Solicitor/Lawyer 2 (Contracts Team)

Join Oxfordshire County Council’s legal service on an exciting journey of transformation and re-shaping. We have re-designed and created a brand-new legal team structure to ensure our legal services can deliver for the future, now. Our new structure has multiple entry routes, clear career progression and career graded pay so you can make the most of your career and development, whilst working for the common good of our communities. Our Residents are at the heart of everything we do and our approach to supporting them must be as diverse as they are.
We are looking for an enthusiastic and motivated commercial contracts lawyer to join our Contracts & Conveyancing Team. You will provide legal advice and guidance on a wide range of commercial contracts (including construction contracts) and procurement related matters.
As part of the team..
Our Solicitors are a crucial part of our in-house legal team and will provide high quality legal advice, supporting council directorates and corporate services with proactive legal advice and collaborative working to meet our customer and community needs. With our new structure, our Solicitor roles consist of 2 levels, and are career graded which will allow you to develop and progress your career with Oxfordshire County Council.
*Represent Legal Services and the Council on relevant internal and external boards and partnership bodies.
*Support the commissioning and organisation of external or internal resources appropriately to ensure that high quality, best value legal services are provided to the Council.
*Proactively manage risks and opportunities in the best interest of the Council, promptly escalating issues of concern to the Senior Lawyer and Principal Solicitor.
*Proactively work with internal clients to develop their knowledge, skills and business processes and promote a positive culture of continuous improvement in the best interests of the Council
*Deputise as necessary for the Senior Lawyers
*Hold a varied and complex case load with minimal supervision
*Support junior legal colleagues in their work and role modelling the quality of legal work required.
Working Arrangements
This role will be based at our County Hall Offices one day per week, and any additional days as required for meetings etc. but we don’t expect this to be prescriptive.
About you
We would like to hear from you if you have...
Solicitor 2
*Solicitor/CILEX lawyer/barrister with significant experience in subject area and matching core competencies Solicitor 2 (Legal Services Core Competency Framework).
In addition to the above qualifications, you will also;
*Have excellent knowledge and understanding of relevant areas of law and practice; ability to research quickly in unknown areas of law, learn new areas of law and make a professional judgement and provide accurate and definitive advice.
*Have experience working within a legal practice/in house legal department.
Selection Criteria/Person Specification
Essential Criteria
• A command of written and spoken English which is appropriate for the effective performance of the role ability to produce high quality, accurate work to deadlines.
• Demonstrate strong and effective communication and strong interpersonal skills.
• Work effectively as an individual on own initiative and as a member of a team and with staff at all levels within the Service, Directorate, Council, and other organisations.
• Demonstrate strong effective organisational skills and to manage and prioritise own workload producing and administering correspondence and documentation to a very high standard.
• Ability to follow and work to standard office procedures, Microsoft applications and databases and familiarisation with Case Management Systems and/or data entry, including demonstrating accurate keyboard skills.
• Demonstrate confidentiality required to handle complex and sensitive legal
matters.
• Manage own caseload with limited supervision and working to deadlines and under pressure and demonstrating ability to think logically and innovatively to solve problems.
• Excellent knowledge and understanding of relevant areas of law and practice; ability to research quickly in unknown areas of law, learn new areas of law and make a professional judgement and provide accurate and definitive advice.
• Demonstrate concise and assertive communication skills and negotiation skills, both oral and written excellent drafting skills, including ability to communicate with people at all levels including management, officers, councillors, members of the public and court officers.
• Experience of Criminal Litigation/Civil Litigation/Advocacy/Planning/Environment and Highways/Adult Social Care/Children Social Care/Education as required by role.
• Experience working within a legal practice/in-house legal department.

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