Senior Legal Advisor (Commissioner Contracts / Housing)

We have an exciting full-time, permanent opportunity for a Senior Legal Advisor to join our Legal Services Team. A small, dedicated team of Lawyers central to the work of Mencap across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. We work closely with Mencap's Teams and Directorates across the organisation to ensure that they operate safely and securely, and providing advice on complex issues. At Mencap, we offer flexibility about where the role is undertaken. For this role, a presence in Peterborough is preferable where possible, but the individual would be required to attend team meetings in our Peterborough office once a month. Occasionally, it will be necessary to travel nationwide. The Senior Legal Advisor will provide high quality commercial contract drafting; advice and assistance to support Mencap's Personal Support (PS) Service Teams with the tendering and contracting process; working with different Commissioning Authorities of Social Care Services; and with the provision of suitable housing agreements The Senior Legal Advisor will be required to review the tenders and contract terms in relation to the majority of PS contracts in Mencap, some of which are multi million pound framework agreements, and put in place Direct Funding Contracts. In relation to Housing arrangements, the candidate will review and advise on Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and Housing Management Agreements (HMAs) with Housing Associations and other Housing Providers., We work in partnership with people with a learning disability, and all our services support people to live life as they choose. Everyone wants a purposeful job - to do something meaningful. At Mencap, we can give you that. You will have opportunities to develop as a person, colleague, leader and activist. We want to make you feel inspired to reach your potential. Our work includes;

• providing high-quality, flexible services that allow people to live as independently as possible in a place they choose
• providing advice through our help lines and web sites
• campaigning for the changes that people with a learning disability want
  
  For this role you would need to be a Solicitor or Barrister qualified to practise in England (or comparable jurisdiction) preferably holding a practising certificate. Previous in-house experience would be viewed positively.
Essential key skills, experience & abilities required for this role:
• 5+ years PQE and experience in commercial contract law,
• Excellent drafting and negotiation skills
• Solid awareness of GDPR provisions
• Experience and good technical expertise with Commissioner contracts and in a similar role would be beneficial
• Experience and good technical expertise with social housing provider agreements (SLAs and HMAs) would be beneficial
• Analytical thinker and problem-solving skills.
• Confident and effective communicator across all levels and understand how to share insights with stakeholders.
• Excellent time management and communication skills and strong collaborator
• Dynamic self-starter with a sound ability to manage your own
• Commercially pragmatic, able to succinctly evaluate complex issues and deliver clear, focused advice
  
  As well as knowing that what we do is making a positive difference to people's lives, you will receive fair pay and have access to a wide range of rewards and benefits as one of our employees.
• 32 days holiday (including bank holidays) increasing to 35 days with long service plus the ability to buy up to another 10 days via our HolidayPlus scheme
• Service related sick pay when 6 month probation is completed
• Eligibility to join Mencap Pension Plan where Mencap matches contributions up to 5% on a salary sacrifice basis meaning NI savings. If you don't join the Plan you start, you will be auto-enrolled after three months with us.
• Membership of Mencap Pension Plan to include up to 3 times salary death in service live cover AND Income Protection of 50% salary to be triggered at 26 weeks of long term sickness
• Loans for debt consolidation, bikes, computers and phones when you have been with us for 6 months
• Interest free season ticket loans
• Discounts and cashback from 3% to 30% at high street shops including major super markets, cinemas, gyms, leisure/theme parks, holidays and much more via Mencap Extras
• Opportunity to purchase a health cash plan to claim towards dental, glasses, therapy etc.
• Free access to round the clock employee assistance program for advice and support
• Quarterly award scheme and recognition at every 5 years through our YouRock program
• Access to award winning training and development