Legal Officer

Salary: £40,402-£55,782 per annum

Starting salary reflects qualifications, relevant experience and professional competence under the Council’s pay and grading arrangements.

Location: Civic Centre, Esher, with hybrid working policies. Hours: 36 (full time),

Join Elmbridge Borough Council’s friendly in-house Legal Services team as a versatile Legal Officer, with the opportunity to develop your career during local government reorganisation. You will provide practical legal advice across Council services and help shape the organisation’s response to change.

Working under appropriate supervision, you will manage a varied caseload covering planning, housing, environmental and licensing matters, information governance, and criminal and civil litigation. The role has a strong focus on planning matters. You will assess risks, draft documents, research legal issues, prepare evidence and support colleagues. You may prepare or review committee reports, attend meetings and represent the Council in court proceedings.

About you

You will be a qualified as a Solicitor, Barrister or Chartered Legal Executive/CILEX Lawyer. You will bring relevant practice-area experience, strong legal research and drafting skills, sound judgement, clear communication skills and the ability to manage your allocated caseload with appropriate supervision. You will also have experience in at least two any of the following areas: planning, housing, environmental and licensing matters, ideally within a local government setting.

You must have access to a suitable vehicle, hold a current driving licence and be able to travel for the role and attend evening committee and other meetings as required.

What we offer

Hybrid and flexible working policies; an excellent pension; employee benefits and local discounts; and ongoing learning and development.

Appointment is subject to the applicable pre-employment checks as required.

Ready to make an impact? If you are a collaborative and adaptable legal professional committed to excellent public services, apply now to join our team and help deliver practical legal solutions for Elmbridge’s communities. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and assess candidates fairly.

Show us how you meet the essential requirements and any desirable requirements in the job description and person specification. Your application will be assessed against both, and candidates who best demonstrate the published requirements will be selected for interview. For an informal discussion about the role, call 01372 474198 or email ghealy@elmbridge.gov.uk.

Closing date: 30 November 2026

Interviews: week commencing 14 December 2026

Equal Opportunities

Elmbridge Borough Council - Working for Equality. We welcome applications from all sections of the community. If you require any adjustments to be able to engage in the recruitment process for this role, please let us know by emailing humanresources@elmbridge.gov.uk

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How to Apply

Please note that we do not accept CVs. We only accept online applications. Our applications can take up to 2hrs to complete but we have prepared some guidelines to help you with the application as it’s such an important part of the process.

https://www.elmbridge.gov.uk/blogs/2022/how-ace-local-authority-application-form

To apply use the "Apply Online" button below, which will take you to our Applicant Tracking System ('ATS') where, once you have applied, you can log on to your online account at any time to view the status of any of your applications. By using ATS, you can track the progress of your application(s), receive communications by email, select your own interview time online and see whether you have been made a conditional offer.

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Legal Officer