What's involved with this role:

Job Title: Employment Lawyer

Ref: Surrey 120154

Pay rate: £42.14 per hour PAYE

Role length: Anticipated 3 months

Working arrangements: Hybrid, mainly remote. Office attendance is encouraged but not expected. Offices are in Reigate and Weybridge and you can attend either.



The role:

We are seeking a qualified and experienced Employment Lawyer to assist in the management of a group of lawyers in identified work areas according to business need, providing leadership, supervision, direction and expert legal advice to the council, its members, officers and committees.

You will manage a full, varied and demanding caseload, deliver innovative solutions with minimal supervision and support the Monitoring Officer in respect of their duty to advise the County Council of any illegality or procedural default to enable the matter to be investigated.

In order to carry out this role, you will be a qualified legal professional (Solicitor, Barrister, or Fellow of CILEX) eligible to practise in England and Wales, with substantial senior management experience, strong advocacy skills, and deep knowledge of legal and business practices. You will demonstrate proven leadership, strategic thinking, and change management abilities, alongside excellent communication, analytical, and people development skills.



Key responsibilities:

Identify key issues, trends, and opportunities to inform action; lead policy development within area of expertise to support organisational goals
Review and enhance services using feedback and external insights; apply specialist judgement to deliver high-quality, customer-focused services; drive change and promote innovation to improve service value and efficiency
Develop and implement operational and long-term strategic plans aligned with wider organisational aims; lead major projects and represent the service in internal and external initiatives
Manage budgets and resources effectively to meet objectives; contribute to financial planning within the service area
Engage with senior stakeholders to identify priorities and represent service needs; work collaboratively to improve processes and strategies cost-effectively
Lead and manage teams to meet targets within budget; coach and develop staff to meet current and future service demands



What the client is looking for:

Solicitor, barrister or Fellow of CILEX who is eligible to practise in England and Wales and has (or be in a position to apply for) a current practicing certificate issued by the relevant regulatory authority
Experience of or an aptitude for advocacy
Degree or equivalent professional qualification plus substantial experience at a senior management level in a specialist area
Knowledge of the principles of change management, project management and continuous improvement, and their practical application
Authoritative knowledge of the work practices, process and procedures relevant to the role including broader sector/commercial awareness
Ability to manage budgets and resources to deliver effective support to their area of responsibility
Strong written and oral communication and interpersonal skills with high level negotiation and influencing skills and the ability to work collaboratively with internal and external partners/professionals
Advanced problem solving and analytical skills with the capacity to devise and implement innovative solutions for strategic change
Wide experience in successful leading, coaching, mentoring and developing of staff



How to Apply:

Quote the Job Title and Reference Number in your application.
Submit your CV in Word format.
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis—early submission is recommended.



We will also add your details to our mail out lists. Please note you may receive details of roles outside of your immediate vicinity, as many candidates are able to relocate temporarily for work. Please disregard any such emails that are not of interest and let us know if you would rather not receive such mailouts and/or if you wish us to delete your details and prefer to apply direct to our advertised roles.



If you do not hear from us within three working days, unfortunately your application has not been shortlisted on this occasion. Thank you for your interest in working with us.

Please quote the Job Title & Vacancy Reference No. in your application, or we will be unable to match your CV to the role being applied for.



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Job Ref: Surrey 120154


Anticipated Length of Assignment: Unless otherwise stated (we do carry the occasional permanent vacancy) all of our roles are technically temporary, though opening assignments can be and often are, extended by clients on a longer term basis and can sometimes become permanent.

Please do try to resist contacting us with requests for progress updates.

We really do read every CV sent to us. All applications will be acknowledged by a human, not a robot, provided the job remains live and provided your CV meets the “Essential Requirements” listed.

Please note that we do our level best to take down ads as soon as roles have been filled. We are not in the business of harvesting CVs.

Important: We will interpret your application as being permission to submit your CV to this role (with the right to represent you) unless you advise us to the contrary.