Legal Service Manager in Devon

Job purpose: To advise the Council and its committees, members and officers on local authority powers and duties, available options and to carry out its legal work, supplemented by external resources/specialists when required. Support propriety and development of the Council’s decision-making, scrutiny and administrative processes. To support the Assistant Director (Legal and Governance) in providing a high quality, efficient and effective Legal Service which protects the Council’s interests, enables modern service delivery and reacts flexibly to provide a service tailored to client needs.

About you: In this role, you will act as the Legal Service’s lead practitioner in designated areas of legal practice, currently focusing on complex criminal and civil litigation, while keeping fully up to date with developments in your field. You will provide high‑quality legal advice to officers, Committees, Sub‑Committees and other Council meetings, primarily within your specialist area and in wider administrative law. You will attend internal and external meetings, including Council Committees, ensuring that all committees have appropriate legal support to enable sound decision‑making, and you will undertake a wide range of legal tasks such as drafting, negotiating and completing legal documents and preparing instructions to Counsel.

You will manage the Legal Service’s casework to ensure it is delivered competently, within deadlines, and with clear communication to clients, while also safeguarding and enhancing the Council’s reputation by preparing and presenting the Council’s case in courts, tribunals and inquiries where required. You will oversee the security and control of the deed room, ensure the proper custody and maintenance of deeds, documents, registers, terriers and contracts, and ensure that the wider team follows established procedures. You will prepare reports for Committees, Members, the Strategic Leadership Team and partner groups, and provide legal observations on reports prepared by others.

As a senior leader, you will model excellence, inspire colleagues and promote a culture of continuous improvement aligned to the Council’s aims and values, providing strong leadership, performance management and support for staff in line with HR policies, including learning, development, attendance, discipline and grievance matters. You will foster a learning culture, oversee training and development across the Legal Service, and manage budgets and resources in line with Financial Regulations, ensuring value for money in procurement and tendering.

You will contribute to or lead multidisciplinary and corporate teams to drive service improvement, ensuring that the Legal Service offers a customer‑focused approach grounded in systems‑thinking principles. You will champion equality, diversity and inclusion, ensuring services reflect and respond to the needs of our diverse community, including safeguarding responsibilities, while also taking personal responsibility for health and safety within the service. In addition, you will ensure full compliance with Council policies, the Code of Conduct and the Constitution, play an active role in identifying and managing risk, and support the Director of Governance with elections when required.

About us: Our recent Local Government Association Peer Challenge highlighted that “EDDC is a great place to work, with engaged staff and members” — and we couldn’t agree more. You’ll be joining an organisation that puts people at the heart of everything we do, working collaboratively with our communities to deliver high‑quality services and create an outstanding place to live, work, visit and enjoy. With a strong focus on wellbeing, a highly flexible and supportive hybrid Worksmart approach, and a commitment to continuous learning and development, you can be confident of joining a workforce culture where colleagues are empowered to be Happy, Healthy and Here.

Apply: For an informal discussion, please contact James Docherty Assistant Director Legal.