Summary: As a Senior Legal Officer – Contracts, you will provide strategic legal advice on complex contractual matters to support the Council's major commercial projects. Your role includes drafting and negotiating high-value contracts, representing the Legal Service in key meetings, and delivering legal training to enhance internal capabilities. This position is a 3-month interim assignment based in Doncaster with a hybrid working arrangement.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide strategic legal and commercial advice on complex contractual matters to senior officers and elected members, supporting sound and lawful decision-making.
• Draft, negotiate, and review high-value and complex contracts, including construction, services, and grant agreements, ensuring legal compliance and timely project delivery.
• Represent the Legal Service in key meetings and deputise for senior colleagues, offering consistent commercial legal support across the organisation.
• Lead on maintaining professional standards, promoting best practice in contract law and contributing to the delivery of a forward-looking legal service.
• Design and deliver targeted legal training on contractual and commercial issues to colleagues, officers, and elected members to build internal capability.

Key Skills:

• Qualified and admitted as a Solicitor, or called as a Barrister or CILEx Lawyer.
• Significant knowledge and experience of Contract and Commercial matters and a good understanding of complimentary law.
• Knowledge and understanding of Local Government Law, the legislative framework within Local Government and issues relevant to the service responsibilities.
• Thorough understanding of current Procurement legislation and subsidy legislation.
• Good understanding of construction contracts (NEC/JCT).
• Considerable previous experience advising on significant commercial projects.
• Substantial post qualification experience.
• High standard of drafting, negotiating, presentation, communication and personal organisation skills.

Salary (Rate): 42.55

City: Doncaster

Country: United Kingdom

Working Arrangements: hybrid

IR35 Status: inside IR35

Seniority Level: Senior

Industry: Legal