£46,731 - £50,788

We have an excellent opportunity for a lawyer to join as a key member of our growing and collaborative in-house legal team, specialising in contracts, procurement & governance work.

In your role as Contracts, Procurement & Governance Lawyer, you'll be one of the city council’s legal experts dealing with high profile commercial projects, involving complex public procurement and contracts, as well as providing governance advice.

You’ll ideally have at least two years’ experience in contracts, procurement and governance work, and by the time of your appointment to the post but no later than 31 March, you’ll be either a solicitor, barrister, legal executive or equivalent.

Milton Keynes has one of the fastest growing economies in the country and an ambitious growth agenda, so you will need to be commercially aware, with an appetite for being busy and the ability to juggle competing priorities.

Main Responsibility

• Provide legal, procurement, commercial and governance advice (including advice on information governance such as GDPR and requests under FOI) on a range of projects from start to finish and ad hoc pieces of advice, including advising on project boards as required.
• Drafting and negotiating a variety of contracts and other agreements, knowledge of standard construction contracts such as the NEC and JCT.
• Advising Members and Officers of the Council at internal panel and committee meetings on relevant areas of law.

The Ideal Candidate

• Qualified Solicitor or Barrister (Supreme Court of England and Wales/English Bar) or Fellow of the Institute of Legal Executives or equivalent, with 2 years’ experience in the relevant area of law.
• Established knowledge of relevant local government law.

Package Description
In addition to your salary, we offer a range of benefits including:

• Great holiday benefits - most roles include 28 days annual leave every year on top of public (bank) holidays, increasing to 32 days after five years. In addition, there is a holiday purchase scheme allowing staff to purchase up to 5 additional days of leave each year.
• Excellent pension – everyone who works for us can join the national Local Government Pension Scheme, widely regarded as one of the best available.
• A full range of family friendly policies including enhanced maternity, adoption and paternity support and a childcare subsidy.
• Access to an award-winning employee benefits programme that includes a health cash plan, a low-cost bike purchase scheme as well as high street discounts and money off entertainment and travel.
• Salary sacrifice car scheme – low-cost leasing of electric and low emission vehicles.
• Blue Light Card - employees working within social care can qualify for an additional range of discounts from national retailers and local businesses.

Our roles are either designated ‘site based’ or ‘home based’. ‘Site based’ roles can include up to two days a week working from home whilst ‘home based’ roles are based at home four days a week.  Of course, managers designate which category roles are in based on the needs of the service and the circumstances.

About The Organisation
Milton Keynes City Council is a large, modern and financially stable employer with around 2,500 people working across our eight areas. Together we provide local residents and businesses with a wide range of important round-the-clock services and aim to make our city a better place to live.

We work hard because of the demands placed on us, like protecting children from harm or preventing homelessness. However, working for the city is always rewarding and everyone has the opportunity to make a real difference.

We’re very proud of our diversity and are committed to having a workforce that reflects the community we serve. Whatever your background, you will be welcome here if you share our values of being dedicated, respectful and collaborative.

We offer great training and support and because of the size and scale of the organisation there are always new opportunities to explore when it’s time for a new role.

If you’d like to know more about how we do things and what matters to us, take a look at our short booklet What makes us Milton Keynes City Council.

Click here for job description

For further information or to apply, please click on the 'Enquire/Apply' button below.

​Closing date: 13 January

Interviews will be held in w/c 20 January