Governance Solicitor

Employer: West Lancashire Borough Council

Location: Ormskirk / Hybrid, with travel to other locations required

We are seeking an experienced and strategic legal professional to join our Legal & Democratic Services team, playing a pivotal role in ensuring the Council operates within a strong and effective governance framework.

Reporting to the Director of Law & Governance (Monitoring Officer) and working closely with the Deputy Monitoring Officer, you will provide high-quality, proactive and solutions-focused legal advice across a wide range of governance, constitutional and public law matters. This is a key opportunity to work at the centre of decision-making in local government, supporting transparency, accountability and the delivery of corporate priorities.

Please note that this role will involve attending Committee meetings sometimes after working hours, so the ability to commute during the week will be important.

You will play a central role in maintaining high standards of governance, supporting effective decision-making, and ensuring the Council meets its statutory and ethical obligations. In brief the role will involve:

• Supporting the Monitoring Officer and Deputy Monitoring Officer in fulfilling their statutory duties, including standards, ethical governance, whistleblowing and information governance
• Providing expert legal advice on constitutional matters, decision-making processes and governance frameworks, ensuring compliance with legislation and best practice
• Attending and advising at Council, Committees and senior leadership meetings, shaping key decisions and ensuring robust legal oversight
• Reviewing and advising on committee reports, delegated decisions and governance documentation, ensuring legal accuracy and transparency
• Leading on standards and regulatory complaints, including investigations and outcomes
• Managing a varied caseload covering governance, litigation, housing, licensing and other local authority matters
• Contributing to Local Government Reorganisation, providing strategic legal input on structural and constitutional change
• Supporting the development and maintenance of the Council's Constitution and Schemes of Delegation
• Providing strategic advice on equality duties and ensure compliance with the Public Sector Equality Duty in decision-making
• Working closely with senior officers, elected Members and external partners, building trusted and effective working relationships
• Contributing to risk management and provide strategic legal insight across Council services

You will be a confident and experienced legal professional with strong expertise in governance and public law within a local government or similarly complex environment. You will bring:

• Qualification as a Solicitor or Barrister with substantial post qualification experience, ideally within local government
• Strong technical knowledge of governance, public law and local authority legislation
• Experience supporting Monitoring Officer functions or working on standards, constitutional or information governance matters
• Proven experience advising senior officers and elected Members on complex and sensitive issues
• Advocacy experience and the ability to manage complex litigation where required
• Excellent organisational skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and deliver high quality work under pressure
• Strong interpersonal and influencing skills, with the ability to build credibility across all levels of the organisation
• A strategic mindset with sound judgement, analytical thinking and attention to detail
• Experience contributing to corporate leadership, policy development and organisational change initiatives

Interview Dates: Thursday 13th and Friday 14th August