Job Introduction
Governance Lawyer
Salary - £52,413 - £56,730 (Grade 8)
Hours - 37 hours per week
Contract type - full time, permanent
**Previous applicants need not apply**
Qualified solicitor or barrister or relevant chartered status of a professional body or equivalent high-level experience of involved practices.
This is an excellent opportunity to join a supportive and high‑performing in‑house Governance Team. You will be required to provide support to the Deputy Director of Governance on constitutional and governance matters. You will also provide legal advice to other clients to both internal and external client departments across a wide range of governance-related areas, working closely with the Monitoring/Deputy Monitoring Officer to ensure that decisions are made lawfully and accordance with both legislation and the Council’s internal rules.
You will be required to provide complex legal and procedural advice to Members, Senior Officers, Committees, external partners and other stakeholders. This will include advising on the Council’s Constitution, regulatory framework, decision‑making processes, statutory powers and duties. You will also be required to support the Monitoring Officer on matters relating to Councillors Code of Conduct including investigations and determinations.
You will be a qualified solicitor or barrister with significant experience, ideally with a strong background in local government law, public law, governance, information governance, and decision‑making procedures. Experience advising on constitutional issues, committee governance, and the legal framework underpinning local authority functions will be particularly valuable.
You will be well‑versed in interpreting and applying complex legislation, including administrative and public law principles, local government legislation, and relevant procedural regulations. You will also be experienced in drafting, reviewing and amending governance documents, including constitutional provisions, schemes of delegation, protocols, codes of conduct and report‑writing guidance.
You will undertake detailed legal research and analysis, applying sound judgment to resolve complex governance issues. Collaborative working with Members, Senior Officers, Committees, external partners and other stakeholders will be central to providing practical, clear and effective governance solutions. You will engage in varied, often sensitive, high‑profile work within a supportive team committed to strong governance and professional development.
This post is subject to a satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.
For further information or an informal chat please contact Shamsher Zada on 01902 552454 or email at [email protected]
For full details of the responsibilities and requirements of this role please see the attached Job Description and Person Specification.
NJC Pay Award for 2026 / 2027:
The annual pay increases for 2026/27 for NJC Local Government Employees are currently being negotiated and, once agreed, will be effective from 1 April 2026.
Our working arrangements
All council roles are allocated to either a fixed, field or flexible work style. Some roles are agile which enable and empower employees to maximise their performance and productivity, whilst maintaining a healthy work life balance. Roles with a fixed workstyle work in a fixed permanent council location. Roles with a field workstyle are usually allocated where employees are required to be out working in the community with a minimum requirement for 'touch down' space at any council location. Roles with a flexible workstyle have a flexible base location to meet the needs of the business and employees can work from a mixture of home or any council office, partner/client, or external location, as required to meet service requirements.
Please refer to the Job Description for further information on the workstyle assigned to the role you are applying for.
For more information about working for our organisation including the culture of the Council, the Council plan and vision, staff equality forums, core HR policies, employee benefits and much more please click here.
Diversity
We are committed to building a workforce that is reflective of the diverse community we serve. We want to attract the best applications from people of all backgrounds and underrepresented groups because we strongly believe in adding value through diversity, inclusion, and equality. Our employees enable us to deliver services that are accessible, inclusive, and reflective of Wolverhampton residents.
Our status as a Disability Confident Employer showcases our commitment to people with disabilities or health conditions, advocating for their opportunities and potential.
We've received the Stonewall Gold Award, emphasising our dedication to the LGBT+ community by nurturing an inspiring, inclusive, and equal workplace.
As part of our commitment as a Disability Confident employer, a Gold Award Armed Forces employer and our commitment to supporting care leavers - we offer a guaranteed interview as long as your application meets the essential criteria for the post.
We encourage, inspire and value an inclusive culture here at the council where employees can flourish, thrive and be themselves. We have four staff equality forums for employees to join. These help to ensure our employees have a voice, they feel empowered to speak up and where everyone is treated with respect - Learn more about the staff equality forums here
Recruitment of Ex-Offenders
We are committed to the fair treatment of all our employees, potential employees, or users of our service regardless of offending background. The Council uses the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) for any vacancies that require a DBS check to obtain information about applicants to assess their suitability for employment in positions of trust. We do not discriminate unfairly against any individual on the basis of a conviction or any other information revealed as a result of a DBS disclosure - Learn more here
Employment Information & Support
If you are considering applying for an apprenticeship or a role where the salary is (Grade 2-5), and would like to visit us to learn about the application, interview process and what it is like to work for the council, please click on this link to find out more - Learn more here
