Legal Officer in Manchester

Transport for the North (TfN) was established in 2018 and provides pan-Northern strategic leadership for transport across the North of England. TfN brings together the North’s 11 combined authorities, political leaders, businesses and delivery partners, working closely with government, Network Rail and National Highways. Collaboration is central to our role, enabling us to bring the North together around shared strategic transport ambitions. As the region continues to evolve, so too must the organisations that serve it. TfN is continuing to reset and renew its offer in response to a rapidly changing landscape, supporting the transition towards a more devolved, locally led transport environment.

This marks a new chapter for TfN as we become a more agile and responsive organisation, shaped by the needs of our Board, members and partners. We are working closely with the North’s mayors, leaders and partners to understand their priorities and bring them together around shared ambitions for the region. Alongside this, we continue to work with our Board, constituent authorities and the Department for Transport (DfT) to shape TfN’s future role and ensure alignment with the North’s long‑term priorities, supporting sustainable economic growth across the region. By providing a pan-Northern perspective, TfN plays a vital role in supporting collaboration, aligning priorities and delivering the data and insight needed to progress shared transport ambitions.

Role Overview

We seek a highly‑organised, proactive and detail‑focused Legal Officer to join our Legal & Democratic Services and Procurement team. This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in supporting the organisation’s legal, contractual, procurement and governance functions. Working across a broad portfolio, you will help ensure that our legal and procurement processes are delivered efficiently, transparently and in line with our constitutional and governance requirements. The role offers a varied mix of responsibilities, including legal work whilst also supporting legal administration, maintaining contract and governance records, coordinating documentation and processes, and providing administrative support to committees and formal decision‑making processes. You will also have the opportunity to independently manage low‑value procurement processes within agreed thresholds, ensuring compliance with internal procedures and Contract Procurement Rules. You will also act as TfN’s designated Information Officer.

What we are looking for

You will bring demonstrable experience of providing effective and legally compliant advice and high‑quality administrative support within a legal, governance or procurement environment, including maintaining records, databases and document management systems, and managing confidential information appropriately. You will have excellent organisational and prioritisation skills, enabling you to effectively manage competing demands and deliver accurate, timely outcomes. Strong communication and interpersonal skills are essential, with the ability to build positive working relationships, engage a variety of stakeholders and provide clear advice and guidance. You will be confident using Microsoft Office and document management systems, possess strong attention to detail and analytical skills, and be committed to maintaining high standards of compliance, accountability and customer service. The ability to work both independently and collaboratively, while contributing to continuous improvement and effective team working, is essential.

Closing Date: Friday, 14th August

Provisional Interview Date: W/C 24th August

In return, as well as a competitive salary, our other benefits are:

• Access to the local government pension scheme
• Access to various salary sacrifice benefits, including Travel Pass purchase scheme
• Access to TfN’s Flexi-Time Scheme, allowing accrual of up to 18 additional days leave per year

If you believe you have the skills and experience we’re looking for please apply online, ensuring that in your application you provide evidence in the form of specific examples of how you meet the essential criteria in the role profile. All candidates will be required to prove their right to work in the UK as part of the recruitment process.

Should you wish to have a discussion around the role, please email either joanne.barclay@transportforthenorth.com or gavin.legg@transportforthenorth.com.

At TfN, we welcome and encourage applications from everyone regardless of age, disability, gender, ethnicity, religion and sexual orientation. We are particularly keen to encourage applications from women, members of ethnic minority groups and people with disabilities who are currently under‑represented. As part of our commitment to diversity and inclusion, all applications will be considered on their merit. As an organisation we always strive to do the right thing and understand that in order to make a difference in our society and workplace, we are committed to respecting equality and diversity, showing kindness, tackling discrimination and promoting inclusion. We are also an accredited Living Wage Employer, this means that every employee earns a real Living Wage and are recognised as Disability Confident employer acting as a disability confident champion within our local and business communities and business networks.