Head of Legal Services and Monitoring Officer

Are you an ambitious lawyer looking for your next challenge?

Epsom & Ewell Borough Council is a progressive authority that lies within easy reach of London in the leafy heart of Surrey.  We may be small in size but our ambitions couldn’t be greater.  We are deeply committed to continuous improvement and great customer service across all our activities.

We are looking for a lawyer with the confidence and experience to be the council’s Monitoring Officer, member of the Corporate Management Team and to lead the legal service, democratic services and elections teams, providing vision and direction to bring about real and lasting improvements across the board.

For the right person, this is a superb opportunity to broaden your experience and enhance your skills. The role is not about process and risk aversion; it will require a much more sophisticated approach of being at the heart of all of our business.  You will be a qualified solicitor or barrister at law ideally with experience of local government legal work, especially in planning, property and contract management.  A strong, inspirational, hands-on leader, you’ll have the resolve, flexibility and political awareness to bring further success to our organisation.

You should be able to demonstrate senior leadership success within a local authority or other complex organisation; have a proven track record of providing proactive, expert, timely and authoritative legal advice and support to senior members and stakeholders and be a highly effective communicator, influencer and negotiator.

If you’re interested in joining a highly committed professional team, please apply online at www.epsom-ewell.gov.uk/careers.

For informal enquiries, please contact Andrew Bircher on 01372 732224.

This post is subject to a Basic DBS check. This means that you will be asked to provide certain original documentary evidence with regards to your identity, nationality and immigration status, and employment history. You will also be required to declare any unspent convictions and apply for a Basic Disclosure Certificate via the Disclosure & Barring Service.

The appointment of the Monitoring officer element of the role will be subject to approval by nominated Councillors.

Closing date: 28 November 2022

First Interviews and assessments: 14 December 2022

Diversity statement
At Epsom & Ewell Borough Council, we are passionate about maintaining an inclusive workplace for all that reflects the communities we serve.