Legal Officer - First North Law
Grade: F-H
Salary: From £26,409 (Grade F) up to £33,366 (Grade H) per annum pro rata
Contract: Permanent full time
Hours: Various – Full and Part time hours (can be discussed further at interview)
Location: County Hall, Northallerton
Are you looking for a career which is rewarding and offers a unique blend of the private and public sector? Come and join our expanding legal team at First North Law.
First North Law is wholly owned by North Yorkshire Council and the successful candidate for this role will be employed by the Authority and enjoy all the benefits of working for the Authority whilst undertaking work in the private sector.
This role sits within a growing team and reports to a First North Law Director whilst being mentored by other members of the team.
Our client base is ever growing and offers a wide variety of opportunities in the following areas:
Construction : drafting, negotiating and supporting a wide range of contracts required for the construction, operation and maintenance of new homes, including advising on contracting strategies, commercial models, performance securities, insolvency risk and the management of disputes.
Governance : managing governance arrangements across client projects for Teckal and non-Teckal clients.
Mergers, acquisitions and organisation restructures : Advising and facilitating on projects, formation of new companies and associated legal documents.
Property and planning : supporting the businesses with a variety of property instructions and planning matters.
Compliance : supporting the business in understanding regulatory compliance obligations and demonstrating best practice in all aspects including GDPR, health & safety and environmental matters.
Day to Day
Working on unique, stimulating and complex matters;
Working closely with public sector lawyers on joint projects between clients and public bodies;
Collaborating and working with external lawyers on complex matters as appropriate;
Reviewing, drafting and participating in the negotiation of contracts, leading the negotiation process where appropriate;
Participating in the management of contracts, dispute avoidance and dispute resolution processes including instructing counsel, legal panel firms and experts;
Working closely with clients to understand their objectives and business needs and to identify current and future legal requirements.
This is a role where work is varied and challenges arise regularly as clients look to develop their own service offering.
The Person
What does working at First North Law involve?
Team Player:
As a growing firm it is imperative that you work with the existing team. Communication:
You should have excellent communication and presentation skills including the ability to communicate complex legal concepts to a range of audiences both verbally and in writing. Self-motivated:
This role provides for the ability to work from home and as such you should be able to work independently, planning and managing matters as required. Organised:
Able to work under pressure to meet deadlines and manage work priorities accordingly, often working on several matters concurrently. Commercially astute:
Commercial acumen that can identify risk, risk mitigations and present suitable options to the business balancing risk and reward. Attention to detail:
Able to demonstrate both attention to detail and the ability to provide highly pragmatic legal advice in the context of an established, commercial, operational business. Flexible:
Flexible approach with a willingness to develop knowledge and skills in different areas of law and provide advice to clients as necessary. Skills Knowledge and Experience Essential Some knowledge of at least one area of law detailed above is required. A greater breadth and depth of knowledge would be required for the top level of the role. A working knowledge of Court procedures and of attending Court if relevant to the portfolio assigned. Demonstrable experience of working in a legal environment. Desirable Experience of working in Local Government or similar public sector organisation. Occupational Skills Essential Ability to communicate effectively in writing to produce documents in a range of formats and styles to suit a range of audiences. Good oral communication skills. An ability to interact positively with colleagues and clients. Ability to produce a representative record of meeting discussions and actions. ICT skills to use case management system and online research. Desirable Familiarity with ICT systems including legal research tools, internet and time costing systems. If you enjoy working in a busy but rewarding environment, where you will be trained and gain experience to support the whole range of legal work carried out by First North Law, we would love to hear from you. The starting salary for this role is £25,119 (Grade F - pay award pending). You will benefit from a supportive management system and ongoing personal development and performance management. The postholder will be based at County Hall, Northallerton. There is also scope to work remotely from home or from another Council building some of the time in line with our Corporate Hybrid Working Policy. As an organisation we strongly believe in promoting a work-life balance, with flexible working opportunities and modern technology you will be able to deliver your role to suit both your personal and our business needs. In return for your hard work and dedication to our service, we can offer you the chance to be part of a strong and supportive team. You will benefit from a variety of competitive employee rewards such as generous leave entitlement and local government pension scheme. You will also benefit from a variety of competitive employee rewards such as generous leave entitlement and local government pension scheme. If you are interested in playing a key part in our Legal Team at First North Law and would like to have an informal conversation, please contact Nigel McCloy at
nigel.mccloy@firstnorthlaw.co.uk
or Gemma Eddon at
geddon@firstnorthlaw.co.uk
to ask any questions or to arrange a suitable time for a discussion about the role. Key dates: Closing date: 12 th
January 2025 Interview date: Week commencing the 20 th
January 2025
#J-18808-Ljbffr
As a growing firm it is imperative that you work with the existing team. Communication:
You should have excellent communication and presentation skills including the ability to communicate complex legal concepts to a range of audiences both verbally and in writing. Self-motivated:
This role provides for the ability to work from home and as such you should be able to work independently, planning and managing matters as required. Organised:
Able to work under pressure to meet deadlines and manage work priorities accordingly, often working on several matters concurrently. Commercially astute:
Commercial acumen that can identify risk, risk mitigations and present suitable options to the business balancing risk and reward. Attention to detail:
Able to demonstrate both attention to detail and the ability to provide highly pragmatic legal advice in the context of an established, commercial, operational business. Flexible:
Flexible approach with a willingness to develop knowledge and skills in different areas of law and provide advice to clients as necessary. Skills Knowledge and Experience Essential Some knowledge of at least one area of law detailed above is required. A greater breadth and depth of knowledge would be required for the top level of the role. A working knowledge of Court procedures and of attending Court if relevant to the portfolio assigned. Demonstrable experience of working in a legal environment. Desirable Experience of working in Local Government or similar public sector organisation. Occupational Skills Essential Ability to communicate effectively in writing to produce documents in a range of formats and styles to suit a range of audiences. Good oral communication skills. An ability to interact positively with colleagues and clients. Ability to produce a representative record of meeting discussions and actions. ICT skills to use case management system and online research. Desirable Familiarity with ICT systems including legal research tools, internet and time costing systems. If you enjoy working in a busy but rewarding environment, where you will be trained and gain experience to support the whole range of legal work carried out by First North Law, we would love to hear from you. The starting salary for this role is £25,119 (Grade F - pay award pending). You will benefit from a supportive management system and ongoing personal development and performance management. The postholder will be based at County Hall, Northallerton. There is also scope to work remotely from home or from another Council building some of the time in line with our Corporate Hybrid Working Policy. As an organisation we strongly believe in promoting a work-life balance, with flexible working opportunities and modern technology you will be able to deliver your role to suit both your personal and our business needs. In return for your hard work and dedication to our service, we can offer you the chance to be part of a strong and supportive team. You will benefit from a variety of competitive employee rewards such as generous leave entitlement and local government pension scheme. You will also benefit from a variety of competitive employee rewards such as generous leave entitlement and local government pension scheme. If you are interested in playing a key part in our Legal Team at First North Law and would like to have an informal conversation, please contact Nigel McCloy at
nigel.mccloy@firstnorthlaw.co.uk
or Gemma Eddon at
geddon@firstnorthlaw.co.uk
to ask any questions or to arrange a suitable time for a discussion about the role. Key dates: Closing date: 12 th
January 2025 Interview date: Week commencing the 20 th
January 2025
#J-18808-Ljbffr
