£81,192 - £89,989 per annum, plus £5,000 Monitoring Officer allowance

About Us
Three Rivers District in South West Hertfordshire straddles the north west corner of the M25 on the edge of Greater London. The district is a mixture of beautiful countryside, villages and small towns. The area has a diverse range of sectors and businesses and is a centre for the film industry with Warner Brothers at Leavesden forming part of a studio cluster along with Elstree and Pinewood at a short drive away.

At a glance

• 700 historic assets and 22 conservation areas, with 77% of the district in the Green Belt
• 1,914 NNDR registered businesses with the economy providing 39,000 jobs
• Very low crime rate
• The district ranks highly for business registrations and start-ups, with a highly skilled and trained workforce and high employment levels, with GVA and weekly earnings above average

We’re proud that so many people choose to live, work and visit here, and even prouder that our brilliant team loves working here too! In our latest staff survey, 88% said they find their work fulfilling and rewarding, over 90% said they can rely on their colleagues, and nearly 90% felt they have meaningful goals to aim for.

We are now looking for an Associate Director to join us on a full-time, permanent basis, working 37 hours per week.

The Benefits

• Salary of £81,192 - £89,989 per annum, plus £5,000 Monitoring Officer allowance
• 29 days’ holiday per annum, rising to 31 days
• Generous employer pension contribution
• Life assurance
• Flexible working
• Career development opportunities
• Free on-site parking
• Cycle-to-work scheme
• Discounted leisure centre membership
• Employee volunteering schemes
• Access to discounted activities and days out

This is an exceptional opportunity for a senior local government legal leader and qualified Solicitor or Barrister to join our ambitious Council.

You'll have the chance to take on one of the most influential leadership roles within the organisation, shaping governance, driving organisational strategy and providing trusted advice at the highest level.

Offering significant scope to influence decision-making, broaden your executive career and leave a lasting legacy, this is a role where your expertise will have a tangible impact across the Council and the communities we serve.

The Role 
As an Associate Director, you will provide strategic leadership for our legal, governance and democratic services.

Acting as a Statutory Monitoring Officer and Senior Legal Advisor, you will provide expert legal and governance advice to Members and Officers, ensuring compliance with legislation, promoting high standards of conduct and supporting effective corporate decision-making.

You will lead and develop the Legal, Elections and Committee teams, driving service improvement, managing performance and ensuring effective governance, risk management and information governance arrangements.

Additionally, you will:

• Attend Council and Committee meetings, providing legal advice and scrutinising reports
• Oversee complex Data Protection and Freedom of Information matters
• Develop service plans, performance targets and budgets for the Legal, Elections and Committee teams
• Maintain and improve our digital case management system
• Lead recruitment, performance management and professional development across the service
• Act as Company Secretary to our companies, where required

About You

To be considered as an Associate Director, you will need:

• Substantial experience leading high-quality legal services within Local Government
• Significant senior management experience within a complex organisation
• Experience engaging with senior leaders and building productive stakeholder relationships
• Experience leading organisational change and securing stakeholder support
• A proven track record of developing and implementing business plans, policies and strategies
• A thorough understanding of the Monitoring Officer role
• A thorough understanding of Local Government Law
• Strong strategic leadership and operational management skills
• Excellent negotiation, influencing and relationship management skills
• The ability to lead organisational change and inspire high performance
• Political awareness and the ability to manage complex policy issues
• Financial and commercial awareness, including effective budget management
• A good technological aptitude
• Qualification as a Solicitor or Barrister entitled to practise in England and Wales

Other organisations may call this role Director of Legal Services, Head of Legal Services, Monitoring Officer, Head of Democratic Services, Assistant Director of Legal Services, Associate Director of Governance, Director of Governance, Chief Legal Officer, or Head of Governance.

Webrecruit and Three Rivers District Council are equal opportunities employers, value diversity and are strongly committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all employees and all applicants for employment. Equal opportunities are the only acceptable way to conduct business and we believe that the more inclusive our environments are, the better our work will be.

So, if you want to become our next Associate Director, please apply via the button shown. This vacancy is being advertised by Webrecruit. The services advertised by Webrecruit are those of an Employment Agency.

Closing date: 26 July 2026

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