£70,210 – £77,020 per annum

As a Section Head you’ll be part of the leadership team of a large Lexcel-accredited Legal Service and you will thrive on leading a group of dynamic and talented lawyers to deliver high quality legal services to the Council. 

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 and ambitions.

About You
As a Section Head, you will bring to the role:

• Extensive post-qualification experience as a qualified solicitor, barrister with practising rights or FCILEx in one or more of the following areas of law:
  • Adult Social Care
  • Antisocial Behaviour
  • Education
  • Employment
  • Licensing
  • Prosecutions
• Strong leadership and management skills to maintain a high-performance culture across the Section and the wider Service
• The communication skills necessary to develop and maintain effective and collaborative working relationships with a range of internal and external stakeholders and partners
• A willingness to be innovative and take a problem-solving approach to legal challenges
• The interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence to unlock the potential of everyone in the Section

About the role 
As our next Section Head you will play a key role in a number of ways. You will provide leadership to a diverse Legal Section, covering several areas of law which are essential to the wider Council: Adult Social Care, Antisocial Behaviour, Education, Employment, Licensing and Prosecutions. Supported by two Team Leaders, you will take the strategic lead on two or more of these areas alongside overall management responsibility for the Section. In addition to your leadership role you will undertake a case load of legally complex, high-profile and/or high-value matters. This is an opportunity to get involved with advising on issues that affect not only the wider Council but the entire city. 

The role is integral to our Legal Services Management Team. You will not only be responsible for the Licensing Communities & Corporate Legal Section, but alongside the other Section Heads you will have the opportunity to lead on Service-wide projects and support the Heads of Service to deliver service improvement, transformational change and a high-performance forward thinking culture.

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

How to apply
Please upload your CV and complete a personal statement of no more than 500 words. 

If you have any queries or would like an informal chat about the role please contact Kev Shillitto, Head of Service, on 0113 3784193 r by email at Kevin.Shillitto@leeds.gov.uk.

Interviews are provisionally planned to take place w/c 16th February or 23rd February. 

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. Please ensure you are eligible before applying.

Closing date: 8 February 2026
Interviews: 16 February or 23 February 2026

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