Contracts and Procurement Lawyer

SOLICITORS/LEGAL EXECUTIVE/BARRISTER (CONTRACTS & PROCUREMENT TEAM) (X1) (FTC - 12 months)

up to £58,865 plus benefits

About the team:

We are an established team of 5 lawyers providing expert advice in contracts and procurement law to our partner Councils.

About the role:

We have one fixed-term vacancy for a qualified legal professional (legal executive, solicitor or barrister), commencing on 08 December 2025 and ending in December 2026 to support our department with a broad range of commercial and contractual matters.

About you:

The Council has a fully flexible working system that includes home/hybrid working, with adaptable working hours subject to meeting our clients' needs. As this is a lawyer /solicitor role the successful candidate will be working in a hybrid manner mixing remote / home working with some regular office attendance required for team and client meetings as well as taking part in a regular in-office Duty Solicitor rota.

You will need to be a practising Solicitor or Barrister with experience and knowledge of contracts / public procurement law. You will need strong inter-personal, drafting, negotiating and advisory skills and competence with IT and case management systems. We value an enabling, positive approach to finding solutions to complex problems and the ability to anticipate and adapt to business and client needs with a good understanding of risk management.

The Team operates in a fast paced, proactive and client focused way with our three Council clients, and you would be part of a highly performing team reporting to the Senior Solicitor (Business Partner) for the contracts and procurement team. We are an outcome-focused service recognised for its dedication to improving the communities in which we live and work and delivering professional excellence.

If you feel you have the necessary background, experience and skills to undertake this role we would like to hear from you. For further information about this role please view the relevant job description on our website.

What we can offer you:

The current salary is up to £58,865.

Here at SCC we have a range of different benefits, a few examples can be found below.

• Excellent local government pension with 16.8% employer contribution
• Death in service benefit of x3 salary, and optional salary sacrifice shared cost AVC (additional voluntary contribution)
• Generous holiday 25-31 days, based on role and service
• Flexible working options (role-dependent)
• Family-friendly policies - Maternity, Paternity, Adoption, Shared/Unpaid Parental Leave, Time off for Dependents
• Training and development, including coaching and mentoring
• Health and wellbeing support - Employee Assistance Programme, Menopause Pledge, Mental Health First Aiders and access to a variety of staff networks
• Veteran-friendly employer with the Armed Forces Covenant
• Retail discounts and savings through the Southampton City Council benefits platform
• Discounted memberships at local sports and fitness centres
• Sustainable travel benefits - low emission car scheme, cycle to work, season ticket loans
• Employee volunteering scheme with 2 paid days leave to volunteer

For further information on our benefits package please visit Employee benefits (southampton.gov.uk).

Additional Information:

• The salary quoted is based on full time hours (37 hours per week).
• Appointment within the grade is negotiable and based on level of experience at appointment.

Contact details for informal discussion:

For further information and details regarding the position please contact either Sofiya Nikolova, Senior Solicitor, on .

Interview Information:

Interviews are scheduled for 17th November 2025 onwards.

Please note that the Council may offer exceptional candidates interviews while the recruitment remains open and reserves the option to appoint before the close of the recruitment period for the right candidate.

Recruitment contact details:

Email: Tel: