Head of Legal Services

Description

Bury is a borough like no other in Greater Manchester. A place that blends rural character with a vibrant urban centre, shaped by exciting regeneration, diverse communities and a strong sense of identity. Our LET’s Do It approach underpins a practical, ambitious and focused drive to improve outcomes for our residents.

We are looking for an ambitious leader to join our high-performing Legal Services team, working closely with colleagues and engaging with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders. As Head of Legal Services, you will be a key strategic voice within the departmental leadership team, overseeing the delivery of high‑quality legal advice at the heart of Council decision making. You will also deputise for the Borough Solicitor/Monitoring Officer, helping to shape the Council’s legal position, strengthen governance, and support confident and robust decision‑making.

Leading a team of around 40 individuals, including qualified lawyers, legal executives and colleagues progressing through professional qualification routes, you will continue our commitment to developing talent and building a strong, supportive service. Your focus will be on developing people and ensuring a consistent, proactive and high‑quality legal offer, capable of responding to a fast‑paced and varied workload. Whilst we are open‑minded about your specific areas of legal expertise, what matters most is your ability to lead, motivate and grow the team. You will champion strong practice in case management, time recording and responsiveness, while providing assured leadership to the Chief Executive, Directors and Members, ensuring legal advice is clearly heard and acted upon.

We are seeking a qualified solicitor or barrister with significant PQE and strong local government legal experience. You will bring credibility and confidence as a leader, able to manage workload pressures, handle escalation points effectively and know when to seek support. You will be proactive in supporting complex decision making, influencing outcomes and enabling sound governance. Importantly, you will bring fresh ideas and a commitment to our LET’s Do It approach, helping shape a legal service that delivers real impact for Bury’s residents and communities.

To view the job description and person specification, please scroll to the bottom of the page, tick to agree to the privacy policy, then click 'Continue to full details'.