Cheshire West and Chester Council brings a fresh and energetic approach to providing top quality services for its many customers and communities. West Cheshire is a place where everyone can Thrive – through our core values of Teamwork, Honesty, Respect, Innovation, Value for Money and Empowerment.

It is an exciting time to join Cheshire West and Chester Council’s Legal team, where you will have an opportunity to learn and develop your skills in a local authority setting. Cheshire West and Chester Council offers the opportunity to be involved in good quality legal work and high-profile projects.

Cheshire West and Chester Council brings a fresh and energetic approach to providing top quality services for its many customers and communities. West Cheshire is a place where everyone can Thrive – through our core values of Teamwork, Honesty, Respect, Innovation, Value for Money and Empowerment.

We are recruiting a Solicitor/Legal Executive/Barrister on a permanent basis to undertake work across all areas of planning and highways law.

As a guide, the successful candidate, for this role, will be a solicitor, barrister or fellow legal executive with a minimum of 2 -year pqe and may include those returning to work following a career break or those looking to move into local government from another legal sector. The candidate will be able to provide accurate, practical and timely legal advice with minimum supervision. We are very happy to consider applications from all candidates who are able to demonstrate the skills necessary to fulfil the role. The role is flexible on location; although you will be primarily working from home, you will need to be able to get to council offices in person should the need arise.  Many of our legal teams arrange to meet weekly in one of our offices (including at our bright airy modern new offices at HQ Building in Chester or the Portal in Ellesmere Port) to work together, for supervision purposes or to discuss matters. You will be required to work flexibly across multiple sites in the borough as well as from home, as part of a positive, multi skilled team supporting colleagues across all of our services.

The current salary is up to £50,045 plus benefits at Grade 11 which include:

• Flexible working hours scheme with adaptable working hours subject to meeting our clients’ needs.
• 26 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays rising to 31 days after five years’ service and the option to purchase additional annual leave.
• Generous Local Government Pension Scheme including life cover and a pension for your spouse, civil partner or eligible cohabiting partner and children in the event of death.
• Employee benefits “Working Rewards” which include a wide range of reductions and preferential rates at top high street stores..
• Access to a wide range of training and courses.
• Payment of professional fees where these are required.
• Flexible benefits through Salary Sacrifice including savings on home and electronics, Medicash, bicycles through the Cycle to Work scheme and car leasing.

*Please note the salary quoted is based on full time hours (37 hours).

You will benefit from being part of an organisation that is genuinely committed to its people. Within our friendly legal team, you will have access to a range of learning and development opportunities and colleague collaboration designed to support your ongoing professional development

If you have relevant experience and are a skilful, organised and enthusiastic lawyer, who thrives in working in a busy environment and being part of a team, this role may be ideal for you. Candidates from both local authority and private practice who have solid understanding of planning law are encouraged to apply.

For informal discussion about this role please contact Leanne Wheeler, leanne.wheeler@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk or Lee Hubbard, Lee.Hubbard@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk

No candidate will meet every single desired requirement. If your experience looks a little different from what we’ve identified and you think you can bring value to the role, we’d love to learn more about you!

In your application you should ensure that you provide evidence of how you have demonstrated meeting the Council’s core competencies of Teamwork, Honesty, Respect, Innovation, Value for Money and Empowerment.

The contractual work location for this role is listed above however you may be required to work from a range of work locations or sites within the Borough and may also be required to work from home, depending on the needs of the service.

Internet Explorer is no longer supported so please use a different browser when you submit your application –  for example Google Chrome or Microsoft edge. You will also need to ensure pop ups are enabled.

Please ensure you check the email account (including junk/spam boxes) from which you apply regularly as we will use this to contact you regarding your application.

If you have not heard from us within 4 weeks of the closing date then it is likely that you have not been shortlisted on this occasion, however please do not be discouraged from applying again.

Cheshire West and Chester Council are committed to equality and diversity in employment.  Please click the Equality Policy for more information.

Cheshire West and Chester Council have adopted a Local Living Wage for our employees which means that all employees will receive a minimum of £9.90 per hour for all contracted hours.

For any technical enquiries please email Sourcingteam@ecwip.co.uk Please quote job reference number in all correspondence.