Legal Officer in Manchester

• Legal Officer
• North of England (Hybrid/Flexible with regular travel to a Manchester office)
• Permanent | Full-time
• Competitive + Excellent Benefits
• About the Opportunity

We are recruiting on behalf of a respected public-sector organisation seeking a proactive and commercially minded Legal Officer to join its Legal & Governance team.

This is an excellent opportunity for a legal professional who enjoys working across a broad range of legal, governance, procurement and compliance matters within a collaborative and purpose-driven environment.

You'll play a key role in ensuring legal and governance processes operate efficiently while providing practical advice to internal stakeholders.

The position offers varied work, exposure to high-profile projects, and the opportunity to contribute to strategic organisational initiatives while developing your expertise across multiple legal disciplines.

The Role

Working closely with senior legal colleagues, you will provide high-quality legal and administrative support across a diverse portfolio of work including commercial contracts, procurement, governance, information law and compliance.

You will also act as the organisation's designated Information Officer, supporting compliance with UK GDPR, Freedom of Information legislation and wider records management obligations.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide practical legal advice across commercial contracts, procurement, governance and information law.
• Draft, review and manage a wide range of legal documentation, contracts and correspondence.
• Support procurement activities, including tender documentation, contract administration and supplier engagement.
• Maintain legal registers, document management systems and governance records.
• Coordinate Board, Committee and governance meetings, including agendas, papers and action tracking.
• Lead the administration of Freedom of Information (FOI) and Data Protection requests and support GDPR compliance.
• Develop and maintain effective records management and document control processes.
• Monitor contract milestones, obligations and key dates to ensure timely action.
• Support policy development, process improvements and continuous service enhancement.
• Build strong relationships with internal stakeholders and external partners, providing responsive and practical legal guidance.

About You

We're looking for an organised and motivated legal professional who enjoys working across a varied workload and delivering high-quality support in a professional environment.

You'll have

• A Law degree, CILEX qualification, Paralegal qualification or equivalent legal experience.
• Experience working within a legal, governance or public-sector environment.
• Knowledge of commercial contracts, procurement, governance, data protection and information law.
• Experience supporting procurement or contract administration activities.
• Excellent organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Experience maintaining legal records, document management systems and confidential information.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Strong Microsoft Office and document management system skills.
• A collaborative approach with the confidence to work effectively with stakeholders at all levels.

Desirable Experience

Experience within local government, transport, infrastructure or another regulated public-sector environment would be advantageous, together with familiarity with:

• Public law and administrative law
• Commercial and contract law
• Public procurement
• UK GDPR and Freedom of Information legislation
• Governance and committee administration
• Continuous improvement and process optimisation

If you're looking to broaden your legal experience within a collaborative organisation where your work will have a meaningful impact, we'd love to hear from you