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Team Senior Lawyer – Planning
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Staffordshire County Council
Staffordshire County Council is a modern, forward-thinking authority with big ambitions. We empower our people to be bold, innovative and to take pride in the work they do.
Staffordshire Legal Services
Staffordshire Legal Services is one of the largest and most diverse in-house legal teams in the region, providing high-quality, high-impact work across every Council function, the Staffordshire Pension Fund, and a wide range of external clients. Our caseload is consistently interesting, varied, and often high profile.
Why Join Us?
We genuinely prioritise work-life balance—our staff survey tells us we don’t just say it, we live it. Our benefits include:
- Generous holiday allowance, increasing with service, plus the option to purchase additional leave
- Agile, flexible and term-time working arrangements
- Local Government Pension Scheme with generous (29.5%) employer contributions
- Employee discounts, staff parking discounts, and an optional car lease scheme
- Family-friendly policies, including maternity, adoption, paternity and parental leave
- A collaborative, supportive team culture where your contribution truly matters
Main Responsibilities
Your work will include:
- Advising on a full range of County Planning matters, including planning applications and enforcement
- Negotiating complex planning obligations on behalf of highways and education clients
- Providing expert advice on a broad range of Local Authority statutory planning functions
- Managing a varied and challenging caseload in line with Lexcel standards
- Supervising and supporting colleagues within the team
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The Ideal Candidate
You will be a qualified Solicitor, Barrister, or Chartered Legal Executive (with practice/advocacy rights) who brings:
- A strong understanding of Planning Law
- Clear, confident communication skills
- Excellent attention to detail and organisational abilities
- The capability to work under pressure and manage competing priorities
- A collaborative approach, including the ability to delegate and manage a team effectively
If you are unsure whether your skills are the right fit, we encourage you to get in touch for an informal chat. Please contact John Rowe, Principal Lawyer at john.rowe@staffordshire.gov.uk or Imran Razaq, Deputy Legal Services Manager at Imran.razaq@staffordshire.gov.uk.
Interviews will take place during the week commencing 28th September 2026.
Our Recruitment Process
We anonymise applications during shortlisting to ensure only relevant information is considered. Please complete your application fully, especially the supporting statement, to highlight what you’ll bring to the role. Please note: The minimum criteria in the ideal candidate section detailed above will be used if you are applying under one of our Interview Guarantee Schemes.
About Staffordshire County Council
We are no ordinary county council:
Our Values
The core of who we are as an organisation. Just like we all have personal values that shape our thoughts and behaviour, organisational values drive how we think and act collectively.
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Our values were created and shaped by colleague feedback and national best practice and they sit at the heart of People Strategy:
- We have a real sense of community spirit that brings our people together. This feeling of belonging means we are all connected to what we do and take pride in the difference we make every day for Staffordshire people.
- We are ambitious and our sights are set firmly on a better future.
- We look forward and race ahead - that goes for your career too.
Our Benefits
We recognise that it is our employees that are central to everything we do. We aim to create a supportive working environment where employees can achieve their full potential and achieve a healthy work-life balance.
In addition to your salary, as a member of staff, you will have access to Our rewards and benefits - Careers at Staffordshire
Our Recruitment Process
As an Authority we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people/vulnerable adults and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
Staffordshire County Council is an equal opportunities organisation and Disability Confident employer. We encourage applications from all backgrounds and communities.
As part of our commitment as a Disability Confident employer, a Gold Award Armed Forces employer and our commitment to supporting care leavers - we offer a guaranteed interview as long as your application meets the minimum criteria for the post.
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