Principal Lawyer (Procurement & Commercial) - West Yorkshire Combined Authority

To apply for this post, please visit the West Yorkshire Combined Authority website

West Yorkshire Combined Authority

Principal Lawyer (Procurement & Commercial) - CS/LGS6b

£52,491 pa | Grade M |
Leeds/Hybrid |
Permanent |
37 hours pw | Applications for part time / job share will be considered |
Closing date: 20 August 2023

Do you want to work for an organisation that values you as an individual? An organisation that will support your professional development?
What about an organisation that has Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at the heart of everything that it does?
How about an organisation that does all these things and more?

Then look no further than the West Yorkshire Combined Authority!


We currently have a vacancy for a Principal Lawyer (Procurement & Commercial) to join our Legal & Governance Services Team.

It is an exciting time to be joining the Mayoral Combined Authority. We have a wide variety of exciting projects that we are working on which will help shape the West Yorkshire region.

In 2021 the £1.8bn devolution deal was secured for West Yorkshire. This meant the first Mayor of West Yorkshire was subsequently elected, with Tracy Brabin taking up post in May 2021. The devolution deal and election of the Mayor has enabled us to start to drive up living standards for local communities while tackling the climate emergency and helping to deliver our commitment to become a net zero carbon city region by 2038.

To find out more about the work the Combined Authority is involved with take a look at our latest news stories.

The Role
Reporting into the Legal Commercial Service Lead, the key responsibilities are but not limited to:
Take the strategic lead on all complex and high value public procurements and the robust drafting and negotiation of commercial contracts, effectively anticipating and responding to opportunities and change to enable the Combined Authority to continue to evolve and adapt in a timely and efficient manner.
Support the Service Lead in their role, including in respect of responsibilities around the implementation and delivery of programmes, projects and schemes.
Engage proactively and effectively with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders including senior officers, Directors, members and government officials in order to most effectively drive the Combined Authority’s commercial agenda.
Shape, lead and manage the practice area function, leading the team to provide the Combined Authority with a proactive, professional, comprehensive legal service forming an integral part of the Legal Commercial Service and more widely a seamless interface with Commercial Services.

About you
You will have the following key skills, attributes, education and experience:
Qualified Solicitor or Barrister entitled to hold a current practising certificate or full CILEX (Fellowship) with significant recent post-qualification experience, ideally in a public sector organisation.
Substantial and extensive legal and practical knowledge and experience relating to local government law and practice as combined authorities.
Substantial experience of shaping and leading a legal function to deliver high standards.
Substantial and extensive legal and practical knowledge and experience relating to the implementation and delivery of complex and high value public procurement projects and programmes.
Demonstrable knowledge of the legislative framework of related functions including some or all of the following: commercial contracts, public procurement regulations, intellectual property law, infrastructure projects, construction law (including knowledge and experience of using the NEC suite of contracts) public transport schemes, major regeneration and energy projects and regional adult education, skills and training provision.

Our offer
A competitive salary that increases each year for the first four years to reflect the experienced being gained in the role, in addition to this the salary may also receive a yearly inflationary uplift. The starting salary is £52,491 and will rise through annual increments to a maximum of £60,766 (based on current salary grades).

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 M-Card (Zones 1-5)
Flexible Working Practices with Health & Wellbeing initiatives to ensure you achieve the best work/life balance and career goals.

We have also recently undergone a major office refurbishment and have bright, airy, modern office space, with all latest technology, and just a 2-minute walk from Leeds Railway Station. We also have agile working options too if you would rather work from home, or another suitable location, as well as a generous flexi-time scheme.

Have a look at our Employee Benefits webpage to find out more.

To apply
If this sounds like your next role, please upload your anonymised CV, and complete the application form on our application website telling us why you would be a great fit for our role.

Please apply by 11:55pm on Sunday 20 August 2023 using link below.

Principal Lawyer (Procurement and Commercial) - CS/LGS6b -West Yorkshire Combined Authority (westyorks-ca.gov.uk)

Further Information
The Combined Authority is passionate about creating an inclusive workplace that promotes and values diversity. We know through experience that different ideas, perspectives and backgrounds create a stronger and more creative work environment that delivers better outcomes.

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. To find out more about inclusivity at the West Yorkshire Combined Authority please visit our dedicated webpage.

Applicants with a disability are guaranteed an interview, subject to the minimum criteria being met.
Whilst agile working is an option for most staff, there is an expectation that employees are able to attend the office in central Leeds as and when required.

Candidates will be notified of invitation to interview by e-mail and interviews will be carried out either by phone, video or face to face. If you have any difficulty with the type of interview you are invited to, please inform the recruiting manager at your earliest convenience to enable them to consider an alternative solution.

Please note that whilst it is our policy to recruit at SP1 for all appointments, which is the salary stated above, each role includes career salary progression, with incremental increases applicable in most cases, on an annual basis.

Due to the high volumes of applications we receive, we are unfortunately unable to respond to every applicant. If you have not heard from us within four weeks of the closing date, please assume that on this occasion your application has not been successful. We do however thank you for your application and encourage you to continue looking for roles on our Careers with Us website page.

Candidate information will be retained by the Combined Authority for six months.

Terms and conditions
The West Yorkshire Combined Authority has recently been in consultation with employees and Trade Unions to review the Terms and Conditions of Employment and Staff Benefits.

We are pleased to announce that these proposals have been accepted and work is currently underway to implement these.

The above post is not a Leeds City Council vacancy and has been advertised on behalf of the relevant organisation. To apply please follow their application instructions. If the attached documents do not meet your accessibility requirements, please contact the recruiter directly. For more information about the accessibility of this website, please click this link https://jobs.leeds.gov.uk/accessibility