Public Law Jobs: Director of Legal and Democratic Services Director of Legal and Democratic Services

Director of Legal and Democratic Services

col-narrow-left

Job ID:

38636

Practice Area(s):

Generalist, Governance, Management

Location:

Yorkshire, Yorkshire

Role:

Director, Deputy Director, Head of Department, Principal, Qualified Lawyer

col-narrow-right

Posted:

12.03.2026

Employer type:

Local Authority

Salary:

80+

Salary Type:

per hour

col-wide

Job Description:

Director Of Legal And Democratic Services

East Riding of Yorkshire (Local Authority role)

6 month contract initially

Rate negotiable - Indicate rate sought

37 hours per week

Overall Purpose:

To lead a modern and effective Legal and Democratic service and act as the Council’s Statutory Monitoring Officer in a large Unitary Council. As a member of the Corporate and Senior Leadership Teams, shape a high performing, inclusive and forward‑performing, inclusive and forward-looking Council. Provide visible leadership that strengthens governance, constitutional integrity and organisational resilience while supporting delivery of corporate priorities and community outcomes.

Principal Accountabilities:

Lead a modern and efficient Legal and Democratic service, aligning service strategy with corporate objectives, developing clear annual and medium‑term plans that ensure resources, capacity and priorities meet organisational requirements.
Act as the Council’s Statutory Monitoring Officer pursuant to Section 5 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989
Safeguard the Council’s interests by providing strategic legal oversight of standards, constitutional matters, corporate assurance and organisational integrity including advice and support to the Council, Chief Officers and Elected Members on sensitive and complex legal issues.
Ensure effective delivery of elections and electoral services and act as Deputy to the Electoral Registration Officer and Returning Officer when required
Fulfil the role of the Council’s Senior Information Risk Owner (SIRO) pursuant to the Data Security and Protection Toolkit and the Senior Responsible Officer pursuant to the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) strengthening risk management, compliance and stewardship
Represent and promote the Council on all Legal and Democratic services matters locally, regionally and nationally fostering strong relationships with professional bodies, partners and the Hull and East Yorkshire Combined Authority.
Contribute to the leadership of the Council via membership of the Council’s Corporate Leadership Team and Senior Leadership Team, promoting organisational cultural change aligned to the ‘One Council, One Team’ approach
Play an active and collegiate role as a member of the Directorate Leadership Team and represent the Chief Operating Officer on all areas pertaining to Legal and Democratic Services and other Directorate wide matters as required
Ensure Legal and Democratic Services support service redesign, digital innovation and transformation programmes contributing to the Council’s People Strategy, Blended Working Policy, Business Plan and Financial Plan
Be accountable for achieving the service objectives, standards, performance measures and activity targets for Legal and Democratic Services. Evaluating risk and adapting strategic plans to meet emerging challenges or opportunities
Inspire, motivate and develop leaders and staff across Legal and Democratic Services, creating a learning culture that supports high performance, empowerment, innovation and talent attraction
Champion continuous improvement, innovation and efficient resource management including all budget responsibilities for the Service

Essential Criteria:

Qualified solicitor/barrister/CILEX lawyer without conditions or limitations imposed by their regulator, required to fulfil the Council’s Statutory Monitoring Officer (Section 5 LGHA 1989) functions and providing authoritative advice on complex legal and constitutional matters
Extensive senior‑level leadership experience, including leading and delivering multiple complex services, providing strategic legal oversight of governance, standards, constitutional integrity and organisational compliance.
Experience of commissioning/providing legal advice on complex issues with sound evidence‑based judgement, risk assessment and accountability for high‑impact decisions.
Proven ability to set service strategy, develop annual and medium‑term plans, and align resources to corporate objectives.
Knowledge of and commitment to the Council’s vision, priorities and values.
Highly developed strategic leadership and people‑management skills, with the ability to inspire, motivate and develop leaders and staff, foster an empowering high‑performance culture and build high performing teams.
Demonstratable experience in reshaping legal teams and service models, using contemporary legal technologies, effective process design and intelligent automation to modernise legal and governance services and drive productivity and efficiency.
A strong collaborator who can develop productive relationships with senior stakeholders with a successful track record of working in partnership.
Appetite for and ability to work in a political environment.
Strong communication skills (written and oral), with high attention to detail, and the ability to absorb complexity and convey simplicity.

If you have any questions about this role or wish to apply, please contact isobel@deekay.co.uk who will respond at the earliest convenience.

Employer Info

Deekay Recruitment
United Kingdom

Employer Profile