Principal Lawyer

Principal Lawyer (MDC8651)

£40,478 - £44,539 per annum

Mansfield District Council is offering an opportunity for an experienced litigation advocate to join our professional and friendly legal team as a Principal Lawyer.

Our legal team is highly regarded throughout the authority as professional and reliable, delivering an excellent legal service, with every member of the team having a positive, “can-do” attitude and adopting a problem-solving approach to any challenge presented to them. Mansfield District Council is an ambitious authority and the work undertaken by the legal team is varied, interesting and extremely rewarding. You can expect to be undertaking a wide variety of litigation work, including prosecutions, civil injunction applications, possession claims and anti-social behaviour related litigation. You will have conduct of your cases from initial instruction through to conclusion and you will attend court as the Council’s advocate for all manner of hearings. You will also be required to give advice in relation to all district council functions at a high level and have management responsibility for the employees working in the contentious side of the legal team. You will possess strong technical skills and be able to demonstrate exceptional organisation skills as well as high attention to detail and a strong practical approach to your workload.

Strong and effective communication skills are key for our team as we support each other and share knowledge and best practices regularly. We are a true team, with the collective goal of providing an exemplar legal service to Mansfield District Council. Everyone is encouraged to share creative and innovative ideas to improve our team and the delivery of our legal service.

Local government experience is not essential; we recognise the value of different practice backgrounds and welcome the insight and breadth of knowledge that this brings. Similarly, whilst experience of trial advocacy and the specific elements of this role are desirable, if you have transferable skills and a willingness to learn, we will provide you with training and mentoring to develop your skills, enabling you to excel in this role and progress your career.

Mansfield District Council operates a hybrid working model according to business need and all variations of flexible working are open for discussion. We offer an excellent range of employee benefits, including up to 37 days annual leave (after 5 years’ local government service) and a very attractive employer pension contribution. For more information or to discuss the opportunity available, please contact Angela Edwards on 01623 463111 or aedwards@mansfield.gov.uk

If you would like to apply please send your CV and supporting statement setting out how you meet the essential criteria of the role to recruitment@mansfield.gov.uk

To apply, please visit: www.mansfieldandashfieldjobs.co.uk

Canvassing of Members of the Council (directly or indirectly) for any appointment shall disqualify the candidate for that appointment. Applicants should disclose if they are related to a Member or Officer of the Authority.

Closing date:     11^th June, 2023
Interview date    w/c 26^th June, 2023

Mansfield District Council is an Equal Opportunities employer

and welcomes applications from all sections of the Community.