Shared Head of Legal Services

The primary purpose of this role is to fulfil the statutory function of Monitoring Officer for both Councils.
As the Chief Legal Officer, you will ensure that the Councils comply with legal and regulatory requirements and demonstrate good governance in decision-making. You will provide expert legal and governance advice to ensure that the principles of good decision-making are adhered to and that risks are appropriately managed. Additionally, you will act as Broxbourne's Data Protection Officer and oversee information governance at Epping.

In this role, you will provide high-quality legal advice to Officers and Members of both Councils, ensuring that all actions are lawful and within the terms of the Councils' Constitutions. You will be responsible for maintaining and regularly reviewing the Constitutions of both Councils, attending the Constitution Working Group at Epping Forest District Council, and participating in the Corporate Governance Group for both Councils. As a whistleblower on probity issues, you will handle Code of Conduct complaints for Members, including those from Parish Councils at Epping, and conduct Member training on Code of Conduct and Data Protection Law.

You will manage the Legal Teams at both Councils, including conducting performance reviews and team meetings, and lead, motivate, and develop the teams to achieve Council objectives. Building excellent internal and external working relationships is crucial, as is ensuring that departments receive adequate legal support.

You will provide legal services to Broxbourne's partner housing association, B3 Living, and attend and contribute to Council meetings and external bodies. Additionally, you will act as Clerk to the Hertfordshire Police and Crime Panel for Broxbourne and keep senior management informed of service issues and developments.

Your responsibilities will also include overseeing data protection responsibilities, including GDPR and FOI compliance, and maintaining LEXCEL accreditation standards. You will represent both Councils equally and undertake additional duties as required by senior management.

To be successful in this role, you should have a degree-level education or equivalent and be a qualified Solicitor or Barrister with a current practising certificate. Significant continuous professional development and extensive knowledge and experience in local government law and practice are essential. Specialisation in Town & Country Planning or Contract & Procurement law is advantageous.

You should have a strong understanding of statutory duties and local government services, political awareness, and the ability to work within a political environment.

Excellent analytical, written, and oral communication skills are required, along with experience in leading and managing change and service improvements. You should have financial budget management experience, proven leadership and motivational skills, and strong interpersonal skills. Experience in recruiting, coaching, and managing staff, the ability to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines, and flexibility to work variable hours, including evenings, are also important., Disability Confident
About Disability Confident
A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to Disability Confident.

The Council's benefits package includes generous leave entitlement, a full training and development programme, membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme and free membership to the Council's local leisure centres, which includes free access to gyms, swimming pools, fitness classes, racket sport sessions, a health suite and a range of generous discounts across other leisure and culture services.