Planning Lawyer

Are you a Qualified Lawyer who has experience in providing advice on planning matters?

This is an exciting opportunity for a Qualified Lawyer to join our service. Working within a friendly and supportive team, you’ll report directly to the Principal Lawyer and work collaboratively with other lawyers and external stakeholders. We offer flexible hybrid working with dedicated legal support, promoting a healthy work life balance. This is your chance to make a difference and join a professional and committed team of lawyers.

As a Qualified Lawyer with experience in Planning Law, you’ll confidently and competently advise and support the planning functions of the Council, including the governance around the planning function and decision making, occasionally providing legal advice to the Council as developer. At Senior Lawyer level, you will also deputise for the Principal Lawyer and support junior members of the team with their development and training. Dealing primarily with cases within your area of specialism you’ll develop your own skills and experience whilst working closely with other legal teams and areas.

This is a full-time, permanent post working 37 hours a week from Monday to Friday.

This is a career graded post (Grades 9-11). Appointment to a level will depend on the outcome of the selection process and experience of the successful candidate. Dependent on availability of work/vacancy at a higher level, progress will be by satisfactory performance, agreed at annual Appraisals and through on-going supervision.

What you’ll be doing

You’ll provide secure high-quality legal services, advise on all aspects of planning law and work closely with the Council’s Planning Department to support the Council’s functions. You’ll routinely attend and advise at Planning Committees. Using your expertise, you’ll provide solutions focused advice and support to the Council and other public bodies.

What you’ll need

As a skilled lawyer, you’ll have knowledge of Planning Law and practice. With the ability to work as part of a team, you’ll ensure the provision of quality, client focussed and cost-effective legal services. Using strong communication skills, you’ll build and manage external relationships with clients carrying through assigned tasks and matters to conclusion. Pragmatic in your advice, talented, and proactive, you’ll work effectively with client departments to find solutions.

What we can offer you

As well as the satisfaction of helping to improve thousands of lives across Leicester, you can look forward to a work environment that encourages a healthy work/life balance. You’ll enjoy generous annual leave, membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme and the option of flexible working. We’ll also give you the chance to develop your skills and expertise with a variety of training and development opportunities. In addition, you can choose from several flexible benefits, including discounts on city buses and trains. For an illustrative value of your benefits package, take a look at our benefits calculator.

Join us

We’re committed to recruiting a diverse and highly-talented workforce as we continue to build a council that is fitting and representative of our great city. That’s why we’ve designed our recruitment process to put you at your ease, make you feel welcome and bring the best out of you. We’ll do all we can to make our recruitment process as fair as possible. To help you with your application, look at the ‘our approach to recruitment’ page.

To apply, please complete the online application form and upload a CV and/or supporting statement outlining how you meet the essential criteria as measured at application stage on the attached job specifation.

For a chat about this post, please feel free to contact Zoe Iliffe, Principal Lawyer (Property, Highways & Planning) at zoe.iliffe@leicester.gov.uk or on 0116 454 2180 or Kevin Carter, Head of Law (Commercial, Property & Planning) at kevin.carter@leicester.gov.uk or on 0116 454 4197

Closing date: 18 November 2026

For further information or to apply, please click on the ‘Enquire/Apply’ button.