Head of Legal

Job title: Head of Service - Legal

Salary: £79,939 to £87,722

Hours: 37

Contract: Permanent

Location: Leeds

As a Head of Legal Services at Leeds City Council, you will be an influential leader who relishes the opportunity to ensure we achieve our ambition to be the best local authority In house legal team in the UK and contribute to bringing real improvement to the lives of people in Leeds.

You will have extensive local government experience and expertise in at least one relevant area of law, although more would be preferable, and you will work closely with our specialist Section Heads and Team Leaders who have extensive knowledge and experience in their fields.

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.

Leeds is recognised as the leading legal centre in the UK outside London. At Leeds City Council we have a culture of excellence and are continually striving to drive up standards. We are continuing to build on the recommendations of a positive Peer Review in November 2022 to help to us deliver our Leeds Ambitions.

In Legal Services, we are proud to reflect the diversity of Leeds and to be a welcoming and inclusive team with a positive, healthy workplace culture where everyone can be their best. Our Lexcel accreditation provides external validation of the quality and standards of our Service.

About The Role

Joining Leeds City Council Legal Service as Head of Service you will develop a rewarding career at the heart of the organisation.

You will support the City Solicitor in developing and delivering the strategic direction, vision and shared culture of Legal, Democratic and Information Governance, which contributes to the achievement of the council vision, values and strategic outcomes.

With leadership accountability, you will be responsible, together with senior managers, for approximately 120 staff and a net managed budget of up to £3.6 million, but with a much wider influence and impact across the organisation and the city.

You will ensure the effective and efficient delivery of the legal professional work of Legal Services, with direct management responsibility for two or more sections and will undertake a personal caseload of legal professional work.

About You

Committed to continuous improvement, you will have the drive and determination to progress initiatives that will benefit the council and city. As a natural collaborator, you will build positive relationships with the widest range of partners and colleagues to deliver council priorities. You will use sound judgement to take a lead on a range of sensitive and strategic issues.

You will come with fresh thinking, energy and compassion for people, be willing to innovate, challenge and drive improved performance. You will be able to apply your knowledge, skills and judgement within a large and complex organisation and must be politically astute, values-driven and outcome focussed.

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

For further information, please request a candidate information pack by emailing [email protected].

How To Apply

Please email [email protected] with your CV and a personal statement of no more than 500 words stating how you meet the requirements of the role.

Please note, interviews will take place w/c 22nd September 2025.

Appointing above the minimum salary point will be considered only in exceptional circumstances.

If you like an informal chat about the role, please contact Catherine Witham, City Solicitor at [email protected] or Nicole Walker, Head of Service at [email protected].

We welcome applications from everyone and actively seek a diverse range of applicants from all backgrounds and cultures. We particularly encourage applications from, but not limited to, women, carers, veterans as well as LGBT+, ethnically diverse, disabled and care experienced people.

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, you must consider your own eligibility for sponsorship for a particular role through the Skilled Worker visa route before applying. To be eligible for sponsorship you'll usually need to be paid the standard salary rate of at least £41,700 per year or meet one of the other eligibility criteria. Ensure you are eligible before applying.