Job title: Procurement & Commercial Solicitor
Hours: 37
Contract: Permanent
Location: Civic Hall, Leeds (Hybrid)
As a Procurement and Commercial Solicitor, you’ll work on projects that shape communities, support growth, and create a lasting impact. This is more than a job – it’s a chance to be part of a team that thrives on innovation and makes a difference every day.
Leeds City Council is one of the largest employers in the region with over 14,000 employees. We seek to recruit and develop talented individuals who embody our Council values and ambitions.
About you
As a Procurement and Commercial Solicitor, you will bring to the role:
* Provision of expert legal advice throughout all stages of procurement and commercial projects.
* Excellent communication skills with the ability to influence and negotiate to form positive relationships.
* The ability to find and implement creative and innovative solutions to complex problems.
* An understanding and practical experience of complex public sector projects and commercial approach from feasibility to service delivery.
About the role
We provide a comprehensive and effective in-house legal service to the Council on all manner of commercial contracts, public procurement, and non-contentious construction matters. The scope and wide variety of the work we get involved with means that no one day is ever the same. It’s something different all the time, which ensures the role is both rewarding and challenging. The Team ensures their knowledge is kept up to date on the ever-changing legal landscape by attending regular training, webinars, and seminars both internally and externally.
Why This Role?
* Diverse and Impactful Work: From drafting contracts and negotiating agreements to advising on major procurements, your work will directly support transformative projects, such as community festivals, major sporting events, and city infrastructure.
* Flexibility That Works for You: With hybrid working and options for part-time or condensed hours, we fit around your life while providing a healthy work-life balance.
* Career Growth: Whether you’re newly qualified or an experienced professional, you’ll be supported to excel in a dynamic, collaborative environment with ongoing development opportunities.
What we offer you
We take pride in offering the best employee experience, with benefits including:
* A competitive salary and annual leave entitlement plus statutory holidays.
* Membership of the West Yorkshire Pension Fund with generous employer contributions.
* Flexible and hybrid working arrangements subject to service requirements.
* A clear career pathway and continuing professional development opportunities.
* A range of staff benefits to help you boost your wellbeing and make your money go further.
How to apply
If this role sounds of interest, please speak to our recruitment partners at Venn Group.
We promote diversity and want a workforce that reflects the population of Leeds. Leeds City Council is recognised in Stonewall’s Workplace Equality Index 2024. We are also an Age-friendly Employer, a Mindful Employer, and a Disability Confident Leader.
All new Leeds City Council appointments are made subject to the satisfactory completion of a six-month probationary period.
This role is based in the UK. Home Office guidance states that candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK prior to commencing employment, either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa.
If you do not have the right to work in the UK, candidates must consider their own eligibility for sponsorship for a particular role through the Skilled Worker route before applying. To be eligible for sponsorship, you'll usually need to be paid the standard salary rate of at least £38,700 per year or meet one of the other eligibility criteria. For more information visit Skilled Worker visa on the government website. Please ensure you are eligible before applying.
Job purpose
Working as part of the team, you will live and model values and behaviours to help us to achieve our ambition to become the Best City council in the country. Your role will be important in ensuring the Council is more enterprising and efficient and ensuring that the authority has in place proper arrangements for the administration and delivery of projects and procurements. The role operates within the context of the Council’s Business Plan Objective to increase efficiency.
The Procurement and Commercial Solicitor will be responsible for the provision of legal advice and legal services (and support in relation to complex public sector procurement schemes leading on matters as directed by the Legal Manager) through all stages of the complex project and/or procurement process including post-close, in order to meet a range of commercial, contractual, statutory, and regulatory undertakings.
The post holder will be responsible for providing leadership, support, and challenge to clients (and other stakeholders and external advisors as appropriate) within multidisciplinary teams to ensure the Council’s business plan is achieved, and advising members and directorates on related commercial activity, supporting a category management approach to procurement.
Further responsibilities also include:
* Supporting and leading commercial/legal workstreams for projects and procurements on behalf of the Council advising, resources from across the Council and its partners, contributing to innovation in project and procurement development.
* Ensuring compliance with and contributing to the updating of the Council’s Contracts Procedure Rules.
* Supporting the interface with finance, technical, and project specific matters.
Responsibilities
* Provide specialist advice and guidance to the Council, external clients, partners, and internal colleagues, on legal aspects of complex procurements and projects at all stages of the project lifecycle, including in relation to feasibility, business case, payment, and performance matters; at each stage contributing to the development of strategy.
* Deliver legal and commercial aspects of the complex public sector projects and initiatives which the Department delivers for internal and external clients and on behalf of the city region, assessing, recommending, and drafting the most appropriate commercial solution and contract. Ensuring due diligence and the development, implementation, management, and monitoring of risk allocation mechanisms which minimise the commercial risk to the Council into and throughout the operational phase.
* Draft and negotiate contracts, agreements, orders, notices, and related documents, ensuring due diligence.
* Support the delivery of local government change programmes involving the transfer of legal and statutory responsibilities.
* Contribute to and lead where appropriate the resolution of any contract disputes relating to projects and procurements, managing any required input from technical, financial, and legal experts including experts in planning, land, and property.
* Contribute to, and lead where appropriate, negotiations and communications on behalf of the Council, the city region, and external clients, with bidding consortia their advisers and their lenders at all stages of the procurement process in respect of legal matters. Participate in assessment of bidders and bid submissions.
* Provide an effective interface with external legal advisers, and where appropriate financial, technical, and insurance advisers, ensuring that the Council’s commercial and service requirements and sensitivities are understood and properly reflected in procurement and contractual arrangements.
* Identify, interpret and advise on risk issues in major projects and complex procurements.
* Lead on the legal workstream of identified projects and procurements, working as a key member of a project team to support the provision of an integrated project management legal support for the delivery of identified projects and procurements. Provide leadership and direction on a matrix management basis to project management staff, technical and commercial colleagues on projects which are assigned to the post.
* Provide legal and commercial advice to procurements at all stages of the project lifecycle, ensuring compliance with statutory, constitutional, and governance requirements, supporting a category management approach.
* Ensure that governance processes are in place which enable decision making on procurement activity which minimises the risk of legal challenges.
* Contribute to the development and delivery of the category plans and identified aspects of the Council’s suite of standard contract terms and conditions, and approach to non-standard conditions, and the advising in respect of the Council’s application and allocation of risk in specific procurements.
* Provide legal advice and support to decision makers in the event of a contract dispute or claim. Instruct and assist counsel on behalf of the authority or its clients if required.
* Deliver training on legal and commercial matters and developments relevant to complex public sector projects and procurements to a range of internal and external practitioners.
* Contribute to the management and business planning of the unit, including the planning and programming of work, liaison with customers, contribution to new business proposals, and continuous service improvement.
* Advise on and ensure compliance with the Council’s governance framework, Contracts Procedure Rules, relevant legislation, and statutory undertakings; and maintain and contribute to the development of quality accreditations where appropriate.
Key Accountabilities
* Deliver legal work and legal and contractual documentation in relation to complex public sector projects and procurement.
* Manage legal and commercial aspects of project and procurement services (and supporting the interface with finance, technical, and project specific matters), ensuring the delivery and improvement of services which meet the needs of our communities.
* Provide advice on project and procurement matters across the authority to the Council’s Elected Members, senior officers, and other stakeholders, including partners, Government, and other key regional and national bodies.
* Contribute to effective joint working within the Council and across the city. Provide direction and support to colleagues, clients, and immediate line reports, creating an organisational culture of shared accountabilities, learning, and continuous improvement.
* Promote new ways of working, partnership working, and long-term relationships with key clients both internal and external to the Council, to improve corporate priority outcomes and to ensure that developments and improvements remain focused on delivering outcomes for local communities.
* Promote and support positive solutions to achieve diversity and equality of opportunity in all aspects of service delivery, community engagement activity, and human resource management.
* Support and lead where appropriate effective consultation and communications with colleagues, clients, Members, partners, and other stakeholders in accordance with Council policies.
* Support open, responsive, and accountable government, ensuring good governance compliance with financial and procurement regulations.
* Manage all aspects of risk and be responsible for the safety of staff, clients, and contractors in accordance with all statutory obligations and relevant health and safety requirements.
The duties outlined are not meant as an exhaustive list and will also comprise any other duties within the spirit of the post commensurate with the job evaluation outcome for this post.
Qualifications
* Solicitor, Barrister, or Chartered Legal Executive (FCILEx), holding or qualified to hold a current practising certificate in England and Wales.
Essential Requirements
Candidates will only be shortlisted if they can demonstrate that they meet all the following essential requirements:
* Ability to present complex information in a clear and concise manner using a variety of presentational formats.
* Ability to find and implement creative and innovative solutions to complex problems.
* Excellent communication skills with the ability to influence and negotiate to form positive relationships.
* Ability to employ a range of management styles which focus on achieving results in terms of outcomes for staff and clients.
* Working knowledge and experience of at least two and knowledge of a third of the following areas of law:
* Contracts and commercial law.
* Public procurement law.
* Local government law.
* Complex commercial projects and/or complex public sector procurement.
* Knowledge of other areas of law relevant to major projects, e.g., employment, pensions, planning, construction, property, education, housing, social services, and waste management.
* Knowledge, understanding, and experience of performance management and programme and project management methodology to drive service improvement.
* Understanding and practical experience of complex public sector projects and commercial approach from feasibility to service delivery.
* Experience of supporting complex commercial projects and/or complex procurement to financial/contractual close.
* Experience of having contributed to the development of Outline and Final Business Cases.
* Experience of leading and supporting legal work streams of complex public sector projects and procurement and associated commercial negotiations.
* Experience of working effectively with others in a multi-discipline environment to deliver cross sector or cross service projects.
* Experience of working with, partnering, and leading negotiations.
* Experience of successful management of legal aspects of change programmes which reflect service needs and provide value for money.
* Experience of delivering a high level of customer satisfaction.
Essential Behavioural & Other Characteristics
* Committed to continuous improvement in all areas and work towards delivering the Best City Ambition of Health & Wellbeing, Inclusive Growth, and Zero Carbon.
* Able to understand and observe Leeds City Council policies and procedures.
* Carry out all duties having regard to an employee’s responsibility under Health, Safety, and Wellbeing regulations.
* Willingness to actively participate in appraisal, training, and development activities to ensure up-to-date knowledge and skills.
* Flexible and adaptable to change to assist other services as required commensurate to grade.
* Be aware of and support difference and ensure equality for all working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding equality & diversity of Leeds City Council.
* Recognise and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism, bullying, harassment, victimisation, and any form of abuse, reporting any concerns to the appropriate person.
* The Council has adopted a flexibility protocol and the role will be expected to work within these parameters.
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