Job Description:

Legal Officer
£38,412 per annum - Grade 6
Leeds / Hybrid
Full time - 37 hours per week

Permanent

Please note that the Combined Authority will consider requests for part-time working and/or job share.

We currently have a vacancy for three Legal Officers to join our Legal, Governance & Compliance Services.

We are seeking to appoint highly motivated Legal Officers to join the following teams:

1. Projects (2 roles)

This is an opportunity to become part of a small, high performing team, providing strategic legal advice across the full project lifecycle - from early development to the award of contracts. This includes (but is not limited to);

1. Draft, negotiate and interpret grant agreements, supplier contracts and other contractual documentation;
2. Intellectual Property matters/ Trademarks & renewals
3. Sustainability matters; Education; Climate & Energy
4. Corporate law advice where this impacts upon a project other than its procurement or litigation.
5. Joint ventures/ Commercial & investment agreements / Collaboration agreements

1. Governance & Regulatory – (one role supports both areas)

The Regulatory Legal team ensures the Combined Authority is compliant with industry regulation and relevant law. The team can advise on all aspects of regulatory law, including:

1. All litigation matters including debt recovery and claims
2. Information governance and data protection law.
3. Supporting on Police and Crime functions.
4. Compliance with equalities legislation including the Public Sector Equality duty.
5. Employment matters, such as recruitment, contracts, TUPE, disciplinaries and dismissals and redundancy.

The Legal Governance team can advise on all aspects of Local Government governance and law, practices, procedures and political processes. This includes:

1. Advising on matters regarding decision-making by the Combined Authority, including committee arrangements, officer delegations, and the Members’ ethical standards frameworks
2. Advising in relation to devolution and joint decision-making arrangements with other authorities

Applicants may express a preference to a particular practice area as part of their application. However, all applicants should note that appointment to a particular practice area will be at the discretion of the senior leadership team once recruitment has concluded.

The Legal team at West Yorkshire Combined Authority have a talent pathway, which offers an opportunity for internal Legal Officers to apply to the pathway and access funding to undertake an apprenticeship, CILEX Professional Qualification or SRA training to qualify as a Solicitor/ Fellow of CILEX. The talent pathway is open to Legal Officers who have concluded their probationary period. It is run on an annual cycle and requires a separate competitive application process.

This post is subject to vetting clearance. Due to the nature of this role, it is a requirement that the successful applicant will be subject to relevant vetting checks at the appropriate level and any job offer will be conditional subject to successful vetting clearance. Applicants should be aware that it is not possible to make meaningful vetting enquiries in many jurisdictions outside the UK. Vetting clearance cannot therefore be granted if the applicant has not been resident in the UK for the relevant minimum period and comparable vetting enquiries cannot be made in jurisdictions where the individual has been residing. The relevant periods are three years for NPPV 1&2 and five years for NPPV3. Further guidance can be found here.

Our Offer
 

• Work your way – From flexible and agile working options, including a generous flexi-time scheme to help you balance your personal life and career.
• Time to recharge – Enjoy 28 days of annual leave (with increases based on length of service), plus all Bank Holidays.
• Free greener travel across West Yorkshire – Cover your commute sustainably with unlimited free bus and rail travel using the MCard (Zones 1–5).
• Secure your future – Benefit from a highly competitive Local Government Pension Scheme.
• Investing in you – Take advantage of supported professional development, regular training, and up to 3 paid volunteering days per year.
• Grow with us – Incremental salary progression for most roles and annual cost of living increases.
• Family first – We offer enhanced parental and bereavement leave, plus other family-friendly policies to support you when it matters most.
• Your wellbeing, our priority – Access 24/7 free confidential counselling services and the Headspace app for you and up to 5 family or friends.
• Modern workspace in a prime location – Work in bright, contemporary offices just a 2-minute walk from Leeds Train Station, fully equipped with the latest tech.

The Role

Reporting into the Principal Lawyer, your key responsibilities will include: 

• Negotiate, draft and review a wide range of documentation and provide advice to a range of stakeholders in relation to the same, using initiative and judgement.
• Work collaboratively with the Legal team’s lawyers on more complex matters including drafting, research, and the provision of sound legal advice.  Apply good communication and influencing skills to best represent the interests of the Combined Authority and to achieve its objectives when liaising with third parties.
• Working independently on legal matters demonstrating a solid knowledge of policies, practices, and procedures, and ensure the effective management and maintenance of case files, in compliance with specific quality assurance requirements. 

Please review the Role Profile for more information about the responsibilities.

About You

You will have the following key skills, attributes, education and experience:

• Paralegal/ CILEX qualification (Level 3 Diploma); Degree with Law conversion qualification or law graduate as a minimum. 
• Practical experience of successfully performing in a similar role. 
• Experience of legal research, drafting and advice.
• Demonstrable good knowledge and experience within one of the key practice areas; Property; Projects, Procurement and Contracts; Governance; Regulatory & Corporate services. 

To Apply

If this sounds like your next role, please complete the application form on our website and tell us within the supporting statement why you would be a great fit for our role and how your skills, knowledge and experience align with the requirements within the Role Profile. Please visit our Advice for Candidates webpage and review the guidance on this page for support in completing your application form.
 

Further Information

The Combined Authority is passionate about creating an inclusive workplace that promotes and values diversity. We know through experience that different ideas, perspectives and backgrounds create a stronger and more creative work environment that delivers better outcomes. We welcome applications irrespective of people's age, disability, neuro-divergence, sex, gender identity and gender expression, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation, pregnancy or maternity, or other personal circumstances. We have policies and procedures in place to ensure that all applicants are treated fairly and consistently at every stage of the recruitment process, including the consideration of reasonable adjustments for people who have a disability and/or who are neuro divergent. To find out more about inclusivity at the West Yorkshire Combined Authority please visit our dedicated webpage.

Under the Disability Confident Scheme, applicants with a disability are guaranteed an interview, subject to the minimum criteria being met.

Please note that whilst it is our policy to recruit at SP1 for all appointments, which is the salary stated above, each role includes career salary progression, with incremental increases applicable in most cases on an annual basis.