Governance & Regulatory Lawyer

We currently have a vacancy for a Governance & Regulatory Lawyer to join our Legal, Governance & Compliance Services. The Legal Governance & Regulatory Team is a busy dynamic team supporting across all areas of the authority, including taking a lead on new governance implications related to the English Devolution White Paper and supporting on all litigation matters.

We are seeking a Governance & Regulatory Lawyer with a strong skillset and knowledge base to support the Legal Governance & Regulatory Team. We are looking for a lawyer with a strong skillset and knowledge and experience within regulatory and/or governance legal case work. The post will cover both broad areas of legal work and so transferable skills and a willingness to embrace new challenges will be key.

The team advises on all aspects of regulatory law and governance, including:

• All litigation matters including debt recovery and claims.
• Information governance and data protection law.
• Supporting on Police and Crime functions.
• Compliance with equalities legislation including the Public Sector Equality Duty.
• Employment matters, such as recruitment, contracts, TUPE, disciplinaries and dismissals and redundancy.
• Advising on matters regarding decision-making by the Combined Authority, including committee arrangements, officer delegations, and the Members’ ethical standards frameworks.
• Advising in relation to devolution and joint decision-making arrangements with other authorities.

The Legal team at West Yorkshire Combined Authority have a talent pathway, which offers an opportunity for internal Legal Officers to apply to the pathway and access funding to undertake an apprenticeship, CILEX Professional Qualification or SRA training to qualify as a Solicitor/ Fellow of CILEX. The talent pathway is run periodically and requires a separate application process.

Alongside a competitive salary, we offer an excellent benefits package including:

• 28 days Annual Leave (increasing upon years of service) plus Bank Holidays.
• Generous Employer-Contribution Pension Scheme.
• Free Travel on rail and buses across West Yorkshire with the MCard (Zones 1-5).
• Flexible Working Practices with Health & Wellbeing initiatives, including agile working options, as well as a generous flexi-time scheme to ensure you achieve the best work/life balance and career goals.
• Bright, airy, modern office space, with all latest technology, just a 2-minute walk from Leeds Train Station.

Reporting into the Principal Lawyer- Governance & Regulatory, your key responsibilities will include:

• Providing legal advice and drafting relevant documentation in respect of regulatory matters on behalf of the Combined Authority, including assessing and advising on legal and litigation risk.
• Providing legal advice and reviewing and drafting governance documentation.
• Providing support to other members of the Legal Team.

This post is subject to vetting clearance. Due to the nature of this role, it is a requirement that the successful applicant will be subject to relevant vetting checks at the appropriate level and any job offer will be conditional subject to successful vetting clearance. Applicants should be aware that it is not possible to make meaningful vetting enquiries in many jurisdictions outside the UK. Vetting clearance cannot therefore be granted if the applicant has not been resident in the UK for the relevant minimum period and comparable vetting enquiries cannot be made in jurisdictions where the individual has been residing. The relevant periods are three years for NPPV 1&2 and five years for NPPV3.

You will have the following key skills, attributes, education and experience:

• You will be a qualified lawyer with a relevant practising certificate to practice law within England.
• You will have experience in advising and drafting complex legal documentation in relation to regulatory, litigation and/or governance matters within the areas of Combined Authority.
• You will have an understanding of the governance arrangements of the Combined Authority and how that impacts decision making.
• You will be someone who has worked within a local authority setting, or who has transferable skills, to meet the needs of a busy and diversifying Combined Authority as part of a key in-house legal team.

If this sounds like your next role, please complete the application form and tell us within the supporting statement why you would be a great fit for our role and how your skills, knowledge and experience align with the requirements within the Role Profile.

The Combined Authority is passionate about creating an inclusive workplace that promotes and values diversity. We welcome applications irrespective of people's age, disability, neuro-divergence, sex, gender identity and gender expression, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation, pregnancy or maternity, or other personal circumstances. We have policies and procedures in place to ensure that all applicants are treated fairly and consistently at every stage of the recruitment process, including the consideration of reasonable adjustments for people who have a disability and/or who are neuro divergent. Under the Disability Confident Scheme, applicants with a disability are guaranteed an interview, subject to the minimum criteria being met.