Head of Legal Services

Service Care Solutions are recruiting on behalf of a local authority based in the Essex region who are seeking a Head of Legal Services on a permanent basis. Please find below further details regarding this opportunity.

Read on to find out what you will need to succeed in this position, including skills, qualifications, and experience.

Please note that this role requires office attendance 2 days per week.

The Role

• Lead and oversee the council’s Legal Services function, ensuring the delivery of high-quality, commercially focused legal advice across a broad range of local government matters.
• Act as Deputy Monitoring Officer, advising senior leaders and elected members on governance, constitutional matters, legal risk, and complex or politically sensitive issues.
• Manage and develop a multi-disciplinary legal team, driving performance, service improvement, and modern ways of working across the department.
• Oversee legal budgets, external counsel spend, and key supplier relationships to ensure value for money and efficient service delivery.

Person Specification

• Qualified Solicitor, Barrister, or equivalent legal professional with substantial post-qualification experience, including time spent within local government or the wider public sector.
• Strong expertise in local authority governance, committee processes, and advising members within a political environment.
• Proven leadership experience managing legal teams, complex caseloads, and organisational change initiatives. xwzovoh
• Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and decision-making skills, with the ability to influence at senior leadership level.

CV application deadline is Thursday 7th May.