader management cohort in the litigation team to deliver advice and litigation services to the council’s departments on a range of complex issues covering public sector housing law and related legal work. You will also work with lawyers in other legal teams on cross cutting issues.
You will have conduct of a varied caseload that you will be able to manage with minimal supervision. The work encompasses a broad range of housing management related litigation and advisory work including housing policy, possession, succession, unauthorised occupancy, injunctions, homelessness and allocations, responding to threats of judicial review, general housing management matters and building safety.
You will also manage a small group of housing lawyers, allocating work, supporting day-to-day casework and development of staff, and providing performance management.
About You:
You will be a qualified experienced solicitor, barrister or legal executive, with an excellent knowledge and significant post qualification experience of a broad range of public sector housing law and litigation, policy and procedure.
You will have experience of working with officers at all levels, including senior officers, confidently, and delivering legally sound, high quality, solutions based advice.
You will also have some knowledge of local government law and how it affects the work of the team.
You will be able to quickly get up to speed with new law and policy and apply it effectively when giving advice to clients and supporting those you manage.
Additionally, you will have excellent time management skills, understand the political sensitivities of the work and be aware of the impact your advice could have for both the council and the communities we serve. You will need to be able to develop good working relationships with people both inside and outside the council and explain legal concepts clearly and concisely, both verbally and in writing, tailored appropriately to your audience. You will also have experience of supporting and managing other lawyers or be able to evidence an ability and aptitude to do so.
Selection Process:
Will be by formal office based interview and assessments.
Location:
This is a full time, permanent role based in council offices at London Bridge with the ability for some remote working.
Additional salary details
Additional Information:
Please note there is a market factor payment of 7.5% of salary + hard to fill payment of £2,327 package which can be redeemed against gym membership, health insurance, season ticket purchase, bicycle purchase, additional voluntary contribution to pension, subscription and professional fees.
Benefits and more information:
https://jobs.southwark.gov.uk/why-us/
Recruitment timetable
Application closing date for: 25 January 2023
Interviews and Assessments: from 6 February 2023
We are an organisation who is passionate about our people and understands that richness of diversity is a requirement to provide the best possible services to our communities. This is demonstrated through our council-wide ambitious commitment to tackle racial inequality in our communities and workforce through our Southwark Stands Together initiative. We particularly welcome applications from members of the black, Asian and ethnic minority communities to increase representation at senior management level in the Council.
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