Senior Lawyer

Our lawyers are at the heart of everything we do, from the successful delivery of the 2022 Commonwealth Games, to the implementation of the new Deeper Devolution Deal which will see more powers and funding devolved to us from central government.

From delivering the metro programme and building a transport system that links people to opportunities, developing the region in terms of employment, skills, and communities, to helping unlock brownfield sites so that new homes can be built, the range of work you can get involved with is unparalleled.  

We now have two Senior Lawyer vacancies, one with a focus on Governance and Litigation and the other for Commercial Contracts for our Education, Skills, Health and Communities.

As a key member, you will play a crucial role in the provision of high-quality legal services to the Combined Authority and deputise for the Principal Lawyer where appropriate. Collaborating within the Law and Governance Directorate, you will support the Principal Lawyer by contributing to the continuous improvement of the legal service by providing timely and accurate legal and governance advice. These roles require proactive engagement with various business areas, supporting colleagues, flexibility and ensuring compliance with legal and constitutional processes /procedures.

What will you be doing?

• Support the Principal Solicitor’s in developing the team and business partner responsibilities
• Lead the provision of general legal work and advice of which facilitates the delivery of the Business Area’s services.
• Advise on wider governance issues of relevance to the Business Area including the democratic process and Information Governance.
• Possessing expertise regarding the law relating to the work of the relevant business area, you will be able to provide clear and authoritative advice to colleagues on a day-to-day basis.
• Advise on, draft, review, contracts and other legal documents and partner with the business on the legal implications of their activity.
• Ensure that any external legal services are effectively managed to secure value for money.
• Keep up to date on relevant legal developments, understanding and communicating their implications to the business.
• First point of contact to provide legal advice and guidance for your business area.
• Being an effective member of the business team which you partner and supporting completion of their objectives, plans/programmes of activity and change.
• Ensure that the work of the Authority is supported and that all requirements of lawful decision-making and good governance are satisfied.

About you.

• Qualified solicitor/ barrister with current practicing certificate with demonstrable experience.
• Good understanding of the overall legal issues that affect the organisation as a public authority.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to present legal advice to all levels of the business.
• Good people skills, engaging with problems and issues confronting colleagues and giving them confidence in your advice and solutions.
• Excellent customer service skills, ensuring business areas get the support they need.
• Persuasive and resilient, you may come under pressure to take the business line, including where this conflicts with your view of the legal risks or the governance of the Authority.
• Work as a team and offer support with workload outside direct business support area.
• Ability to integrate with your business unit, understanding their plans, strategy, and interactions with other business departments and with external stakeholders such as suppliers, customers, auditors, regulators.

Skills Matrix

Legal Expertise and Knowledge: Requires advanced knowledge of organisational procedures, legislation, and advanced underlying principles in a specialist area. Developed understanding of the overall legal issues that affect the organisation as a public authority. Extended formal training professional qualification level, combined with practical experience.

Problem-Solving and Mental Skills: Regularly faced with problems requiring resolution, some not covered by existing rules or procedures. Requires creative skills for new solutions, incorporating untried ideas within the sector. Contributes to the development of strategies and policies.

Interpersonal and Communication Skills: Leadership skills required to motivate and train staff. Highly developed advisory, guiding, negotiating, persuasive, and empathic skills, sometimes at a very highly developed level.

Initiative and Independence: Interpret policies and procedures for own work with broad practice or guidelines with general managerial direction.

Responsibility for People: Provide give advice, guidance, or training to other employees, or trainees.

How to apply. 

If you choose to apply for this position, please specify in your cover letter/ supporting statement box which of the two roles you are interested in applying for:

• Governance and Litigation.
• Commercial Contracts for our Education, Skills, Health and Communities.

On clicking ‘apply for this job’, you will first be prompted to create an account. You will have the opportunity to upload a CV, which will be used to auto-populate your profile. Please note, we do not see your CV once you have applied. Our shortlisting decisions are based on what you tell us in your profile - and so it is important to format your profile so that it really stands out. Make sure to include your employment history and include any essential education and qualifications. You will be asked to provide a supporting statement. If you already have one that you have prepared earlier, you can simply copy and paste this into the application form. 

Applicants will need to evidence that they have the legal right to work in the UK.  If we make an offer of employment, we will need to check that you are eligible to work in the UK before you start work. 

Creating an Inclusive Workplace.

West Midlands Combined Authority is dedicated to creating a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace that reflects the communities of the West Midlands region. We recognise that certain groups, such as women and people of colour, may be less likely to apply for roles if they feel they do not meet all the requirements. However, we encourage individuals who are passionate about the role and want to make a difference to still apply. We value potential and encourage applicants to highlight their skills, including transferable ones, even if they don't fit the traditional "perfect candidate" mould.

We gladly consider part-time, flexible, and job share arrangements, so please don't let these factors deter you from applying. If your values align with ours and you are dedicated to working towards a future, we can all be proud of, we would love to hear from you.

Salary and Benefits.

We advertise salary ranges for job roles, with new appointments typically starting at the lowest salary point. In exceptional cases, where higher skill levels or experience are applicable, the salary point may be adjusted to secure the best candidate. This approach allows for potential year-on-year salary increases, offering progression and appropriate rewards to employees.

We offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes a Local Government Pension Scheme, 28 days of paid annual leave, Cycle to Work Scheme, and discounted shopping with over 2,000 big-name retailers. For more details, please visit the benefits page on our careers site.

Location and Working Pattern - what you can expect.

The location for this role is 16 Summer Lane. It is expected that you can split your time between the office and working remotely, with at least 1-2 days each week spent in the office.

About us.

Our vision is to create a better connected, more prosperous, fairer, greener, and healthier region. We aim to achieve this vision by living our values, which include being a partnership organisation, valuing and respecting our people, fostering a can-do attitude, and encouraging innovation. WMCA holds diversity accreditations, such as "Leaders in Diversity," and has been recognized as one of the Inclusive Top 50 Employers and The Times Top 50 Employers for Women. We are also a Disability Confident Employer, committed to interviewing all applicants with disabilities who meet the essential role criteria. WMCA believes that building a team with varied backgrounds and experiences will benefit us as an employer and enhance our work.

Reasonable Adjustments.

If you require any reasonable adjustments or alternative methods for the online application process, please reach out to our Recruitment Team at careers@wmca.org.uk. We are here to assist and accommodate your needs.

Thank you for considering joining our team at WMCA. We look forward to receiving your application and the opportunity to work together towards our shared goals.