Solicitor - Highways & Environment in Essex

This is a hybrid‑working role contractually based in Chelmsford. You will work from the Chelmsford office at least one day per week, depending on business need. Whilst travel is not usually expected there may occasionally be a need to be off site. Join Essex County Council's Legal Team – make a real impact in public law. This is a qualified Solicitor, Barrister or Legal Executive role with a passion for Highways & Environment. As part of a specialist team reporting to the Legal Services Manager (Highways and Environment), you will work closely with colleagues to deliver a high‑performing client‑facing legal service. Essex Legal Services (ELS) provides a comprehensive legal service to the Council, with the majority of work delivered in‑house.

Responsibilities

• Use strong communication and influencing skills to resolve complex issues, balancing competing interests and ensuring fair, well‑considered decisions.
• Anticipate change, adapt priorities, and support others in responding effectively to new demands.
• Proactively undertake challenging work, set targets, monitor performance and remove barriers that impact the effectiveness of the team meeting its objectives.
• Build credibility through informed, timely decision making, demonstrating sound judgement in complex or ambiguous situations.
• Manage multiple priorities, allocate resources effectively and develop contingency plans to address changing circumstances.
• Balance organisational and individual needs, encourage ideas and collaboration, and support learning and service improvement.
• Understand external social and political influences that impact Essex Legal Services' resourcing and the organisation, align team performance with organisational goals, and promote awareness of strategic issues.
• Provide high‑quality advice, information, analysis and interpretation to support decision‑making, performance management and compliance with statutory requirements.
• Support business development activity aligned to Essex Legal Services' strategy around trading and shared services.

Qualifications and Experience

• Qualified solicitor, barrister or legal executive with a full, valid practising certificate.
• Ability to establish credibility with Directors, senior management and other key stakeholders including LPA representatives.
• Ability to communicate effectively, good drafting and negotiating skill.
• Demonstrably good case‑management skills.
• Ability to contribute effectively in a large, complex organisation with plans for radical change and improvement.
• Within the highways and environment team you will require knowledge and understanding of providing legal advice in a public sector setting; including but not limited to advising on a full range of planning issues at district and county level, preparing documents including a substantial number of section 106 agreements and undertakings (drafting and negotiating bi‑ or tri‑party agreements with local LPAs, including s278 and other statutory agreements for development sites), dealing with public inquiries, advising at committee for the County Council's statutory roles such as education authority, highway authority and mineral and waste planning authority and for other local authority clients.

Benefits

• Flexible Work Arrangements – hybrid working, with the freedom to work from home while still benefiting from in‑person collaboration in the Chelmsford office.
• Generous Time Off – 27 days of holiday, increasing with service, plus 8 bank holidays and up to 4 paid volunteer days each year.
• Secure Your Future – enrolment in the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS).
• Professional Growth – professional fees for approved professions covered.
• Support for unpaid carers and flexible working arrangements to accommodate their needs.

Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We are committed to interview all disabled applicants who apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the role. We also interview all veterans and care leavers who meet the minimum requirements. Once you secure your role, many great employee benefits will be available, including support for unpaid carers. We value integrity and ethical behaviour. We kindly ask that you embrace our code of conduct throughout the recruitment process. If your role requires a DBS check, you will be required to register with the DBS Update Service and keep your DBS certificate up to date. The DBS Update Service is an annual subscription, and you will be responsible for ensuring this is maintained. Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

Essex County Council is a large and dynamic local authority, covering over 1,420 square miles and serving 1.8 million residents. We are committed to transformational change and delivering better quality at lower cost. Recognised in the top three of the latest IMPOWER index for productivity, we ensure everyone matters. With flexible working options and a focus on innovation, Essex is the ideal place for those looking to develop their career or contribute to the local community.