£47,472 - £55,850 per annum

Essex Legal Services (ELS) is part of Essex County Council (ECC) and offers flexible working practices in line with ECC’s policy including hybrid working – in all cases this is offered in line with business needs. We will expect you to attend our Chelmsford offices approximately 2-3 days per week.

We are currently recruiting for a Criminal and Enforcement Lawyer to be part of a specialist Criminal and Enforcement law section within the Dispute Resolution and Employment Law Team. You will work closely with colleagues carrying out high quality criminal and enforcement work for both internal and external clients to ensure the delivery of a high performing, client facing legal service which proactively embraces change.

Essex County Council (ECC) is a diverse and large organisation that strives for excellence and delivers an outstanding service for residents across Essex. As the in-house legal service, ELS prides itself on providing a comprehensive legal service to the Council – most of our work is done in-house. We pride ourselves on valuing the people who work for us and provide a supportive working environment, where people work hard to do their best for Essex. 

We’re looking for someone to join a great team, who has with excellent technical legal skills and relevant experience who can quickly pick things up. You will be a qualified solicitor / lawyer, or Chartered Legal Executive, and be a member of the appropriate professional body.

As part of a specialist legal team, you will provide advice and guidance to clients both in house including work for Essex Trading Standards and Essex Highways and to external public body clients. The work is interesting and rewarding and underpins effective decision making, performance management and ensuring statutory requirements are met. This is a brilliant opportunity for the right person to develop their criminal and enforcement legal skills and experience and build strong relationships with internal and external partners.

The Role

The successful post holder will be responsible for the delivery of all aspects of legal advice within the Criminal and Enforcement Section, where you will be expected to build strong relationships with internal and external partners. This position will be fast-paced and it is therefore imperative you are highly motivated and confident in handling a full caseload consisting of both contentious and non-contentious criminal and enforcement matters including, but not limited to, the following:

• Fraud and Fraudulent Trading cases
• Consumer Protection prosecutions
• Planning and Environmental Enforcement Prosecutions
• Highways Enforcement Notices and Prosecutions

Job Purpose

As a qualified criminal and enforcement lawyer you will join a team that prides itself on the provision of high-quality advice, information, analysis and interpretation to clients that underpin effective decision making, meaningful performance management and meets statutory requirements.

Achieving good client service and making a real and demonstrable difference to the delivery of ELS’ business and the business of our clients is core to our ethos.

You will be involved in potentially high profile and ground-breaking criminal and enforcement matters and will advise clients on all aspects of criminal and enforcement law issues in demanding circumstances which will at times have far reaching consequences.

The successful applicant will be a qualified solicitor, barrister or Chartered Legal Executive ideally with a minimum of 2 years’ post-qualification (although qualified solicitors, barristers or Chartered Legal Executives with less than 2 years’ post qualification will also be considered) and a member of the appropriate professional body. The post holder must have significant commercial awareness to contribute to the development of new external streams of business and the ability to build excellent working relationships. This role is working within the Dispute Resolution and Employment Law Team.

Accountabilities

As part of the Essex Legal Services’ Dispute Resolution and Employment Law team, the post-holder will be responsible and accountable for:

• Providing timely and accurate legal advice across the Council and to external clients, including constructively challenging and exploring alternative options where appropriate to produce the best possible outcomes.
• Delivering outcomes against the business plan for legal services, which supports and drives the Council’s wider Organisation Strategy and vision.
• Acting as a legal practitioner and advocate providing specialist advice, professional consultation and support to colleagues (where appropriate) within your team.
• Understanding client needs and providing them with a service they value; driving the delivery of productivity and efficiency improvement.
• Maintaining and actively progressing a full and varied caseload.
• Supporting the development of current and future business opportunities, to promote the Essex Legal Services’ vision to the external market.
• Building strong working relationships across the team, the Council, schools, other local authorities and the private sector to ensure a quality advice service is provided to the customer.
• Understanding and performing delegated functions as detailed in the Council’s constitution (and as amended from time to time).
• Specific individual and shared targets and objectives that are defined annually within the performance management framework.

The Experience You Will Bring

• Qualified solicitor/barrister or Chartered Legal Executive with current membership of the Law Society or Bar Standards Board or Cilex.
• Evidence of continuing professional development, 2 years post-qualified experience and expert knowledge in relevant professional area (although lawyers with less post-qualified experience will be considered).
• Experience of working within a legal setting in a politically sensitive environment, providing high-quality advice to a wide range of clients.
• Experience advising at all stages of the criminal investigation process including pre-charge, reviewing evidence, assessing suitable legislation and drafting charges.
• Experience running criminal cases from laying the Information’s through to sentencing demonstrating attention to detail at every stage.
• Experience acting as the reviewing lawyer on criminal matters.
• Experience drafting and serving formal Enforcement
• Some Advocacy experience in the Magistrates court would be an advantage though not essential.
• Experience instructing and liaising with Counsel.
• Commercial awareness with sufficient professional credibility to maintain the existing client base.
• Ability to work and think independently while maintaining focus on delivering team and corporate objectives.
• Proven track record of building strong working relationships across a large, complex organisation and with internal and external partners/stakeholders and clients.
• Ability to provide clear and succinct advice on complex matters to both the client base and junior colleagues.
• A strong focus on outcomes to achieve strategic objectives.

Why Essex? 

Essex County Council has a location to be proud of. Our 1,300 square miles stretch from Constable Country to the Thames Estuary, from the dynamic M11 corridor to the traditional seaside resorts of Clacton and Walton. England’s oldest town, Colchester, and two of its newest – Basildon and Harlow – are right here. Along with the City of Chelmsford, the county town, they form our major population centres. It means real choice and makes Essex the ideal place for your career.

Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We’re committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process.

We’re also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.

As part of employment with Essex County Council (ECC) should your role require a DBS check you will be required to register with the DBS update service. The DBS update service ensures all registered DBS certificates are kept up to date and allows authorised parties to view the status of your certificate. This is an annual subscription, and you will be responsible for ensuring this is maintained.

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

Closing date: 2 October 2024

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