Salary: Competitive

Trafford is a great place to live, work, learn and visit, with strong communities, a proud cultural and sporting heritage, and a key role in Greater Manchester’s economic future. Our vision is simple and ambitious: a borough where residents, businesses and communities thrive. Achieving it requires trusted, enabling governance that supports good decisions, protects public confidence and turns ambition into delivery.

As Director of Legal and Governance, reporting directly to the Chief Executive, you will play a central role in our corporate leadership team, providing independent, practical advice to colleagues and elected Members, supporting sound decision making while ensuring the Council acts lawfully, transparently and with integrity. As Monitoring Officer, you will build trusted relationships across political groups, combining sound judgement and personal authority with the confidence to challenge constructively on complex and sensitive matters.

This is an important time to join Trafford. You will implement a review of our governance arrangements, strengthening standards, scrutiny and democratic decision making, ensuring that we enable timely and effective delivery. Leading legal, democratic and mayoral services, elections, registrars and information governance, you will be at the heart of the council’s operations. Across legal services, you will lead complex work spanning property, development, investment and commercial partnerships, while ensuring legal work in social care supports our improvement journey. You will play a key role in some of the council’s major programmes that are shaping the borough, including the Wharfside Masterplan and Old Trafford Mayoral Development Corporation.

You will bring experience in a politically led organisation, offering strategic judgement, excellent relationship building skills and a solution focused approach. You will inspire talented teams, strengthen professional capacity and resilience, and use technology and modern working practices to improve quality and value. This is a career shaping opportunity for a visible and influential leader, committed to public service, inclusive leadership and the best outcomes for Trafford’s residents, businesses and communities.

For an informal discussion, contact our search partner, GatenbySanderson: Emily Lockwood (07384 258626) or Philip Emms (07590 225472), or visit join-trafford.co.uk 

Closing date: 2 November 2026

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