Procurement & Contracts Solicitor in Watford

Salary: £46,871 to £50,998 inclusive annual salary plus up to 19.7 percent employer pension contribution.

Contract: Permanent

Location: Civic Centre, St Peter's Street, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL1 3JE

Hours: Full-time (37 hours per week) Flexible working options (including hybrid)

About the role

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Procurement & Contracts Solicitor in the Legal Shared Service Procurement and Contracts Team. This pivotal role will predominantly:

• Provide high level, robust and specialist, professional legal advice and support in the provision of contract and procurement related legal services to the Council(s) and their senior officers and councillors.
• Ensure client requirements are met within legal constraints.

In addition, the postholder will support the achievement of the Councils corporate plan, projects and aims and ensure the delivery of high-quality customer service from the in-house team, external solicitors and from counsel.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead on complex legal matters, identifying potential areas of risk and liability and advising on solution focused strategies.
• Ensure Legal Shared Services provides proactive, pragmatic, robust and solution focused advice and a support service to all clients (internal and external).
• Research, analyse, investigate and provide legal advice to councillors and to officers on any matter within the functions of the Council.
• Attend Member and Officer meetings as required, including meetings of the Council, Cabinet and Committees to ensure that decisions are lawful.

Who We're Looking For

We're seeking a confident legal professional with:

• Legal expertise and experience in procurement and contracts law.
• Strong interpersonal and client management skills.
• A collaborative approach to working across Councils and teams.

Join us in making St Albans City and District carbon neutral by 2030, guided by our Sustainability and Climate Crisis Strategy, we put the environment at the heart of every decision. We live our values trust, care, confidence, collaboration, and customer focus while delivering sustainable services, reducing environmental impact and making a difference.

St Albans is a unique English Cathedral City with a colourful history which can be seen in the Roman remains and variety of beautiful architecture, heritage sites and conservation areas. Set within green belt, off the M25, A1M and M1 the District includes a cathedral, vibrant city centre and thriving villages. Our centrally located offices in the city are near to the station (London St Pancras 20 minutes), shops and restaurants. In short it is a great place to live and work.

In addition to working within a great team and a comprehensive salary you will have access to:

• 30.5 days basic annual leave (increasing with service) + bank holidays.
• Local Government Pension Scheme with current employer contribution up to 19.7 percent employer contributions.
• Flexible working options.
• Staff Parking Permit.
• Reimbursement of professional fees.
• Comprehensive development and training.
• Discounted membership at selected local sports and fitness centres.
• Access to discounts and benefits via online platform.

Additional Information

Disability Confident: We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer and guarantee an interview to anyone disclosing a disability whose application meets all the essential criteria for the post.

Disclosure Checks: This post is subject to a Basic Disclosure Check.

English Fluency: The ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post.

If you're ready to take the next step in your legal career and help shape the future of our Legal Shared Service, we'd love to hear from you. A detailed job description and person specification are published on the advert for this role. The person specification sets out the criteria we use to assess applicants. The Council reserves the right to reject applicants at the shortlisting stage, where the application process has not been completed correctly.

Closing date for applications: 12th April 2026

Interviews are scheduled for w/c: 20th April 2026

NOTE: Interviews are conducted throughout the application process. We reserve the right to close the vacancy at an earlier date and we strongly encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible.